NASCAR Hall Of Fame: Cotton Owens, Class Of 2013 Member, Dead At 88

Cotton Owens, a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s fourth class, didn’t live to experience his own induction, but to his friend and fellow Hall of Famer David Pearson, being selected for the hall was the culmination of a dream for his former car owner.

Owens, 88, died at his Spartanburg, S.C., home Thursday morning after battling lung cancer for more than seven years. On May 23, two days after his 88th birthday, Owens learned he had been voted into the Hall of Fame. Because of his illness, he was unable to attend the announcement, but Pearson said the selection was not lost on his friend.

Rusty Wallace was in his first year of eligibility for the NASCAR Hall of Fame, but that didn’t stop voters from putting him into the 2013 class right away.

Wallace, the 1989 Cup champion and 55-time race winner, earned a surprising but deserved invitation to the Hall on Wednesday along with two-time Cup champions Herb Thomas and Buck Baker, former crew chief Leonard Wood and driver/owner Cotton Owens.

The debate about the NASCAR Hall of Fame today concerns which five people should become part of the 2013 class.

But what about the people who actually vote on the class? One-third of the 54 total votes will be cast by current or former media members, a list which startlingly leaves out some of the longest-serving NASCAR journalists.

Throughout its brief history, the NASCAR Hall of Fame has had a way of being immersed in controversy. That was once again the case when the list of 25 nominees for the Class of 2013 was released on Wednesday.

This time, the debate focused on one noted omission.

A legendary engine builder and car owner. The matriarch of a sport. A trail blazer who broke NASCAR’s color barrier. An influential sponsorship official who helped usher in the sport’s modern era. A champion and bonafide star driver for more than two decades.

For such a wide-ranging array of people, all have two things in common: their impact on stock-car racing and their addition to the list of nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2013.

Darrell Waltrip’s speech was the highlight of Friday night’s NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Because the event doesn’t air on Speed until Sunday at 6 p.m. Eastern, you probably haven’t heard what Waltrip said yet.

Here’s a partial transcript of Waltrip’s 24-minute speech:

The membership of NASCAR’s Hall of Fame now stands at 15 people after five more legends were inducted into the uptown Charlotte shrine on Friday night.

Dale Inman, Glen Wood, Richie Evans, Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip officially became members of the Class of 2012. Speed will air the ceremony via tape delay on Sunday night (6 p.m. Eastern), but if you’re anxious to read about it beforehand, here are a few highlights from each inductee:

Five more NASCAR legends will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in a ceremony tonight in Charlotte, bringing the total number of people enshrined in the still-young Hall to 15.

The 2012 class is highlighted by Darrell Waltrip and Cale Yarborough, who between them have six championships (three apiece) and 167 wins (84 for Waltrip, 83 for Yarborough).

The wait for three-time NASCAR champions Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip is over.

Yarborough and Waltrip, who each won three championships but were left out of the 2011 NASCAR Hall of Fame class, made the cut on Tuesday when the five inductees for the 2012 class were announced.

Let’s be honest: While the first two classes of NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees have contained some very worthy names, it’s silly that Darrell Waltrip and Cale Yarborough aren’t in the Hall yet.

Many people were certain Waltrip and Yarborough would make the cut for the second class; because of politics in the voting process – both drivers have rubbed people the wrong way over the years – they didn’t make it.

The 2011 NASCAR Hall of Fame class was made up of some of NASCAR’s biggest names. Lee Petty, Bud Moore, Ned Jarrett, Bobby Allison and David Pearson. Each left their own mark on the sport of NASCAR that has lasted decades and will continue to leave its impression for years to come. Unique in their own way, these five NASCAR legends were forever bound together by their common bond – racing stock cars.

A pioneer professional turned family patriarch to a racing dynasty. A war hero turned innovative mechanic and champion team owner. A championship driver turned broadcaster and ambassador. A do-it-yourself racer turned NASCAR champion. A tough-nosed mill town boy turned NASCAR legend.

One of the most engaging debates in all of NASCAR is who should be included in the next class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Each year, the debate is lively with names like Darrell Waltrip, Cale Yarborough and Dale Inman mentioned often, but at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Monday night, the 2011 inductees made their case for many of the pioneers that paved the way allowing others to make a name in NASCAR.

2011 inductee David Pearson said with those that built the sport growing older, they should be honored before it is too late.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony has concluded, and here are a couple highlights from the evening. We’ll update this with post-ceremony reaction as the inductees make their way through the media center.

Words from those who introduced the inductees:

In a couple hours, the NASCAR Hall of Fame will induct its second class: Bobby Allison, David Pearson, Lee Petty, Ned Jarrett and Bud Moore.

If you’re new to NASCAR or just want a refresher on who exactly each of the Hall inductees are, check out some of the selected links below.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame will induct its second class tonight in uptown Charlotte with five more of the sport’s legends set to be rewarded with a permanent place in stock car racing’s shrine.

Among them will be David Pearson, who some consider to be the greatest driver of all time; Bobby Allison, the leader of the “Alabama Gang” who persevered through tragedy; Lee Petty, the patriarch of one of NASCAR’s most famous families; Bud Moore, the car owner who also served in World War II; and Ned Jarrett, the classy two-time champion and broadcaster who earned the moniker “Gentleman Ned.”

On Wednesday, the NASCAR Hall of Fame announced its second class of inductees. They were: David Pearson, Bobby Allison, Lee Petty, Ned Jarrett and Bud Moore. The following is the opinion of SB Nation’s Jeff Gluck on the outcome of the vote:

What happened at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Wednesday isn’t right. It isn’t fair. In fact, it stinks.