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1988 champion gets inducted, says Chase’s Cup news was the bigger deal

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MORE: Five inducted into NASCAR Hall of Fame | Chase scores Cup ride

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Bill Elliott often outran the competition, but recently the former NASCAR premier series champion has been trying to outrun his emotions.

It’s been quite the past few days for Elliott, the 1988 champ, and his family. On Thursday it was announced that his son, 19-year-old Chase, would make his first start in the Sprint Cup Series later this year. On Friday, the elder Elliott was one of five drivers inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

His son landing the ride with Hendrick Motorsports, where he will take over a car perhaps even more famous than that of his father was the bigger deal, Bill Elliott said.

"Let me tell you this little story," Elliott offered after he, along with Fred Lorenzen, Wendell Scott, Joe Weatherly and Rex White were officially inducted into the Hall. "I called Chase – I think it was Wednesday night and I was talking to him and he said ‘guess who called me?’

"I said ‘I don’t know.’"

Told it was someone named Jeff, the name didn’t register.

"He said, ‘Jeff Gordon called me.’ He was so excited that Jeff Gordon had picked up the phone and called him," Elliott said. "… That meant so much to him (to talk about) what his next step and what his next role was going to be."

Elliott made the No. 9 Ford Thunderbird one of the most recognizable cars on the track during his career. In addition to his championship, he won 44 times in premier series competition. He, along brothers Ernie and Dan, set qualifying records likely to remain unbroken as well.

Gordon, scheduled to end his driving career at the end of ’15, has won 92 times and four championships with Hendrick Motorsports. For fans that began following the sport in the early ’90s or later, Gordon’s brightly painted No. 24 Chevrolet quickly became just as recognizable and even more successful. He’s won on nearly ever track where the Sprint Cup Series competes, and several that are no longer on the schedule.

And now Chase Elliott prepares to step into the ride once Gordon steps aside.

MORE: Gordon calls Chase the ‘total package’

As much as the sport has changed since Bill Elliott arrived on the scene in the latter part of the ’70s, one thing has remained constant – the cycle of drivers that show up, make their mark and eventually depart.

Gordon is making plans to exit. Elliott’s son Chase is preparing to arrive. Not much different than when he and his family first showed up, the elder Elliott said.

"When I came in you had Cale (Yarborough), David Pearson, all those guys kind of winding down," Elliott said. "Then I watched Richard (Petty) retire and now it’s turning … again."

At that time such changes didn’t catch his attention, he said, explaining that with a limited budget and much to learn, "all I cared about was just trying to go race.

"There was so few of us, we really didn’t worry about anything else," Elliott said. "It was kind of like you were driving down the road with blinders on, you were really oblivious to anything else going on."

PHOTOS: Best moments from the NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony

His son understands what lies ahead, Elliott said on a night he was honored for what took place in the past.

"He’s an incredibly good race car driver, and I’m not saying it’s because he’s my kid," Elliott said. "… I’ve said all along he’s better than I ever thought about being."

Maybe so, but the father was no slouch.

Among his 44 victories are four that came in the in the twilight of his career before he began to scale back his racing schedule. Driving for Ray Evernham, who had helped guide Gordon to three of his four titles, Elliott won at Homestead, Pocono, Indianapolis and Rockingham.

"There aren’t many names that transcend a sport," Evernham said. "If you’re not even a baseball fan you know the names Ruth or Mantle; even the most casual football fan knows Lombardi and Unitas.

"In our sport, in motorsports, they know Foyt and Andretti and Earnhardt and Petty and even casual fans know Bill Elliott because of the things he’s done.

"It’s an honor to have him as a friend, and it’s been a great ride."

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Elliott, Lorenzen, Scott, Weatherly, White officially enshrined

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 30, 2015) — Five legendary drivers with distinct styles and contributions to NASCAR were enshrined into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina tonight during the Induction Ceremony held in the Crown Ball Room at the Charlotte Convention Center.

Those who added their names to the list of now 30 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees, included: Bill Elliott, Fred Lorenzen, Wendell Scott, Joe Weatherly and Rex White.

The group makes up the Hall’s sixth class in its history.

Bill Elliott — a fan-favorite with a record 16 NASCAR Most Popular Driver Awards — compiled numerous accolades that put him near the top of many all-time NASCAR lists. In his 37-year driving career, "Awesome Bill from Dawsonville" notched 44 wins (16th in NASCAR history) and 55 poles (eighth), but his most prestigious accomplishment came when he won the 1988 premier series championship. Elliott always performed on the biggest of stages, winning the Daytona 500 twice and the Southern 500 three times.

"One thing I look at out here today is one common bond with all these racers, it’s the hard work and the dedication all these guys had," Elliott said. "I mean, for me to stand up here among the guys that have already been here, it’s just totally incredible."

Fred Lorenzen — one of the first "outsiders" to capture the fancy of NASCAR’s early southeastern crowds — was one of the sport’s first true superstars, even though he never ran more than 29 of the season’s 50-plus races. The Elmhurst, Illinois, native won 26 races from 1961-67, with his best overall season coming in 1963 as he finished with six wins, 21 top fives and 23 top 10s in 29 starts. The victor of the 1965 Daytona 500 and World 600, Lorenzen boasts the fifth-highest career winning percentage (16.86) in NASCAR history.

"Dad always said, ‘The sky is the limit and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise,’ " said Lorenzen’s son, Chris, who spoke on his behalf. "That has been dad’s most important saying in life, and he certainly lived by it. He also believed people made their own luck and that luck just doesn’t fall upon people."

A true trailblazer,Wendell Scott was the first African-American to race full-time in NASCAR’s premier series, as well as the first to win a NASCAR premier series race. Scott posted 147 top 10s in 495 starts, as well as finished four seasons in the top 10 of the championship points standings. He won more than 100 races at local tracks before making his premier series debut, including 22 races at Southside Speedway in Richmond, Virginia, in 1959 en route to capturing both the Sportsman Division and NASCAR Virginia Sportsman championships.

"The legacy of Wendell Scott depicts him as one the great vanguards of the sport of NASCAR racing," said the late Scott’s son, Franklin, who accepted the induction on his behalf. "Daddy was a man of great honor. He didn’t let his circumstances define who he was."

Joe Weatherly claimed consecutive premier series championships in 1962-63 and won 25 career races before his untimely death in January 1964 at Riverside (Calif.) Raceway. Known as the "Clown Prince of Racing" due to his jovial personality, Weatherly displayed impressive versatility beyond his premier series dominance. A decade earlier in 1952-53, he won 101 races in the NASCAR Modified division, capturing that championship in 1953. He even tried his hand in NASCAR’s short-lived Convertible Division from 1956-59, winning 12 times.

"He loved his family and he was very generous, but I am sure there are many memories the fans could share as well, maybe ones of the practical jokes he enjoyed playing on fellow drivers," said Joy Barbee, Weatherly’s niece. "He definitely had a sense of humor, he loved a good laugh and he loved to have a good time. He always had a big smile on his face; he was a character to be around and definitely lived up to the title given to him — the ‘Clown Prince of Racing.’ "

One of the greatest short-track racers ever, consistency was the hallmark of Rex White’s NASCAR career. He finished among the top five in nearly half of his 233 races and outside the top 10 only 30 percent of the time. Of his 28 career wins in NASCAR’s premier series, only two came on tracks longer than a mile in length. Driving his own equipment, White won six times during his 1960 championship season, posting 35 top 10s in 40 starts. He finished in the top 10 six of his nine years in the series, including a runner-up finish in 1961.

"Words can’t express how honored I am to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame along with the other Hall of Fame members, especially my 2015 fellow inductees," White said. "No driver wins a championship by himself and nobody enters the Hall of Fame alone. I am the symbol of a team effort."

Each of the five inductees had an inductor who officially welcomed them into the hall. The inductors for the five inductees: Ray Evernham for Bill Elliott; Amanda Gardstrom (daughter) for Fred Lorenzen; Wendell Scott Jr. for Wendell Scott; Bud Moore for Joe Weatherly; and James Hylton for Rex White.

Active drivers introduced each inductee during tonight’s program: Kasey Kahne for Bill Elliott; Tony Stewart for Fred Lorenzen; Jeff Gordon for Wendell Scott; Brad Keselowski for Joe Weatherly; and Kevin Harvick for Rex White.

In addition to the five inductees enshrined on Friday night, Anne B. France was awarded the inaugural Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.

France, paired with her husband, NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., created what today is one of the largest and most popular sports in the world. Anne played a huge role in the family business. "Big Bill" organized and promoted races; she took care of the financial end of the business. She first served as secretary and treasurer of NASCAR, and when Daytona International Speedway opened in 1959, served in the same roles for the International Speedway Corporation. She also managed the speedway’s ticket office. France remained active in family and business life until her passing in 1992.

Prior to tonight’s Induction Ceremony, long-time Charlotte Observer reporter Tom Higgins was awarded the third Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence.

Higgins was the first beat writer to cover every race on the NASCAR schedule, a role he held from 1980 until his retirement in 1997. He started his journalism career in 1957 at the weekly Canton (N.C.) Enterprise where he covered racing for the first time. Higgins joined the sports staff at The Observer in 1964 as an outdoors writer and soon began covering stock car racing as well. He has continued to write motorsports nostalgia columns for the newspaper and its website ThatsRacin.com since his retirement.

 

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Lesa France Kennedy accepts award on behalf of her grandmother

RELATED: NASCAR Hall of Fame hub

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In one of the most emotional moments in Friday night’s NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Lesa France Kennedy accepted the inaugural Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR on behalf of her grandmother, Anne Bledsoe France.

Side-by-side with husband Bill France Sr., Anne B. France, affectionately known as "Annie B," played a pivotal role in the founding and growth of NASCAR racing. Where "Big Bill" ran the competition side of the business, Anne B. France handled the business side, keeping the books, managing ticket sales and making sure bills were paid.

"My grandfather was a visionary, but my grandmother was the one who kept everything together," Kennedy told the NASCAR Wire Service during a telephone conversation on Thursday. "Without her, NASCAR might not have succeeded the way it did."

To Kennedy, there could not have been a more fitting recipient of the first Landmark Award.

"I think it’s appropriate, in that it’s a unique award in the Hall of Fame," she said. "For her to be the first recipient is very special."

Anne B. France was the first secretary and treasurer of NASCAR, and with the construction of Daytona International Speedway, she filled the same roles with International Speedway Corporation and was active in the business of NASCAR racing until her death in 1992.

In accepting the award, Kennedy, the chief executive officer of ISC, revealed to the audience that Anne B. France actually kept two sets of books.

"There was the real set of books for the business, and then she had a set of books that she shared with my grandfather, Bill France Sr., just to make sure he didn’t spend us out of business," Kennedy said. "I think everybody in this room today should be thankful for that."

Kennedy had told the NASCAR Wire Service, "I don’t know exactly how I’m going to feel until I get up there — it’s going to be a very special night."

And when she began to describe her grandmother’s role in the growth of NASCAR, there was a catch in Kennedy’s voice as the emotion of the moment took hold.

"I was fortunate enough to know her and to call her ‘Grams,’ " Kennedy said, "and NASCAR will always remember her as that strong-willed, pioneering woman who helped build the foundation of our sport."

 

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Annual ceremony pays tribute to five racing legends

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HALL OF FAME PRESENTATIONS: Elliott | Lorenzen | Scott | White | Weatherly

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On Friday night, in a particularly moving ceremony, the NASCAR Hall of Fame welcomed one of the most significant classes since the induction of its inaugural class in 2010.

Perennial most popular driver Bill Elliott headlined a five-member class that also included NASCAR trailblazer Wendell Scott, the first African-American driver ever to win at NASCAR’s highest level and the first ever to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame; Fred Lorenzen, a supremely talented driver who won 26 of his 158 career starts; two-time champion Joe Weatherly, who won 25 races in NASCAR’s premier series and 101 races in the NASCAR modified ranks; and 1960 champion Rex White, who started 233 races and finished in the top five in 110 of them.

 

Introduced by three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart, Lorenzen, from Elmhurst, Illinois, was one of the first "northern" drivers to gain acceptance in what was, at the time, a predominantly Southeastern sport. Though Lorenzen never competed in more than 29 races in a single season, he won 26 times in 158 starts, a remarkable winning percentage of 16.46.

"One of the most pivotal moments of dad’s career came on Christmas Eve 1960, when Ralph Moody called dad and asked him to drive for Holman Moody," said Lorenzen’s son, Chris, in accepting induction on behalf of his father.

"Soon after, there he was at Darlington driving his Holman Moody Ford signature pearlescent white No. 28 to Victory Lane … Dad always said, ‘The sky is the limit, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.’ That has been dad’s most important saying in life, and he certainly lived by it."

Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon introduced the late Wendell Scott, whose Dec. 1, 1963 victory at Speedway Park in Jacksonville, Florida, stands as the first win by an African-American driver in NASCAR’s top series.

In a career that included 495 starts, Scott recorded 147 top-10 finishes.

"We have been led to this great celebration and enshrinement tonight because of the character, tenacity and determination of Wendell O. Scott Sr.," Scott’s son, Franklin, said in accepting induction on behalf of his father. "I believe dad envisioned a night such as this comprised of his family, friends and fellow competitors. Unfortunately, the love of his life, Mary Scott, is not here physically because of health reasons, but her spirit is definitely here in a very profound way.

"The legacy of Wendell Scott depicts him as one of the great vanguards of the sport of NASCAR racing. Daddy was a man of great honor. He didn’t let his circumstances define who he was. The Bible teaches that before a person can have honor, they must first have integrity and humility. In addition another one of his great attributes was perseverance. There were two words that were forbidden for us to use growing up in the Scott household. Those words were ‘can’t’ and ‘never.’

"In spite of the many obstacles, struggles and hardships he faced, he persevered. What seemed to be insurmountable odds to others, daddy considered it an opportunity. His intestinal fortitude to follow his dreams has placed him among the greatest to ever compete in the sport he loved — racing."

Reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick took the dais to introduce the third new member of the Hall of Fame, 1960 champion Rex White, who collected 28 victories and 36 poles in his 233 starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

"Words can’t express how honored I am to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame along with the other Hall of Fame members, especially my 2015 fellow inductees," White said.

"No driver wins a championship by himself, and nobody enters the Hall of Fame alone. I am the symbol of a team effort. From my first race in 1953 until now, this effort spans 62 years."

Brad Keselowski, 2012 NSCS champion introduced Joy Barbee, niece of the late Joe Weatherly, who won championships in 1962 and 1963 before a crash in the fifth race of the 1964 season, at Riverside (Calif.) Raceway took his life.

Known as the "Clown Prince of Stock Car Racing" for his gregarious nature and proclivity for practical jokes (rubber snakes were a favorite), Weatherly won 25 races and 18 poles in 229 starts.

"Being the youngest of seven, I was only two-and-a-half when Joe was killed, so I really don’t remember him at all, but what I can share with you is a memory that I will hold forever in my heart and that is a memory about the love of a brother and a sister, Joe and my mother Betty.

"I feel like I knew Joe through her, through the stories she would tell us as kids, and the passion you could hear in her voice when she spoke of him … I must say that standing here tonight is such a great honor, and I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be here accepting this award on behalf of my Uncle Joe."

Kasey Kahne, who took over the No. 9 car from Elliott, introduced his racing hero, "Awesome Bill from Dawsonville," the most prolific winner of the 2015 Hall of Fame class with 44 victories in NASCAR’s top series, 16th on the all-time list.

Elliott won the Cup championship in 1988 after becoming the first driver in series history to claim the Winston Million in 1985 with victories in the Daytona 500, Southern 500 at Darlington Speedway and Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Champion crew chief Ray Evernham performed the official induction of Elliott, who advanced to NASCAR’s highest level from a small family operation in Dawsonville, Georgia.

"It’s just an honor to be here, guys," Elliott said. "If you look on the walls here at the people who are already inducted into this great Hall of Fame, it’s just incredible … One thing that I look at out here today, guys, is one common bond with all these racers is the hard work and the dedication all these guys had.

"And for me to stand up here among the guys that have already been here is totally incredible."

Anne Bledsoe France, wife of founder and NASCAR Hall of Fame member Bill France Sr., was honored with the first Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR. Familiarly known as "Annie B," Anne B. France handled the business end of NASCAR racing while "Big Bill" grew the sport into a national phenomenon.

Lesa France Kennedy, CEO of International Speedway Corporation, accepted the award on behalf of her grandmother.

Renowned Charlotte Observer racing writer Tom Higgins received the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence, joining Ken Squier, Barney Hall and the late Chris Economaki. NASCAR Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer Brett Jewkes aptly referred to the quartet as the "Mount Rushmore" of motorsports journalism.

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Second-year Sprint Cup driver spent rookie year at BK Racing

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Related: Who the ‘F’ is Alex Bowman?

Alex Bowman‘s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career will continue in 2015 with a new team in Tommy Baldwin Racing. The 21-year-old will drive the No. 7 Chevrolet this upcoming season, the team announced Friday.

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Bowman had a full-time ride with Swan Racing last year, the team that was eventually incorporated into BK Racing. He ended the year with a best finish of 13th at Daytona International Speedway in July.

"I’m looking forward to working with TBR and the entire No. 7 team," Bowman said in a team release. "With Tommy’s experience and his drive to run competitively, I feel like we can run well this year."

Bowman made his NASCAR national series debut in 2012, with four starts in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. He drove full time for that series in 2013, netting six top-10s in 33 starts for RAB Racing.

"Alex is the future of TBR, and he will be a great representative of our team," owner Tommy Baldwin Jr. said. "He is a young driver who displayed a great talent in both the XFINITY and Sprint Cup Series the past few years. We are pleased to give Alex the opportunity to further showcase his skills behind the wheel of the No. 7 Chevrolet this season."

The team did not announce sponsorship or a crew chief. The team on Twitter promoted #TBR7in7, which promises seven team announcements in seven days.

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Insurance company will be the primary sponsor for 21 races in 2015

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MORE: See Dale Jr.’s new helmet for 2015 | Full 2015 Cup schedule

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet featured Nationwide Insurance as the primary sponsor for one race in 2014, the regular-season finale at Richmond International Raceway in September.

That same weekend, the Nationwide announced plans to sponsor Earnhardt’s car for 21 races in the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. The company is on board as a primary sponsor through 2017.

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Through the Twitter handle @nationwide88, we have learned of a redesigned helmet for Earnhardt and gotten to go behind-the-scenes with the 12-time Sprint NMPA Most Popular Driver winner as he prepares for the 2015 season.

On Friday, fans got another treat, as the company revealed through the @nationwide88 handle, the 21 races that Earnhardt will carry its primary sponsorship on his car, beginning with the season-opening Daytona 500 (Feb. 22, 1 p.m. ET, FOX).

Here’s the full list of races:
–Feb. 22: Daytona International Speedway
–March 8: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
–March 15: Phoenix International Raceway
–March 22: Auto Club Speedway
–April 11: Texas Motor Speedway
–April 25: Richmond International Raceway
–May 3: Talladega Superspeedway
–May 9: Kansas Speedway
–May 24: Charlotte Motor Speedway
–May 31: Dover International Speedway
–June 7: Pocono Raceway
–July 5: Daytona International Speedway
–July 11: Kentucky Speedway
–July 19: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
–July 26: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
–Aug. 9: Watkins Glen International
–Aug. 22: Bristol Motor Speedway
–Oct. 4: Dover International Speedway
–Nov. 1: Martinsville Speedway
–Nov. 15: Phoenix International Raceway
–Nov. 22: Homestead-Miami Speedway

Posted on by Zack Albert

2014 Sprint Cup champion will be second reigning champ to cast a ballot

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RELATED: See the NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees class by class

Kevin Harvick received several perks after securing his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship last season — the trophy, the oversized check and the ability to etch his name in the stock-car racing history books. This spring, he’ll cash in on another bonus: Having his say in which drivers take their rightful place in the sport’s annals.

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Harvick will take part in NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Day this May, becoming the second reigning Sprint Cup champion to cast a ballot to help determine a class to be enshrined. Harvick is scheduled to participate in Friday night’s induction (7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network) of the 2015 class at the Charlotte Convention Center.

Harvick, entering his 15th season in NASCAR’s top series, demurred when asked about his own chances of one day being selected for enshrinement, but said he imagined his Voting Day duties would be educational.

"Well, I’m not going to rate my own credentials, but I can tell you that I’m excited to be a part of the process, having a vote and being able to experience that and learn more about our sport," Harvick said Tuesday during Stewart-Haas Racing‘s portion on the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour presented by Technocom. "I think there’s obviously that you can constantly learn about, and to be able to take that in and experience that is going to be a lot of fun."

Alterations were made to the NASCAR Hall of Fame voting panel in December 2013 to add the reigning Sprint Cup champion to the list of vote-casters. That change meant that Jimmie Johnson, just weeks removed from winning his sixth title in NASCAR’s top division, was involved in the discussions and balloting process that determined the Class of 2015.

The responsibility wasn’t lost on Johnson, who reflected on his Voting Day experience to the NASCAR Wire Service last year.

"That was a huge honor and an amazing day to be a part of," Johnson said. "To sit in a room with so many people that care for our sport and know about our sport and then discuss what took place in eras of time when I certainly wasn’t around … it was a very awesome and unique experience and something I think that is a huge honor and in years to come.

"It’s only going to help drivers in the garage area understand the history of our sport and grow closer and more attached to the people that built this sport. And in a big way, I wish that the garage area could sit in on that discussion and see the respect that the peers and the people on the voting panel have for our industry and for the people involved."

Posted on by Zack Albert

No. 22 Team Penske pit crew undergoes minimal personnel changes

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RELATED: All Access of the fateful pit stop at Homestead

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A handful of professional athletes who enjoyed success over the course of a career have been — fairly or unfairly — remembered for their clutch-moment gaffes. Bill Buckner and Leon Lett come to mind.

Joey Logano made it clear he doesn’t want his pit crew lumped in on the list of other infamous goats from the world of sports.

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The Team Penske No. 22 pit crew remains largely intact for the 2015 season, even after an agonizingly mistake-laden, late-race stop in last year’s finale with the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship on the line. The crucial stop was a 49.3-second disaster that severely hampered Logano’s best chance thus far at wearing the NASCAR crown.

But the 24-year-old driver, entering his third season driving for team owner Roger Penske said judging his over-the-wall crew’s body of work on the basis of one wayward stop was unfair.

"The whole year combined, they were the fourth- or fifth-best pit crew, and I hate to see the rap that they got after one stop, you know?" Logano said Wednesday during Team Penske‘s stop on the annual Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour presented by Technocom. "And yes, it could have been the most important stop of the year. Did it prevent us from winning a championship? I don’t know. Maybe, maybe not. It doesn’t take away from the year they had as a pit crew. It doesn’t take away from the year we had as the 22 car, winning races and leading laps and top-fives — all the great things we did. That doesn’t take away from that. I hate to see them get a bad rap over that."

RELATED: Complete Media Tour coverage

That bad rap included the No. 22 crew taking the brunt of the jokes from comedian Jay Mohr during last December’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards banquet. Crew chief Todd Gordon said though the long faces on the over-the-wall bunch were evident after the car fell off the jack late in last season’s finale, the criticism and ribbing weeks removed from the miscue were taken in stride.

"We’ve got a lot of maturity in that group. I won’t call them old because I want to separate age from maturity," Gordon said. "Hey, you know what — it’s performance sports. There’s receivers who drop balls, there’s quarterbacks that throw interceptions, and there’s guys that hit pop-flys in baseball. You’re going to have that happen. The great part is, everybody has looked at it, identified it; we said what could we all do differently.

"I was asking the jackman to do some things a little more aggressively all year because it would make our race cars faster, and as we picked up speed, I probably put him in a position where he was in a vulnerable position to fail. So I’ll take some ownership, he’ll take some ownership, and we’ve identified what we need to work on. We’ve worked on that, and I think we’ll be better for it this year."

The jackman, Ray Gallahan, returns to the fold for 2015, as does most of the over-the-wall crewmembers from last season. The only major personnel change was bringing in Eric Groen over from the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 team as a replacement at rear-tire carrier for Larry Robinett, who remains with the team in an in-house capacity in the shop.

For the 77-year-old team owner, known as "The Captain" for his leadership qualities and business acumen, the method of approaching the mishap was an easy choice. Penske could have just as easily berated the crew in general or Gallahan specifically, but that decision would have been uncharacteristic.

"From our perspective, the individual that was our jackman there has done such a great job for us. He’s a pro, he’s an elite jackman up and down the pit road — anybody would hire him today — and to me, it was just one of those days," Penske said. "It was the money stop. Unfortunately, the car slipped off the jack and to me, as far as I’m concerned, nothing we could do about it so let’s move on. I talked to him that night after the race and said, ‘Hey, man. You’re on the team. You’ve gotten us here, so let’s move on.’ To me, it was more of supporting him than saying what happened."

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Humble beginnings couldn’t slow eventual rise from ‘Awesome Bill’

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Editor’s note: The NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2015 will be inducted Friday night at 8 p.m. ET. on NBC Sports Network.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Bill Elliott arrived on the scene after the careers of his fellow 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame classmates had already come to an end.

But the man who would become known as "Awesome Bill from Dawsonville" for his exploits on the track has much in common with Fred Lorenzen, Wendell Scott, Joe Weatherly and Rex White.

The five will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame tonight.

A familiar thread connects those who reside in the Hall, one that often includes humble beginnings, hardships and eventually success.

RELATED: Every class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame

Elliott, 59, and his family are an integral part of that thread. George, the patriarch, ran a small building supply business in Dawsonville, Georgia. "A hole-in-the-wall deal," Bill says today. The elder Elliott also built race cars, helped other local racers and fielded entries in NASCAR as early as the 1960s.

"Daddy carried cars to Daytona in the early ’60s, he would carry two cars down there and run a Sportsman or a Modified or some kind of race," Elliott said.

Box vans used in the family business served as transporters for the race cars. "He’d back the trailer down there to the loading dock and he’d load them up in the van trailers and carry them down there, then try to find a place to unload them,” Elliott said.

"It was like the Clampetts went to Daytona."

It wasn’t much but as Elliott noted, it was a common sight among those who chose the stock car racing path at that time.

"Back then, such a different way of doing things. Anybody could come show up at Daytona with some kind of race car," he said.

"I think those are the things that I look back on and were so much fun early on. You go to our little garage down there, you could just throw something together. I remember going to one of the shops of one of the guys Daddy was helping. They were putting a ’63 Ford together. They had taken a car out of the junkyard, were taking the interior out and welding the roll bar in it, getting it ready to go. But I mean it was just a stock ’63 Ford. Whatever it came with, that’s what it had. And those days are gone."

Elliott made his first start in what is now NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series in 1976, driving for his family-run team that included brothers Ernie and Dan Elliott. But it wasn’t until ’82, when the team was purchased by businessman Harry Melling, that Elliott became an "overnight success."

By the time his career had ended (he made his last official start in 2012), Elliott had won 44 races, one series championship and was voted the series’ most popular driver 16 times.

His wins came on stages big and small — few bigger than the Daytona 500, which he won twice, the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Southern 500 at rugged, old Darlington Raceway.

RELATED: Read Bill Elliott’s Hall of Fame capsule

It was at Darlington that Elliott officially picked up another moniker, "Million Dollar Bill" when a Southern 500 win in 1985 earned him the Winston Million bonus.

Elliott’s move into stardom coincided with a rise in speed on the race track. Before the advent of restrictor plates at Daytona and Talladega, speed grabbed headlines. And no one went faster than Elliott, who ended his career with 55 pole positions.

His qualifying mark of 212.809 mph at Talladega remains the fastest qualifying lap ever for a NASCAR event.

But that feat wasn’t the record that stands out in his mind, he said.

"If I was outside looking in at my career, the biggest thing that impresses me was running 210 (mph) at Daytona in 1987," Elliott said. "I sat there and I watched Cale (Yarborough) try to run just 200 (in 1983) and turn over off Turn 4. We came back, ran 205 in ’85 and we came back in ’87 and stepped it up five more mph average. That was with no technology. That was just the luck of the draw and the things we did at that point in time; that’s what really impressed me.

"When I first went there I think I ran 171 or something and I thought, ‘Man I’m out of control. How can you run any faster?’ "

Elliott’s induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame comes just as his son, 19-year-old Chase, prepares to begin his own Sprint Cup career. It was announced earlier this week that Chase would run five Sprint Cup races for Hendrick Motorsports this season, then take over the organization’s No. 24 Chevrolet when four-time champion Jeff Gordon steps down at year’s end.

RELATED: Gordon: Chase is the ‘total package’

The younger Elliott didn’t witness a lot of his father’s exploits as they took place. But he’s relived them through video replays.

"There were a lot of races where he took it to ’em, man," Chase Elliott said. "He wore them out. That’s cool to look back on and see.

"I have a lot of respect for what he has done and for what they did. To do it with what they had (at the time) was very, very impressive. I think a lot of people let that slip by.

"They were kind of on their own there in Georgia and a lot of people don’t realize that. They didn’t have a lot of help; they didn’t have a big team. It was just them. It’s very, very impressive to see what they were able to do."

Posted on by Fraser Nye

Sport’s first beat writer earns Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence

As NASCAR Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer Brett Jewkes introduced Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence winner Tom Higgins, he said NASCAR’s first beat writer to cover every race in a season joined the sport’s Mount Rushmore of media, broadcasters Ken Squier, Barney Hall and Chris Economaki, the first three recipients of the honor.

When Higgins came to the podium, he humbly declared Hall and Squier were the Mount Everest of media in NASCAR and didn’t know how this son of the Blue Ridge Mountains could be mentioned in the same breath.

The 33-year veteran of the Charlotte Observer earned a standing ovation at the NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Dinner at the Charlotte Convention Center.

"That’s the first time that’s ever happened," Higgins cracked. "Usually when people are standing and facing me like that they have balled fists."

Affectionately known as "Pappy," Higgins began his career as a rookie reporter out of Brevard College at the Canton (North Carolina) Enterprise and covered racing for the first time at another Tarheel State publication, the Asheville Times, before joining the Observer in 1964.

Saturday would have marked the 51st anniversary of his start date at the newspaper. He credited sports editor Whitey Kelley with waiving the requirement of a four-year college degree.

"We’re not hiring a rocket scientist. We’re hiring a hunting, fishing and outdoors writer," Kelley told his colleagues. "His father’s a game warden, for God’s sake!"

Higgins’ NASCAR coverage earned him the International Motorsports Hall of Fame’s Henry T. McLemore Award for lifetime achievement in motorsports journalism in 1980, the year he began covering every NASCAR race in 1980. He stayed on the beat until his retirement in 1997, receiving NASCAR’s Bill France Award of Excellence the year before.

Friday night’s honor ranked among the top dozen moments in Higgins’ life. His hiring at the Observer was another such milestone. The births of his children and grandchildren and meeting the love of his life in 1990 accounted for the other moments.

Fittingly, Higgins was honored at the dinner alongside the five members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2015 — Bill Elliott, Fred Lorenzen, Wendell Scott, Joe Weatherly and Rex White, all of whom he covered.

Even more appropriate was the second standing ovation of Higgins’ life and the night. This time, his present-day peers broke the cardinal rule of no cheering in the media center by honoring a man who served as a mentor to many.