The NASCAR Hall of Fame
General
If I have learned nothing else in this life of mine, this I know: People are different (great revelation, huh). For instance, there are people who believe D. W. and the "boogity, boogity, boogity" trash is enjoyable. I find it as enjoyable as a wisdom tooth extraction where the doctor has to cut into the jawbone, all done withOUT pain killer. At least I have a "pain killer" for D.W. and that is the mute button on my remote.
Sorry about that first paragraph as I mean this to be a very positive post. For some reason I could not let the fact that D.W. is one of 25 people on the list for induction next year pass without adding my "two cents worth". I do most sincerely believe if he is inducted next year it is for the sole and only reason that his induction was "bought" by the D.W. money machine which, after all, is one thing NASCAR has shown repeated excellence in manipulating.
But, this I have also learned thanks to my membership here in Racers Reunion: we members have been honored for the past two years by being allowed to vote on inductees into the Memory Lane Museum Racers Reunion Hall of Fame in Mooresville, NC. I know this is not an easy task. Because I have been around racing for so many years and have been fortunate and blessed enough to meet and talk with almost every driver in most divisions of NASCAR, it is an almost impossible task to pick a limited number of nominees to actually be inducted. Just as this year's ballot for our Hall of Fame was filled with names, almost every single one of whom is more than justified to be an inductee, so it is with NASCAR and any other Hall of Fame. For instance, thanks to my employment with one of the top sports agents in the country before he died young of cancer in 1993, I became good friends with Harry Carson of the New York Giants Football team. It took Harry more than 10 years before the NFL inducted him and he is certainly one person who deserved that honor.
This year, when I was looking over our list of nominees, I was finding it very, very difficult to whittle down the list to the required number for my vote. Finally, after four days of deep thought, reflection, and other consideration, I marked my ballot and put it in the mail (I couldn't figure out how to vote on line) It was not easy. I'm sure it was not easy for any fan who voted. It just can't be done easily when there are so many factors to consider, at least in my mind.
Let's just take one example. Was Richard Petty inducted last year because:
1. He won 200 races
2. He set the racing world on its ear in 1967 winning 27 of 46 races and 10 in a row.
3. He has signed more autographs and there are dollars in the national debt.
4. He has been an ambassador for the sport throughout the world
5. He is the only person Muhammad Ali ever asked for an autograph (I heard this
several years ago reported by ESPN)
6. He has a great smile
7. He has been the epitome of a southern gentleman
8. He is the son of Lee Petty, one of the founders of the sport
9. He is the father of Kyle Petty
10.He has made Charlie 1 Horse the class of cowboy hats
11.......... well, you get the picture
So, as we prepare to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of a nation based on the concept of freedom, let's remember that we all are, for the most part, at least in theory, free to do, think, and feel, as we wish. We are different. That is a good thing. Don't get too rough on NASCAR when they pick their inductees (although I do believe they should go more than five a year). I know it is not easy.
But, if D.W. goes in this year, I will always wonder about that.
Tim
updated by @tim-leeming: 12/05/16 04:02:07PM
I keep up with the segment times on my chart here just in case.It is a sincere pleasure to know you and we are going to get you on there to rock on! I'll let you know.Tim