NASCAR to induct Hall of Fame's second class May 23, 2011

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Dec. 6, 2010) – The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) announced today that the 2011 Induction Ceremony for the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s second class will be held Monday, May 23.

Joining the inaugural class of Dale Earnhardt, Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., Junior Johnson and Richard Petty will be Bobby Allison, Ned Jarrett, Bud Moore, David Pearson and Lee Petty. The Induction Ceremony is open to the public and will be held the evening of May 23, 2011, at the Charlotte Convention Center’s Crown Ballroom, which is connected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Tickets will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis and interested fans should visit NASCARHall.com for more details on next year’s class, upcoming appearances, ceremony details and the Induction Dinner on May 18.

“The 2011 class contains some of the most iconic names in our sport’s rich history,” NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France said. “The 2011 Induction will be a very special ceremony and we look forward to honoring these five NASCAR legends in front of their friends, family and fans.”

The 2011 NASCAR Hall of Fame class was determined in October by the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel, consisting of members of the Nominating Committee along with 31 others representing all facets of the NASCAR Industry. In addition, a nationwide fan vote was conducted through NASCAR.COM which accounted for the 53rd and final vote.

Highlighting the Class of 2011:

Bobby Allison
Allison, winner of the 1983 NASCAR premier series championship, ended his career with 84 victories, tied for third on the all-time list. In 1972, he won 10 races, had 12 second-place finishes and was the NASCAR premier series runner-up (to Richard Petty). Allison captured the NASCAR Modified Division the following two years. In 1998, Allison was named one of NASCAR’s “50 Greatest Drivers.”

Ned Jarrett
Jarrett was a two-time NASCAR champion (1961 and 1965) and two-time Sportsman Division champion (1957 and ’58). Through his career he totaled 50 premier series wins, tied for 11th all-time. In 1998 he was named one of NASCAR’s “50 Greatest Drivers.” After retiring in 1966, Jarrett helped grow the sport through his second career as a broadcaster.

Bud Moore
A decorated World War II infantryman, Moore became a successful NASCAR Sprint Cup owner almost immediately upon fielding a team in 1961. Moore won back-to-back championships in 1962-63 with Joe Weatherly. Earlier, in 1957, Moore – who referred to himself as “a country mechanic” – was crew chief for champion Buck Baker.
 
David Pearson
Pearson is a three-time NASCAR champion whose career total of 105 victories is second on the all-time list. Pearson won his titles in 1966, ’68 and ’69. He also won the sport’s biggest event, the Daytona 500, in 1976. In 1998 Pearson was named one of NASCAR’s “50 Greatest Drivers.”

Lee Petty
Petty became the sports first three-time series champion after winning titles in 1954, ’58 and ’59. He was also the winner of the first Daytona 500 in 1959. His 54 career victories stands ninth on the all-time list and he never finished lower than fourth in points from 1949-1959. In 1998, he was named one of NASCAR’s “50 Greatest Drivers.” Petty is the founder of Petty Enterprises and as an owner had more than 2,000 starts and 268 wins.
NASCAR to induct Hall of Fame's second class May 23, 2011 NASCAR to induct Hall of Fame's second class May 23, 2011 Reviewed by Admin on Monday, December 06, 2010 Rating: 5