By Steve Price, the Zen Master of Yoo-hoo
Tuesday, February 28th, 2006 – Volume I, Edition I
Exclusive to Inside Pulse Sports
Al McGuire (1928 – 2001) was a legendary basketball coach and Hall of Fame broadcaster, who was beloved by the media for his boundless quotes. Noteworthy for his accomplishments at Marquette University, McGuire also coached for considerable periods of time at Dartmouth College and Belmont Abbey College. His final game as a coach came in 1977, when Marquette defeated North Carolina to win the NCAA Tournament.
Now I’ll drink to that.
Welcome, one and all to the official new home of the Ice Lovin’ Speed Addict himself. As always, I am your Host with the Most, back for reading experience so insane, you’ll feel like Dave Chappelle at a NASCAR race in Darlington. Or, for you hockey fans reading, a Mexican hockey player taking to the ice for the first time. Once again we return to the land of the benign, as a new column is created here exclusively at, for, and by Inside Pulse Sports.
The more astute readers out there will note that Happy Hour can have several different connotations. Firstly, long standing fans of IP Sports Radio will recall that the main feature between Patrick and myself was called “Happy Hour”. Race fans will note that “Happy Hour” refers to a specific practice leading up to a Nextel Cup event. And, of course, anyone over 21 can appreciate the value of “Happy Hour”. Whatever your firewater of choice may be, we here at IP Sports particularly like to serve up a slice of something different now and again. Therefore, Happy Hour will function a lot like the radio show does: we’ll take two different sports, and spin off some headlines from each, with the occasional special feature thrown in. Each week, we may cover different sports as the seasons wind down. This week, it’s NASCAR. In two months? Maybe it will be basketball and baseball, who knows for certain.
Normally, we’d be doing more than just one sport in this bad boy, but breaking news has relegated this debut piece into one long “breaking news” article. But, before we break the news, let me continue with what I had wrote down BEFORE this particular news item broke. I say that for two reasons: one, because I’d like to state for the record that everything you see written here was done so without consenting news sources. And two, I have way too much material already written to throw away. If you know midway through what this breaking news story is, feel free to skip this piece down to the special contest section (Oh, yes, get excited!) and laugh your ass off.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame: The First Class
It is no secret to NASCAR fans that the official NASCAR Hall of Fame is on its way to the public. For more than a year now, officials have been working out the details for a shrine to house some of racing’s most storied legends. And while the search continues for a home for the Hall (with Atlanta, Charlotte, and Daytona among the final three sites up for selection), questions already arise as to how NASCAR will elect to handle inductions to their brand new racing temple. So, while NASCAR does its thing, Happy Hour is going to do it’s thing: propose a setup for the Hall of Fame.
So, you ask, if we are to do this right, how do we begin? Well, first things first: we need to select a location and a date. There are three cities in contention for the Hall as we speak, so we’ll stick with those cities — Daytona Beach, Atlanta, Charlotte — as our candidates. In order to optimize our choice, we should take a look at how NASCAR “uses” each city.
Daytona Beach, Florida is the birthplace of NASCAR, and is home to its largest and most popular race, the Daytona 500. NASCAR is headquartered in Daytona, and is located in Florida, smack in the middle of Florida’s booming tourism industry. Daytona also lays claim to “Speed Weeks”, which is basically a two-week festival of sorts leading up to the Great American Race. On the downside, Daytona is by far the smallest of the three cities in contention for the Hall. Also, Daytona already hosts a popular NASCAR attraction, Daytona U.S.A., which may rival a Hall of Fame bid for visitors.
Atlanta, Georgia is a monster of a Southern city, situated as the capital of the state of Georgia. The city proper has a population of 420,000 people, which shockingly places it below Charlotte, North Carolina (Pop. 600,000). Yet over 4.7 Million people live in the Atlanta metropolitan area, making it one of the largest regions in the country. Atlanta seems to represent the “Old South” more than the other two cities in contention, and the racing at Atlanta is fast and exciting. Atlanta is a major transportation hub, and boasts a wide variety of tourist attractions which city officials believe will help boost attendance to the Hall of Fame in Atlanta. On the negative side; however, the tourism argument works both ways, as the Hall of Fame would be contending against some major tourist attractions in the Atlanta area. What’s more, Atlanta doesn’t hold a major racing event during the Nextel Cup season like its two counterparts. Even more importantly, Atlanta’s general population, for whatever reason isn’t quite as big on NASCAR as you would think. In the past few years, races at Atlanta Motor Speedway have been noticeably short of being sell-outs.
Charlotte, North Carolina is among the fastest growing cities in America, and is essentially the heart and soul of “NASCAR Valley”. North Carolina is home to four NASCAR offices (Charlotte included), and over 70 % of all Nextel Cup teams have their headquarters in, around or near Charlotte. As mentioned earlier, Charlotte’s estimated population is nearly 600,000 and rising, though the Charlotte metropolitan area houses 2.07 million people, a drop-off from Atlanta. Charlotte is home to longest race in NASCAR, the Coca-Cola 600, and is also home to NASCAR’s all star race, the Nextel All Star Challenge. Charlotte also boasts a “Speed Week”, which includes various events not unlike Daytona’s variant. Charlotte can be argued as the second most important city in NASCAR, since its premier event, the Coke 600 competes with NASCAR’s largest competitor in the United States, the IndyCar Series’ Indianapolis 500. The city is the second largest financial center in the United States behind New York, and draws more than a million visitors each year for NASCAR related events. The downside to selecting Charlotte is the potential backlash from fans who view Charlotte as the “spoiled” child in the NASCAR family, thanks in part to its two-week buildup and the inclusion of the Nextel All Star Challenge in its Coke 600 build-up.
So, with all that in mind, its time to select our location. Atlanta may be a large city, but I would be frankly worried about the population support for a Hall of Fame site there. Plus, with the somewhat seedy goings-on behind the scenes with the Atlanta HOF committee, I don’t think I’d want to be wrapped up in that. The lack of a premier race also kills that bid. Daytona has an awful lot going for it, what with the biggest race of the year and all. Plus, Speed Weeks would seem like an optimal time to have a Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Then again, the Hall of Fame would have some competition for tourism dollars with an adjacent facility on site. Charlotte is larger than Daytona, but size really shouldn’t play a role in this, since baseball and football placed their shrines in two towns that are far from being “big”. On the other hand, half the population of the country is within a day’s drive of Charlotte, while Daytona sits in the middle of Florida’s tourist hubs. So… which site do we choose? The site of the NASCAR Hall of Fame will be…
Ahem, well, um…
Actually, we’ll go with Charlotte, North Carolina, since I’m biased like that. Now then, with the location out of the way, let’s give NASCAR roughly eighteen months to build the actual Hall. And, assuming that we can have the facility ready by May 2008, let’s go ahead out on a limb and conduct voting at Daytona in February, prior to the Daytona 500. Now that the hard part is over, it’s time to select our inaugural class. First, some ground rules:
IP NASCAR Hall of Fame Rules
1. They have to have raced in the organized body of auto racing known today as NASCAR. Thus, no one pre-1948 or so, since it’s too hard to keep track of that.
2. No IndyCar Series legends allowed in the NASCAR Hall unless they contributed significantly to NASCAR. I’m thinking along the lines of A.J. Foyt here, who did earn a Daytona 500 victory, but is remembered more for his Indy pursuits.
3. Any driver inducted to the Hall must be five years retired from active competition in the Winston/Nextel Cup. All announcers are fair game, however. The same goes for NASCAR execs, like Bill France Sr.
4. At least one broadcast announcer must be selected each year for induction. If no broadcast announcer is available, a second car owner may be selected.
5. If the allotment of five drivers is fulfilled, the induction class is filled. If five drivers are not present in the class, car owners shall be inducted alongside the mandatory broadcast announcer, if applicable.
Keep in mind, this is strictly a Happy Hour exclusive, but I’m using Inside Pulse in front of it to make it sound like a big deal. So, with that being said, allow me to introduce you to the IP Hall of Fame Class of 2006!
“The King”
Dale Earnhardt
“The Intimidator”
David Pearson
“The Silver Fox”
Darrell Waltrip
“D.W.”
Bobby Allison
“Alabama”
Ken Squier
“The Voice of NASCAR on CBS”
IP NASCAR Hall of Fame – Class of 2006 Criteria
All six candidates inducted into the Happy Hour/IPSR NASCAR Hall of Fame (hey, we can change the name at any time you know) had to face certain criteria to get elected. As per the bi-laws stated previously, we got a chance to fill out the field with five drivers and an announcer (sorry, Junior Johnson fans). Every driver examined was given a fair shake, and at the end of the day, I selected the six individuals here that I feel will best represent the spirit of the honor we’re trying to reach here. Or something of that nature.
Each driver examined was not only judged by his performance during his NASCAR career, but the length of said career. We are looking for a certain something special that helps define this particular driver over the others of his generation. And that is an important fact to remember; these statistics are comparative to various generations of stock car drivers. Generally, the inductees will either be nominated for their driving career or their broadcasting career, so the two categories usually will not overlap (this year’s case, Darrell Waltrip). As per the announcer criteria, we’re looking for career longevity, and major broadcasting accomplishments. For instance, every Daytona 500 covered increases an announcer’s chance for induction. So, here’s a look at the statistical requirements met by our six inductees.
Richard Petty
– 200 Wins (1st All Time)
– 712 Top Tens
– 123 Poles
– 7 Grand National/Winston/Nextel Cups
– 7 Daytona 500 Victories
Dale Earnhardt
– 7 Grand National/Winston/Nextel Cups
– 76 Wins
– 281 Top Fives
– 428 Top Tens
– 1998 Daytona 500 Victory
David Pearson
– 105 Wins (2nd All Time)
– 3 Grand National Titles
– 1976 Daytona 500 Victory
– 21 Wins in Modern Era
– 67 Top Fives in Modern Era
– 10 Wins, 16 Top Fives, 18 Top Tens in 1976
Darrell Waltrip
– 84 Wins (Tied 3rd All Time)
– 390 Top Tens
– 59 Poles
– Career Grand Slam Winner
– 3 Winston/Nextel Cups
– 1989 Daytona 500 Victory
Bobby Allison
– 84 Wins (Tied 3rd All Time)
– 446 Top Tens
– 58 Poles
– 1983 Winston Cup
– 3 Daytona 500 Victories
Ken Squier
– Nineteen Consecutive Daytona 500 Broadcasts
– First Play-by-Play Man to cover an entire Daytona 500 (1979)
– 25 Year Career w/ CBS
– 50 + Years in Broadcasting
Statistically, all six of these men qualified for our Hall of Fame, but so did other drivers/announcers, like Fireball Roberts, Benny Parsons, Junior Johnson, and David Hobbs. Therefore, we had to examine all the nominees again, and needed to distinguish our six from the rest of the pack. Here’s a quick look at the intangibles that led to the induction of these six men.
Richard Petty is perhaps the greatest stock car driver to ever live. His nickname, “the King” is well deserved: he leads his nearest rival in wins, David Pearson by a cool 95 victories during mostly the same era. Petty is among the royalty of Daytona, capturing seven Daytona 500 wins and a famous 1984 Firecracker (Pepsi) 400 in the presence of U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
Dale Earnhardt is by far the most popular NASCAR personality in the last twenty years, bar none. Tied only with Richard Petty in career Winston Cups (seven), Dale Earnhardt was a key ingredient in the NASCAR boom of the mid-to-late 1990s. Even in death, “the Intimidator” has helped changed the sport: safety innovations to decrease the danger levels in the sport were implemented after his fatal last-lap crash at the 2001 Daytona 500.
David Pearson is arguably the second greatest driver in NASCAR history, and was among the most dominant drivers during the early years of the modern era (1975 – ). In 1976, Pearson set various records with his ten victories and eighteen top ten finishes. Pearson also has the distinction not only of being a dominant driver, but getting incredible breaks on the race track. His win in the 1976 Daytona 500, with a crash immobilizing himself and Petty just yards from the finish line stands out amongst a slew of other classic Pearson finishes.
Darrell Waltrip found himself in the role of Dale Earnhardt during the early years of the modern era, but quickly became one of the most beloved drivers in the sport. Waltrip was one of the most consistent drivers in the 1980s, and is one of only six men to ever complete the Career NASCAR Grand Slam (Daytona 500, Winston 500, Coca-Cola 600, Southern 500). Waltrip has parlayed his success on the track into a successful broadcasting career, as well as his own racing team on several different occasions.
Bobby Allison is one of the founding members of “the Alabama Gang”, a cartel of drivers from the great state of Alabama. Allison is statistically one of the best drivers the sport has ever seen, but more than that, Allison came to represent a dying breed of race car drivers: the hard nosed, catch-as-catch can mentality that is lacking in today’s NASCAR. Like Dale Earnhardt, Bobby Allison inspired safety regulations (such as the restrictor plate) after a near-fatal accident at Pocono in 1988.
Ken Squier is among the most respected NASCAR analysts in the history of broadcasting. A veteran of over 25 years with CBS, Squier has covered more Daytona 500s than any other commentator, and also has the longest streak of Daytona 500 races covered at nineteen. Squier is one of the only, if not the only man to commentate NASCAR races in three separate decades, and has over fifty years of broadcasting credits to his name. For years, his name was synonymous with the Daytona 500 on CBS.
List of Potential Inductees in 2007 – Junior Johnson, Fireball Roberts, Fred Lorenzen, Cale Yarborough, Donnie Allison, Alan Kulwicki, Davey Allison, Neil Bonnett, Lee Petty, Benny Parsons, Buck Baker, Buddy Baker, Ned Jarrett, David Hobbs, Mike Joy, and Joe Weatherly.
So, there you go. The first inductee class into the Happy Hour/IPSR Hall of Fame. A great starting class, to be sure. What makes this article so interesting, though, is news out of Charlotte that the actual NASCAR Hall of Fame is allegedly coming to Charlotte. First broken by the Charlotte Observer (supported by WFNZ 610 AM in Charlotte, denied by ABC affiliate WSOC TV Channel 9 and ESPN News), the word on the street is that Charlotte, North Carolina will be home to the official NASCAR Hall of Fame. An official announcement could come Monday, though NASCAR is still denying that Charlotte has been selected over Atlanta and Daytona Beach. Take it, for right now, as you will, but it is nice to finally have some new information on the “Chase for the Hall”.
Last Call
As promised, next week we’ll get back into the NHL coverage as the season resumes this week. Also, we’ll take a look at the action from Mexico City as the Busch Series gets the spotlight on Sunday. Plus, we’ll examine the ACC Tournament, and bring you information on Caption Madness!, all next week. Be on the look out for a possible Race Day Pulse on Sunday evening, Patrick and I are back on Inside Pulse Sports Radio on Tuesday, and until next week, this is your bartender, Steve Price for your Happy Hour.
Bottoms up, cheers, peace.
