NASCAR Hall Of Fame

The NASCAR Hall of Fame will honor drivers who have shown exceptional skill at NASCAR driving, all-time great crew chiefs and owners, and other major contributors to the sport. NASCAR has committed itself to building a Hall of Fame and on March 6, 2006, the city of Charlotte, North Carolina was selected as the location. Ground was broken for the $160 million facility on January 26, 2007 and is expected to open on or around May 11th, 2010, with the inaugural class inducted during the week of Sprint All-Star Race XXVI.

The new Hall of Fame is expected to bring hundreds of jobs and an increase in tourism to Charlotte. In addition to the Hall of Fame, the NASCAR Plaza, a 20-story office building, opened in May, 2009. The 390,000-square-foot structure will be the home of Hall of Fame-related offices, NASCAR Digital Media, and their licensing division. Other tenants include the Charlotte Regional Partnership and Lauth Property Group. Richard Petty and Dale Inman helped unveil the first artifact at the Hall of Fame, which was the Plymouth Belvedere that Petty drove to 27 wins in 1967.

The City of Charlotte is responsible for the construction of the building and will own the NASCAR Hall of Fame. However, it will be operated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. Winston Kelley is the NASCAR Hall of Fame Executive Director. Internationally renowned Pei, Cobb, Freed & Partners is leading the design effort. Little Diversified Architectural Consulting based in Charlotte, NC is the local architectural firm overseeing many aspects of design and construction of the project. Exhibition design is by Ralph Appelbaum Associates, and exhibition lighting by Technical Artistry. Site excavation and grading services commenced on May 21, 2007.

Because of stock car racing's roots in and wealth of famous drivers from North Carolina, many NASCAR offices in the area and many teams in the three major series NASCAR competes in (Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series) totaling over 73% of motorsports employees in the United States working in what the committee called "NASCAR Valley".

Charlotte was considered the favorite by many fans and commentators. The proposed site is in Uptown Charlotte, one half hour south of Lowe's Motor Speedway. Another factor that helped in the winning bid was the fact that over half of the total population of the USA was living within a 500-mile (800 km) radius of the greater Charlotte region. The bid was led by NASCAR car owner Rick Hendrick, Mayor Pat McCrory, and business leaders in Charlotte. Pei Cobb Freed & Partners were enlisted for the complex's design, which will be located near the Charlotte Convention Center. An expansion, which includes a new ballroom, is also part of the project.

While most information on the Charlotte bid has been released voluntarily, the Charlotte Observer has asked the state Attorney General for an opinion requiring full disclosure of the financial details.

The self-proclaimed slogan used by Charlotte for the Hall of Fame is "Racing Was Built Here. Racing Belongs Here."

The Other city's that were considered:

The other two cities at the time of the announcement that were in the running were Atlanta, Georgia and Daytona Beach, Florida.

NASCAR legend Bill Elliott had campaigned for Atlanta to be the NASCAR HOF site, which would have been adjacent to Centennial Olympic Park. Atlanta's argument was that with the World of Coca-Cola, CNN Center, the Georgia Aquarium and the Children's Museum of Atlanta nearby, more visitors would come to town to visit the city.

However, legal issues surrounding the secret bid and the Georgia Open Records Act arose after a request from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for the cost of the proposal. At least $25 million (US) in state money plus an extra $5 million from Atlanta and Fulton County taxpayers would have been committed to the project.

Other bids:

The state of Alabama had also been mentioned as a potential candidate city, and was no longer seen as a contender, possibly because Talladega currently is home to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, which is not affiliated with NASCAR. The only northern area that considered bidding was in the state of Michigan. Detroit prepared bids, but state officials decided not to submit the proposals. The cities of Richmond, Virginia and Kansas City, Kansas were actually among the five finalists, but on January 5, 2006, NASCAR announced they had been eliminated from the running, leaving just Daytona, Atlanta and Charlotte as the remaining cities.

Eligibility and selection process ;

Former drivers must have been active in NASCAR for at least 10 years, and retired for at least three. Non-drivers must have been involved in the industry at least ten years. Some candidates with shorter careers will be considered if there were special circumstances.

A 20-member nominating committee chooses nominees from those who are eligible. The committee consists of:

Seven NASCAR representatives;
NASCAR Hall of Fame Executive Director Winston Kelley;
NASCAR Hall of Fame Historian;
Track owners (Two each from International Speedway Corporation and Speedway Motorsports Incorporated, the Hulman family representing Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the owners of Dover International Speedway and Pocono Raceway)
Four track owners from historic short tracks: Bowman-Gray Speedway in Winston-Salem, N.C.; Greenville-Pickens Speedway in Greenville, S.C.; Riverhead Raceway in Riverhead, N.Y; and Toyota Speedway at Irwindale in Irwindale, CA.

Induction:

After the nomination committee selects the list of candidates, a total of 48 votes are cast by a voting committee, which consists of the nominating committee and the following:

14 media representatives: Three each from the National Motorsports Press Association, the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Eastern Motorsports Press Association; one each from current media rights holders Fox, Turner Sports (TNT), ESPN/ABC, Motor Racing Network and Performance Racing Network;

One representative each from the current manufacturers - Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford and Toyota;
Three retired drivers;
Three retired owners;
Three retired crew chiefs;
One ballot which will represent the results of a nationwide fan vote.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

CHARLOTTE - The NASCAR Hall of Fame selected its first class of inductees Wednesday and those five honorees are: Bill France Sr., Richard Petty, Bill France Jr., Dale Earnhardt and Junior Johnson.

A 50-member voting panel decided on the class after listening to presentations on 25 nominees.

The induction ceremony was scheduled to be May 23, 2010, the Sunday after the Sprint All-Star Race and about two weeks after the hall opens in Charlotte.

On October 14th, 2009, the NASCAR Hall of Fame panel met at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, to select the Charter Class of 2010.

The five who were selected were:
Dale Earnhardt, owner-driver and seven time drivers champion;

76 Cup wins as a driver; 7 Cup championships
The Intimidator made his black No. 3 a larger-than-life symbol in NASCAR with an aggressive driving style that rattled competitors and enamored fans.

Shares the record for most Cup series championships (seven) with Richard Petty. Won his first title in 1980, his second full season. Won the 1998 Daytona 500. Died in an accident on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.

Bill France, Sr., NASCAR founder and promoter;

NASCAR founder
Known as "Big Bill," France is regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of American motorsports.
Began as a promoter of beach races in Daytona Beach, Fla., and was the driving force behind the establishment of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing.

His iron fist leadership was challenged just once, in 1969, when NASCAR's top drivers pushed France to postpone the race at Talladega Superspeedway over tire concerns. France didn't budge and survived the driver walkout by finding 36 others to race.
Turned over control to his son, Bill France, Jr., in 1972. Died in 1992 at the age of 82.

Bill France, Jr., promoter who succeeded his father and expanded the sport to national exposure;

NASCAR president 1972-2000
"Bill Jr." replaced his father as NASCAR president in 1972 and spent the next 28 years helping NASCAR become America's No. 1 form of motorsports. His leadership was viewed as a benevolent dictatorship, where France had the final word.

He stepped down as president in 2000 during a fight with cancer but ruled as chairman of a new board of directors until 2003, when he transferred control to son, Brian.
Died in 2007 at the age of 74.

Junior Johnson, owner-driver who won six championships as an owner;

50 wins as a driver; 6 championships as a car owner
Johnson is in an elite group of participants to find success as a driver and car owner. He won the second Daytona 500 in 1960 and was credited with discovering drafting at superspeedways.

Retired in 1966 after just 14 seasons as a driver to become a team owner.
Won 132 races as owner, and championships with Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip. Began as a moonshine runner, forever making him the symbol of NASCAR's roots.

Richard Petty, owner-driver who also won seven championships and 200 races as an driver.

200 victories as a driver; 7 Cup championships
The King holds the record for most wins (200), most poles (123), most wins in a season (27), most Daytona 500 wins (seven), most consecutive wins (10) and most starts (1,185). His seven Cup titles is tied with Dale Earnhardt for most in NASCAR history. Retired in 1992 but is still an at-track presence as a team owner.

Petty Enterprises won 268 races before its January merger with Gillett Evernham Motorsports, and Petty has two wins this season as co-owner of Richard Petty Motorsports.

The remaining finalists who did not garner the top five positions were:
Bobby Allison, driver
Buck Baker, driver
Red Byron, driver
Richard Childress, owner-driver
Richie Evans, driver
Tim Flock, driver
Rick Hendrick, owner
Ned Jarrett, driver and broadcaster
Bud Moore, owner
Raymond Parks, owner
Benny Parsons, driver, promoter and broadcaster
David Pearson, driver
Lee Petty, owner-driver
Fireball Roberts, driver
Herb Thomas, driver
Curtis Turner, driver
Darrell Waltrip, driver and broadcaster
Joe Weatherly, driver
Glen Wood, owner
Cale Yarborough, driver

NASCAR:

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is a family-owned and operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947-48. As of 2011, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr.

NASCAR is the largest sanctioning body of stock car racing in the United States.
The three largest racing series sanctioned by NASCAR are the Sprint Cup, the Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series.

It also oversees NASCAR Local Racing, the Whelen Modified Tour, and the Whelen All-American Series. NASCAR sanctions over 1,500 races at over 100 tracks in 39 states, Canada, and Mexico. NASCAR has presented exhibition races in Suzuka City, Japan, Motegi City, Japan, and Melbourne, Australia.

NASCAR's headquarters are located in Daytona Beach, Florida, although it also maintains offices in four North Carolina cities: Charlotte, Mooresville, Concord, and Conover. Regional offices are also located in New York City, Los Angeles, Bentonville, Arkansas, and international offices in Mexico City and Toronto. Additionally, owing to its southern roots, all but a handful of NASCAR teams are still based in North Carolina, especially near Charlotte.

NASCAR is one of the most viewed professional sports in terms of television ratings in the United States. In fact, professional football is the only sport in the United States to hold more viewers than NASCAR.

NASCAR races are broadcast in over 150 countries. NASCAR holds 17 of the top 20 attended single-day sporting events in the world, and claims 75 million fans who purchase over $3 billion in annual licensed product sales. Many marketers consider NASCAR fans the most brand-loyal in all of sports and as a result, Fortune 500 companies sponsor NASCAR more than any other Motor Sport.

Once the 2010 season had concluded, NASCAR also announced changes to the point system, and that the fuel will be changed from Sunoco unleaded to an ethanol blend called 'Sunoco Green E15'. Chevrolet entered 2011 as the reigning Manufacturer's Champions, while Jimmie Johnson is the defending Driver's Champion.

In 2011 The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season is in it's 63rd season . The season includes 36 races and two exhibition races, beginning with the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway and ending with the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. During the 2010 season, NASCAR announced several calendar changes, including race additions at Kansas Speedway and Kentucky Speedway, and the removal of one race each from Atlanta Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway.

NASCAR is one of the most viewed professional sports in terms of television ratings in the United States. In fact, professional football is the only sport in the United States to hold more viewers than NASCAR. Internationally, NASCAR races are broadcast in over 150 countries. NASCAR holds 17 of the top 20 attended single-day sporting events in the world,and claims 75 million fans who purchase over $3 billion in annual licensed product sales. Many marketers consider NASCAR fans the most brand-loyal in all of sports and as a result, Fortune 500 companies sponsor NASCAR more than any other Motor Sport

Bill France Sr. Built NASCAR into a true sport:

It comes as no surprise that William H.G. France is a member of the inaugural five-man class in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

He is NASCAR's founder. Without the man called "Big Bill," stock-car racing as we know it might not exist.

It was France who had the vision and ambition to turn a rogue sport into one that found credibility, stability, organization and acceptance.

He was always interested in racing. He built his first race car at age 17. As a young married man he raced on the dirt tracks around his Washington, D.C., home. Prior to World War II he even promoted some races.

Afterward, France, his wife, Annie, and young son Billy, packed all their belongings into a car and headed for Miami looking for better financial pursuits.

Naturally, France the racer wanted to make a stop in the Ormond Beach-Daytona Beach area to see the "World's Most Famous Beach," on which automobile land speed records had been set by Sir Malcolm Campbell and others.

The Frances never left the area.

Bill France Jr's role in Building NASCAR.

It's fitting that Bill France Jr. joins his father in the first class selected for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

After all, both were instrumental in building NASCAR to its current prominence in the sports world, though each did so in different ways.

While Bill France Sr. built NASCAR's foundation from the sands of the Daytona Beach, Fla., road course, his son took it to another level.

France Jr. was a visionary, a man who saw the potential for stock-car racing to gain in prominence and grab a foothold in the national sports landscape.

Words like pioneer and legend cropped up surrounding his name over the years. Why? Because he believed the sport could challenge other professional sports in audience and fan base - and proved that he was correct.

He took over management of NASCAR in 1972 and led the sport through what turned out to be arguably the most influential period in its growth.

Like his father, he was willing to take the heat for making tough calls. But he made those with the big picture in mind - and turned what had been a largely regional sport into a major national entity.

In some ways, it started when a smart business decision combined with a stroke of luck.

He put the 1979 Daytona 500 on CBS, the first broadcast of a full, live race on a major television network. That race gained additional exposure when a massive snowstorm essentially locked in the East Coast, increasing viewership. Then it was further aided by a fight. Richard Petty won the race, but Cale Yarborough's fight with the Allison brothers - Bobby and Donnie - became the source of controversy and publicity.
That helped push the sport to a new level and into a realm of popularity that France was able to capitalize on with landmark television contracts and an explosion in fan base.

France could be famously firm in his dealings with people. Yet he had the ability to draw the admiration and respect of those competing in and building the sport while also keeping them in line with his directives. He kept a firm grip on the sport while also accepting input from others.

The sport took off in the 1980s and '90s, a period when it became a television staple, when he guided International Speedway Corp.'s growth and addition of new tracks and a period in which the Cup drivers debuted at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

France turned NASCAR over to President Mike Helton in 2000 but remained active in the organization until his death in 2007 at the age of 74.

Upon his death, both those who had helped him build the sport and those who were reaping the benefits of it were quick to credit France for all his work in building NASCAR.

"Mr. France was the backbone of our sport," said Dale Earnhardt Jr., who knew France in a unique light because of the relationship France shared with the driver's father, Dale Earnhardt Sr. "He was a true friend to the Earnhardt family and someone I always looked up to."

It was a sentiment universally shared in the sport.

Now, France's work has been recognized by others who helped build the sport with his selection to the inaugural class of the new NASCAR Hall of Fame. It's only fitting that he resides in its halls next to his father

Richard Petty in the first class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame?

There probably have been bigger no-brainers in the history of sports, but not many.

Petty won 200 races. He won them from the high banks of Daytona to the dreary dirt of forgotten quarter-mile tracks now lost to history.

He won seven Cup championships.

He made the number 43 and the official color of "Petty blue" important not only in racing but also in American sports in general.

19 is Johnny Unitas.

9 is Ted Williams.

42 is Jackie Robinson.

43 is, and forever will be, Richard Petty.
Petty is about much more than the numbers, the victories and the championships, however.
He is the Arnold Palmer of his sport. He put stock-car racing on the national map, gave it a bright, shining, smiling face (with piano-key teeth) and carried it through its building years with style and grace.

When he was 14 years old, Junior Johnson became a moonshine hauler.

He owned a car -- registered in his sister's name -- and despite the fact that he didn't have a driver's license, he figured it was time to go about the family business.

His father, Robert Glenn Johnson Sr., was one of the most notorious and prolific bootleggers in Wilkes County, N.C. The number of stills he had in operation could not easily be counted.

He also had a farm and a sawmill, but it was moonshine that provided, by far, the bulk of the family income.

Homemade whiskey is worth nothing unless it is delivered to a buyer. That's where the haulers came in.

They had to drive hard and fast on small dirt country roads, almost always at night, to complete their appointed rounds.

The law routinely chased them, and to be caught meant confiscation of the car, the whiskey and, worst of all, jail time.

Junior Johnson was never caught on the road.

Dale Earnhardt Drew Love and Ire of Fans in Legendary Career

It was getting late on Saturday night at Bristol and the crowd had already whipped itself into a frenzy.

Terry Labonte had eased into the lead and appeared to be on his way to another short-track victory. But all eyes were on one car and one man - the black No. 3 driven by Dale Earnhardt.

Old "Ironhead" had been downright bull-headed on this night, pushing and shoving his way to the front on more than one occasion. Now he was morphing into his other personality - "The Intimidator" - and the crowd could sense it.

Labonte appeared to have the checkered flag in sight, but Earnhardt's menacing black No. 3 was bearing down on him fast.

As Labonte took the white flag, the crowd rose to its feet. More than 150,000 fans knew what was coming. They had seen it before.

RCR museum evokes memories for owner, fans
By Rick Houston

January 06, 2012

WELCOME, N.C. -- Richard Childress isn't at a dead run when he enters the room, but he might as well be.

He's running a little bit behind. Not much, but some. There have been issues to deal with elsewhere in this sprawling complex, and Childress has evidently had his hands full attempting to deal with them all. He quickly greets a visitor, and without much further ado, they're off for a tour of the Richard Childress Racing museum.

The mood he seems to be in when he gets there, it's going to be a quick one.

RICHARD CHILDRESS

"I used to walk through here after everything had closed, with a bottle of wine, and just think".

Yet a wonderful thing happens as they go through the first showroom, which at one time served as the team's shop. Once Childress is able to collect his thoughts a little bit, the clock is somehow turned back more than a decade. The headaches of running a monstrous multi-car operation are still there, of course, but as the team owner slowly catches his breath, his frenetic pace slows noticeably.

It's a slow day at the museum, so no one else is around. There are no interruptions, and in no time, Childress is back in the day. RCR is still one of the sport's most prominent teams, but once upon a time, this very building housed a cast of characters so dominant it was almost as if they could win races before anybody actually showed up at the track.

Over there, that's where Chocolate Myers tore down cars after races. This room here, this was the engine shop where Lou LaRosa and then Spenny Clendenen worked their magic. It's maybe 5,000 square feet -- Childress' current engine facility takes up two buildings in which 12 rooms this size would fit comfortably. The crew chiefs, Kirk Shelmerdine, Andy Petree and Larry McReynolds, were in this office.
And all throughout this place, car after car is lined up, 54 in all.

Thirty-four of them feature the No. 3. A handful were driven by Childress himself or Ricky Rudd back in the early days.
Twenty-two of the No. 3 cars are black.
Those were Dale's cars.

Dale Earnhardt has been gone for more than a decade now, but his presence is still felt very deeply here. As he relaxes, it's plain to see that no one feels it more strongly than Childress. They were something far more than car owner and driver, and business associates. They were the best of friends, hunting buddies and close and trusted confidants. Both came up the hard way, and together, they achieved some of the greatest successes NASCAR has ever known.

"I used to come here more, but I don't have the time," Childress begins, talking about the museum. Contemplating the moment, he adds, "I used to walk through here after everything had closed, with a bottle of wine, and just think."
As he takes a glance around at all these No. 3 Chevrolets -- the one in which Earnhardt won the 1998 Daytona 500, for instance -- it's not necessary to ask this one-time journeyman independent what he thought about.

Turner Sports It was in this car that Kevin Harvick slipped past Mark Martin on a wild and wooly final lap to win the 2007 Daytona 500.
Memories galore

"Watch this," Childress says.

Videos play throughout the museum, and this particular one features Earnhardt's thrilling door-to-door victory over Bobby Labonte at Atlanta on March 12, 2000. The monitor hangs just over that very car, and over in another part of the museum is the machine Kevin Harvick steered to an eerily similar win almost exactly a year later at the very same track.

"It's scary how those two finishes were so close," Childress wonders out loud and then moves on. There are memories like that everywhere at the RCR museum, around every corner.

Here's the car Earnhardt drove in the 2001 Budweiser Shootout, a week to the day before the nightmare of a last lap in the Daytona 500. "We finished second ... who was it that got around Dale?" Childress asks himself. "I don't remember." For the record, it was Tony Stewart.
Right next to it is the car The Intimidator steered to his last victory at Talladega in the fall of 2000. That race has become the stuff of legend, Earnhardt starting so far back on the last restart only to come barreling through the field to win. He had pulled off many a miracle in a race car, but that swan-song Talladega romp had truly been something to behold.

"I was never surprised by anything he did in a race car," Childress says with a smile.

That was my toughest sell. We met with him and told him what all we were going to do. I can just see him walking around that room and saying, 'I'm not doing it.'

Some cars bring Childress to laughter. One room of the museum is dedicated to cars Earnhardt drove in special events, commemorated by one-off paint schemes and die-cast replicas to boot. Included is the most infamous of them all, a gaudily splashed conglomeration designed by artist Peter Max and used in the 2000 all-star race.

To many, the bright and decidedly un-Intimidator-like design was dog ugly, like an acid trip gone bad. Earnhardt himself was apparently one of them.

"That was my toughest sell," Childress admits as he points out Max's splatterings. "We met with him and told him what all we were going to do. I can just see him walking around that room and saying, 'I'm not doing it.' When he'd get like that, he'd walk around with a knife, flipping it in and out ... 'I'm not doing it.' "

With that, Childress takes out his own knife and takes a few paces, flicking the blade open and shut to demonstrate. If Earnhardt's knife was anything like Childress' -- and surely it was -- it would have been the end of the discussion right then and there in most cases. This time, Earnhardt relented on one condition.

"I ain't wearin' no pink uniform," he told Childress.
Childress once had two International Race of Champions cars that Earnhardt had steered at one time or another, but only one remains in the museum.

"Dale really wanted one of those cars, but I never would give in," Childress remembers. "He kept after me, and finally, we agreed that if he won some race -- I don't even remember which one it was -- he'd get one of the IROC cars. Sure enough, he won whatever race it was and he shows up here with his truck and a trailer.

"I had forgotten all about it. I asked him, 'Are we working on Dale Jr.'s Busch car?' He said, 'Naw, I'm here for my IROC car.' I was like, 'Oh, s***. I remember, now.'"

One of his favorite pieces housed here is a car that won four of the six races it entered in 1987, as well as a race at North Wilkesboro a couple of years later that was the first to be run on Goodyear radial tires. Up and down the driver's side are scuff marks aplenty, evidence of a hot and heated day at the track.

"That's vintage Dale Earnhardt," Childress says, stating the obvious. Actually, for one of Earnhardt's cars, it's actually rather tame.
Finally, near the end of the tour is a car used by Earnhardt in 1994, the season of his record-tying seventh championship. Again, it brings a grin to Childress' face.

"We won the championship that day, but man, Dale was pissed," Childress says. "You could hear it in his voice on the radio. The engine wasn't good enough, and he was bitching about it."

Another video shows Earnhardt following the race, and yes, while he has clinched the series crown, the look in his eyes is not pleased. Childress pauses to watch the clip and then laughs again. "Look at him ... wait ... yep. He's bitching about the engine."

Of course, Earnhardt is not the only driver whose cars are enshrined here. The car Harvick used to sneak around Mark Martin coming off the final turn on the last lap in the 2007 Daytona 500 sits just as it was in victory, pock-marked, dirty and covered in confetti. All heck was breaking loose behind Harvick and Martin, with another RCR machine driven by Clint Bowyer crossing the finish line upside down and in flames.
"Austin was in the pits and he was yelling, 'Pop! We won! We won!'" Childress says. "I was almost in shock. I didn't really know what was going on ... but we did. We won. It would have been Mark's first Daytona 500 win, but Kevin passed him."

Richard Petty and Bobby Allison, among others, have called David Pearson the best driver they ever raced against.

That's high praise from people who know their business - and people who saw Pearson flash by them hundreds of times on the track, for much of that time in a maroon and white No. 21 car that often was the class of the field.

It is disappointing then to note Wednesday that perhaps the sport's best driver will not be included in the first class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. With all due respect to the voters (many of whom obviously voted for Pearson), this one was fumbled.

A contemporary of Petty - Petty was Rookie of the Year in 1959, Pearson won the award in 1960 - Pearson was much less of a public force than Petty and many of the other successful drivers of his era. Relatively shy and not media-conscious, Pearson often raced under the radar - that is, until it came time to show his colors.

During the heart of his career, particularly when he was driving the famous No. 21 for the Wood Brothers, Pearson became famous for "saving" his car until the end of races. He drove along contentedly in the top 20 for most of the race; then, with 50-100 miles to go, he would surge to the top five and battle the other contenders tooth-and-nail to the finish.

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