CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Stock car racing giants ranging from Bill France Sr. and Junior Johnson to Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt are among 25 nominees for NASCAR’s first Hall of Fame class.
The announcement Thursday night comes 10 months before the Hall of Fame’s scheduled opening. An inaugural class of five will be chosen from the group.
NASCAR patriarch France and his son, Bill France Jr., were among the candidates selected by a 21-member panel. The drivers include Petty, Earnhardt, Johnson, David Pearson, Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Allison, Cale Yarbrough and Glenn “Fireball” Roberts.
Car owners are represented, too, including Bud Moore, Raymond Parks, Rick Hendrick, Richard Childress and Glen Wood.
The other nominees are: Benny Parsons, Ned Jarrett, Richie Evans, Joe Weatherly, Red Byron, Buck Baker, Lee Petty, Tim Flock, Herb Thomas and Curtis Turner.
A panel of people in the sport and a fan vote will decide the first class, which will be announced in October.
• Jeremy Mayfield missed the deadline to enter Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 after successfully fighting NASCAR to get back behind the wheel following a failed random drug test.
His only hope for participating in the race at Daytona International Speedway is as a relief driver, a change NASCAR must approve.
With that looking like a longshot and Mayfield yet to arrive at Daytona, NASCAR questioned the need for the injunction.
“Jeremy and his legal team asked for a temporary injunction for emergency relief because it was necessary apparently to come compete here in Daytona,” NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said. “Apparently, he’s not here and it appears as if he’s not going to compete this weekend, which would raise some questions on how much of an emergency it really was.”
Arguello death likely suicide
MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Investigators have released new evidence that points to suicide in the death of former boxing champion and Managua mayor Alexis Arguello.
The rising star of the governing Sandinista party, a movement he once bitterly opposed, died at his home of a single gunshot to the chest early Wednesday.
Assistant judicial police chief Glenda Zavala said traces of gunpowder were found on the 57-year-old Arguello’s hands, suggesting he shot himself.
There were no other signs of violence in the room where he was found.
Footnotes.
The NFL suspended New York Jets linebacker Calvin Pace for four games without pay for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.
• The United States started its bid for its first world junior title in 18 years with a 106-55 victory over Iran on the opening day of the FIBA under-19 world basketball championships in Auckland, New Zealand.
• Former Notre Dame assistant Sean Kearney was named to succeed Ralph Willard as basketball coach at Holy Cross.
The Associated Press
