Catchfence

“What a befitting inaugural class for induction to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The men chosen were titans of our sport. It’s their personalities and actions on the track that carried NASCAR from its grassroots to the pinnacle of American sports.

“Without the actions and leadership of Bill France and Bill France, Jr. there would be no NASCAR, no Daytona and no Talladega. I can’t even imagine what the state of auto racing would be like were it not for them.

“Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt were peerless competitors. Their daring actions on the track and hard-earned success gave millions of fans someone to cheer for and gave a face to our sport.

“Junior Johnson showed the masses that ingenuity and hard work pays off on the racetrack and in the owner’s seat.

“I applaud the choices for the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame class and look forward to the ceremony.”

- Talladega Superspeedway, Press Release