Pearson's exclusion the surprise of inaugural vote

By Joe Menzer, NASCAR.COM
October 14, 2009
10:12 PM EDT

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- In some ways, it was like an early Halloween gathering Wednesday at the Charlotte Convention Center, where the inaugural five-member class for the soon-to-be-opened NASCAR Hall of Fame was announced with much fanfare.

The treats went to the France family, which saw both Bill France Sr. and Bill France Jr. included in the historic group; to drivers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, who share the record for most Cup championships with seven each; and to Junior Johnson, who rounded out the field on the strength of 50 wins as a driver and six championships as a car owner.

The first class

Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Bill France Jr., Junior Johnson and Bill France Sr. will be enshrined in May 2010.

"It's great man. Anytime you're in a race -- and this kind of felt like a race -- if you finish amongst the leaders, then you feel good," Petty said.

Brian France, chairman and CEO of NASCAR, stood afterward with his sister, Lesa France Kennedy, and proclaimed it "a great day for the sport."

It wasn't a bad one for the France family, either, but then NASCAR and the France family always have been intertwined so deeply as to make it impossible most days to differentiate from the two.

"It certainly was gratifying to see our father and our grandfather amongst the first five inductees," Brian France said.

Lesa France Kennedy added: "For us both to be here together to witness our father and our grandfather being inducted is one of the most significant moments in our family's history. We just really appreciate it."

The trick to their treats

The trick was on David Pearson, who was the most notable odd man out when the 51 votes by the nominating committee were tabulated (well, 50 members of the nominating committee and one vote that was the composite of online balloting by fans). Officials from NASCAR would only confirm that drivers Pearson, Cale Yarbourgh and Bobby Allison finished sixth, seventh and eighth, but not necessarily in that order, in the balloting.

So while the others celebrated their good fortune -- Dale Earnhardt Inc. even had young ladies in fake mustaches handing out invitations to a cocktail party to celebrate Earnhardt's election -- Pearson obviously didn't feel like joining in. He muttered answers to precious few questions and said he had to be getting back on the road to Spartanburg, S.C., having driven fellow NASCAR legend and future Hall of Famer Cotton Owens, whom Pearson said needed to return home to be with his ailing wife.

"If someone didn't like me, they had to vote for someone else," Pearson said. "But when I saw the two Frances go in, I knew I didn't have a chance." (Continued)

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