Hall, Hall, The Gang's All Here!

   The Hall Of Fame is coming to Charlotte!

   Not the NASCAR Hall Of Fame--at least not yet.  Instead, it's the National Motorsports Press Association Hall Of Fame.  For now, it's just for one evening.

   NASCAR's announcement of where its hall is going--Atlanta, Charlotte and Daytona Beach are the    finalists--is still a few weeks away.

   However, on Saturday night in Charlotte the NMPA will induct three new members.  Mega-track owner and veteran promoter Bruton Smith will be honored in person.  NASCAR pioneer promoter Paul Sawyer and two-time Late Model Sportsman Series champion Butch Lindley will be inducted posthumously.

   It marks the first time in decades that the press organization's induction ceremony has been held anywhere other than either Darlington or Florence, S.C.  The NMPA Hall Of Fame for years has been located at Darlington Raceway as part of the Joe Weatherly Stock Car Racing Museum.  But there's a possibility that the hall might be moved sometime soon, maybe to the Charlotte area.

   It'll seem strange, then, to see inductions taking place anywhere other than Florence or Darlington, the "Pearl Of The Pee Dee." Or at any time other than Labor Day Weekend, a night or two before the Southern 500.

   Both Darlington and Florence produced a lot of memorable moments--some touching, some humorous, some controversial.

   Among the most touching:

   --The induction of the late Ralph Earnhardt in 1989.  It had begun to seem that Earnhardt, one of the best dirt track drivers ever during his heyday in the 1950s and '60s, might be passed over as younger NMPA members with little knowledge of him joined the voting ranks.  But Dale Earnhardt's memories of his father raised awareness, and his dad was elected.  It was all Dale, the super-tough "Intimidator," could do to hold back tears the night Ralph joined the roll in the hall.

   --The induction of the late Davey Allison in 1996.  If a helicopter crash hadn't taken his life in 1993, Davey likely still would be adding accomplishments for a hall of fame resume.  He posted 19 victories in a six-year career, including triumphs in some of the sport's biggest races.  He joined his storied father, Bobby, as a hall-of-famer.  The Allisons are among five sets of father-son combos in the hall.  The others: Buck and Buddy Baker; Ralph and Dale Earnhardt; Bill France Sr., and Bill Jr.; Lee and Richard Petty.

   --The induction of the late Wendell Scott in 2000.  Scott, the only African-American to win a race at NASCAR's top level, relatively was as much of a pioneer as baseball's Jackie Robinson, battling against racisim in the 1960s while driving on mostly-Southern tracks.  The acceptance speech by Scott's widow ranks among the best in NMPA Hall Of Fame history, and the pride of his children that night at Darlington burns in memory.

   Among the most humorous:

   --The induction of Buck Baker in 1982.  The colorful Baker would have been honored years earlier, but after repeatedly announcing retirements he kept coming back to race again.  At the time, the NMPA had a rule that no one could go on a hall of fame ballot until five years after retirement.  Finally, Buck was eligible, and the two-time national champion and winner of 46 races was elected easily.  At a reception prior to the induction ceremony Buck imbibed a bit.  When he got the microphone Buck began recounting his long career almost day-by-day, bringing some fellows that he had worked with onto the stage.  After about an hour, Buck's old friend, rival and fellow hall-of-famer, Ned Jarrett, intervened.  "Buck," said Ned, "we'd like to listen to your stories on and on, but there's a race tomorrow." 

   --The inductions of Harry Gant and Darrell Waltrip in 2003.  The witty Michael Waltrip was chosen to introduce his older brother.  When Michael went to the mike, he looked at both Darrell and Harry and shook his head.  "It's funny to me," said Michael, much to the amusement of those in attendance,  "that both Darrell and Harry have much darker hair now than they did when they were racing."  It was pretty evident that both of the popular drivers had been making use of "Color Back," or some similar product.  And after Michael's remark, in addition to black hair, they had neon-red faces.

   Among the most controversial:

  --The induction of Carl Kiekhaefer in 1980.  The tough, no-nonsense Kiekhaefer was the sport's first car owner to field multiple numbers of drivers.  His lineup included Buck Baker, Tim and Fonty Flock, Speedy Thompson and Herb Thomas, all hall-of-famers.  Tim Flock won 18 race and the circuit's championship in '54.  Buck Baker won 14 races and the title in '56.  Prior to the '80 induction, photographers gathered all the hall-of-famers present to pose for a traditional group picture.  When the elderly Kiekhaefer realized that he had been photographed with Tim, he gruffly demanded that the photographers destroy their film.  Kiekhaefer and Flock had experienced a falling-out in the 1950s, and the former team owner  was still angry about it.  At one point, Kiekhaefer threatened not to go through with his induction unless the film of the group was destroyed.  This time, Buck Baker was the man to intercede.  Through the years Baker had maintained a good relationship with the crusty old car owner, and Buck proved to be a good diplomat, enabling the show to go on.

   I was asked in 1997 to introduce Buddy Baker on his induction night in Darlington.

   I knew immediately just what I wanted to say.

   During the 1970s, while on a surf fishing trip to Cape Lookout and North Carolina's remote Core Banks, I'd watched as the wading Buddy had a close encounter with a large shark.  A frightened Buddy moved so fast getting back to shore that it looked like his feet were on the surface--and throwing up a rooster tail! 

   So I got to say that night that I once had seen Buddy Baker walk on water.

   And with his induction into the NMPA Hall Of Fame, I now was getting to see him walk on air.