Wednesday is the day we learn the five new members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. I’ll just tell you all right up front: I thank the good Lord that I am not on that voting committee. There are no wrong five names from the list of 20 to choose from. Every single one of these gentlemen on that list deserves to be in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. That’s why I believe this is going to be the toughest ballot yet.
I was asked a lot as this day drew closer about my five picks. Now understand these are in no particular order, but my first pick is the man who won our first championship — Red Byron. How is the first-ever champion of our sport not in the Hall?
I truly believe that Harry Hyde belongs in it. Stop and take a look at what the man accomplished working on those race cars. At the end of the day, Harry is also the Founding Father of Hendrick Motorsports. Look at the sheer number of races he won and then look at the number of drivers he won those races with. I think the man belongs in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
I also think Terry Labonte belongs in the Hall. The man is a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and amazingly did it in two different decades. That in itself is pretty phenomenal in my book and that’s why I think ol’ Texas Terry belongs in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
My fourth pick is Benny Parsons. If you look at his full body of work in our sport, I think there’s no question he deserves this ultimate honor. He’s a NASCAR Cup Series champion, a Daytona 500 winner and then when he got out of the race car, look at what he did to help further our sport as a television broadcaster. So in my book it’s an honor that Benny deserves.
Obviously, I’m pretty biased when it comes to my fifth and final pick. I think the nod needs to go to Robert Yates. Look at what Robert Yates has done for this sport. He’s won championships as an engine builder and a car owner. Take a look at how many Daytona 500 victories he has been a part of. So Robert is my pick to round out this very deserving new class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
