A brother, a contemporary, a rival, a colleague and a friend will all take the stage to induct this year’s Class of 2014 into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Richard Petty, Waddell Wilson, Harry Gant, Humpy Wheeler and Blake Shelton will induct the fifth class – Maurice Petty, Fireball Roberts, Jack Ingram, Tim Flock and Dale Jarrett – on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C. The five legends, who account for 15 NASCAR championships, will also be joined on stage by five current stars, combining for 15 national series championships of their own. Aric Almirola, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart will all take part in the evening’s festivities. The Induction Ceremony begins at 7:00pm/et and will air live on FOX Sports 1, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
As long lasting as they are varied, this year’s inductee-inductor relationships are uniquely special – each with a story all its own:
‘¢ Maurice Petty built the engines that propelled his brother Richard to seven NASCAR championships and most of his 200 wins.
‘¢ Fireball Roberts won the 1963 Southern 500 with an engine built by Waddell Wilson.
‘¢ Jack Ingram and Harry Gant had a fierce rivalry that helped build the popularity of what is now the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
‘¢ Tim Flock worked with Humpy Wheeler at Charlotte Motor Speedway for more than 30 years.
‘¢ After an introduction by former teammate Elliott Sadler nearly a decade ago, Dale Jarrett and country music star Blake Shelton have become close friends.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will kick off with a media red carpet entrance in the Great Hall at the NASCAR Hall of Fame at 4:15pm/et. The formal presentations begin during the Induction Dinner, where the inductees will receive their NASCAR Hall of Fame jackets. Chris Economaki will also be honored as the third recipient of the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence.(NASCAR)(1-24-2014)
