ok tooz , i havent read much on requirements for hall or eligibility but do have few thoughts of my own . what do we consider as worthy of HOF status ? lifetime achievement? wins vs losses ? hopefully this works like other sports and you must be out certain number of years before being eligible . with that said of your list of mentionables in my opinion only jeff gordon is a a shoein for a first time ballot . am not sure by your wording if you think these drivers should be in hall now or at end of careers . his 75 wins speak volumes before you even break down championships or anything else . i dont like him or his bowtie but hes a proven winner . mark will most definitely make it on pure achievement alone , he may have won a championship or two had he not been like rusty and had the displeasure of competing against big D . the mere fact that for a lifetime mark has an avg finish of 13th is remarkable for a 24 year career . but let me throw one question at you....if tony stewart disappeared today would he be one of the greats ? yeah hes come on fast with almost 30 wins , close to 200 top10s in less than 10 years but is he worthy yet ? just a curious bystander here trying to provoke a little more thought what about ricky rudd racing for 3 decades ? or kyle petty being in the first family ? and his charity work outside nascar ? while racing for 25 years not even trying to win and just keeping the family name out there ? would like to hear more from you guys .....laterz...
ok, I personally don't know the requirements for getting into the Hall just yet. To be honest, I don't think they have made an announcement yet. So all of this is just hypothetical conversation and debate, but here are my thoughts:
I think you would first have to consider body of work (wins, poles, championships), then other factors such as longevity, popularity, and adversity. Of course you would want the driver, crew chief, or owner out of racing for at least five years before they were to be considered.
Jeff Gordon, I believe I mentioned that he would be a shoo-in, but not until he retired. Tony Stewart, it is obvious that he isn't a flash in the pants having won championships in two or three other racing leagues. He already has two championships and is actively competing for his third. Mark Martin, never won the championship but he finished 2nd, what? Four times. That is a proven winner eventhough he only has about 30 some wins.
All of those should get in once they were considered eligible.
Kyle Petty, I cannot agree with. You should not be allowed in on name only....that is why I didnt mention Jr. in my post...both are good drivers (well, Kyle once upon a time), but neither has accomplished enough to reach HOF status, yet. (8 wins, racing since '79) His charity work should get him TIME's Man of the Year instead. Ricky Rudd, I admire him immensely but I'm not sure he gets in either. 875 starts and counting and only 23 wins with the majority of his years on quality teams. Bobby Labonte should be considered over both of these guys with his 21 wins and a Championship. I look forward to any more thoughts from anyone.
