NASCAR Hall Class missing top-class drivers
Three-time NASCAR Grand National titlist David Pearson headed the list of inductees for the Hall of Fame Class of 2011, which is noticeably missing a few big names such as Darrell Waltrip
and Cale Yarborough.
On Wednesday, NASCAR released the final set of inductees to be formally elected in the NASCAR Hall of Fame in May in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Pearson, who captured three NASCAR Grand National championships (1966, 1968, and 1969) and the Daytona 500 title in 1976, has been a shoo-in even before NASCAR began selection process,
as he crossed checkered flag first 105 times out of 547 career starts.
Joining him in the Hall of Fame class are: three-time Daytona 500 winner Bobby Allison, two-time NASCAR Grand Champion and Daytona 500 winner Lee Petty, two-time NASCAR Grand Champion
Ned Jarrett, and car owner Bud Moore.
NASCAR followers believed the panelist selected a solid casts of Hall of Fame inductees, although some are surprised about the snubbing a couple of all-time greats: Waltrip (three-time
NASCAR Cup Series Champion) and Yarborough (three-time Daytona Winner).
In a racing career that spanned two decades, Waltrip once became the face of NASCAR, capturing 84 races and the 1989 Daytona 500.
The Owensboro, Kentucky-born racer won three Winston Cup championships in the ‘80s, earning him a spot in the NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers of All-time.
Yarborough, another three-time Winston Cup champion, also missed his chance to secure his place in the NASCAR Hall of Fame despite an impressive resume.
Nevertheless, Daytona International Speedway president Joie Chitwood III expressed his approval on the set of inductees, lauding the three Daytona winners named in the prestigious Hall
of Fame Class.
“Winning the Daytona 500 is the ultimate prize for any driver and Daytona International Speedway is proud to see three Daytona 500 champions as well as a winning Daytona 500 car owner
recognized as part of the second NASCAR Hall of Fame Class,” Chitwood III told reporters during the unveiling of inductees. “All of the 2011 inductees have made significant contributions to the sport and more than deserve this honor.”
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