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Former president welcomes Petty to Hall of Fame:

May 22, 2011 at 12:00 AM

President George H.W. Bush is no stranger to successful family dynasties, and the 41st President of the United States will share some of his perspective as he welcomes Petty family patriarch Lee Petty into the NASCAR Hall of Fame via video on May 23. “President Bush welcoming my grandfather into the NASCAR Hall of Fame is huge because when he raced, I don’t think there was a president in the White House who knew what stock car racing was,” said Kyle Petty, Lee Petty’s grandson and SPEED analyst. “It’s kind of like when President Reagan was there for The King’s 200th win. That was a big deal for The King but it also was a big deal for our family and our sport. I don’t think my grandfather would ever have expected anything like this because the president recognizing a NASCAR driver’s accomplishments was so far outside of the realm of what he thought possible back then.”
“The participation by President Bush amplifies the significance of the roles these inductees played as part of the fabric of our country,” said SPEED President Hunter Nickell. “SPEED is honored to be sharing an event of this magnitude with passionate race fans everywhere.”
Tom Brokaw, longtime anchor of NBC Nightly News and the author of The Greatest Generation, the best-selling book about the men and women who lived through the Great Depression and fought in World War II, will welcome Moore into the Hall. Moore, a veteran of WW II and successful NASCAR team owner, was among the soldiers who stormed the beach at Normandy on D-Day.
The University of Alabama’s national championship-winning coach Nick Saban pays tribute to Allison, a founding member of racing’s famed Alabama Gang, which included Allison, his brother Donnie, Red Farmer, Bobby’s son, Davey, Neil and David Bonnett and Hut Stricklin.
Richard Petty, a member of the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame and the undisputed “King” of NASCAR racing welcomes arch-rival David Pearson into the Hall, as the pair combined for an amazing 63 first/second place finishes. Legendary race broadcaster Ken Squier welcomes two-time NASCAR champion and broadcasting pioneer Ned Jarrett.(SPEED)(5-22-2011)