Three-time NASCAR champion Darrell Waltrip and legendary engine builder Waddell Wilson will be honored by the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame at its annual induction ceremonies on Oct. 11 at Mooresville’s Charles Mack Citizens Center. Waltrip, winner of 84 races and 59 poles, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Wilson, who began building winning engines in the 1960s with the legendary Holman and Moody and then became one of the circuit’s top crew chief and engine builders in the 1980s, will receive the coveted Snap-On Golden Wrench Award for his outstanding contributions to the sport. “Both of these men brought something different to the sport,” said Don Miller, co-founder and chairman of the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame. “Darrell was the stock car driver who led the competitors into corporate America’s board rooms and showed they could be valuable in a firm’s marketing plans with their on-track performances. He was often criticized for being brash, but he always backed up his statements, much as New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath did in the NFL. He also was an owner/driver during a portion of his career, gaining a different perspective on the sport that now serves him well in his broadcasting career with Fox Sports. Wilson was an extremely talented engine builder before becoming a crew chief. He came from the North Carolina mountains to rise to NASCAR stardom with the powerful engines he built.”
Located in Mooresville, the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame celebrates the rich heritage of motorsports and its cultural contributions to society. It opened its doors in 1994 and now welcomes more than 300,000 visitors annually. More than 30,000 fans visited the Hall of Fame during Charlotte race weeks in May 2006. A non-profit museum, the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame is dedicated to all forms of motorsports – from drag racing to stock cars. It houses more than 35 cars as well as numerous displays and showcases. For more information about the museum and the 10th annual induction ceremony, log on to www.ncarhof.com.(7-20-2006)
