Five legends get their due at the NASCAR Hall of Fame

February 9, 2013 Greg Engle Main Page, Top Stories 0

CHARLOTTE, NC - FEBRUARY 08: NASCAR driver, Brad Kesolowski, celebrates the induction of Rusty Wallace during the 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on February 8, 2013 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/NASCAR)
CHARLOTTE, NC - FEBRUARY 08: NASCAR driver, Brad Kesolowski, celebrates the induction of Rusty Wallace during the 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on February 8, 2013 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/NASCAR)
CHARLOTTE, NC – FEBRUARY 08: NASCAR driver, Brad Kesolowski, celebrates the induction of Rusty Wallace during the 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on February 8, 2013 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/NASCAR)

Five new members to the NASCAR Hall of Fame were inducted Friday night in Charlotte North Carolina.  The fourth class to enter the Hall, the group represented several generations from pioneers of the sport to those who helped bring the sport into the modern era.

The five members bring the total of those honored to 20.

The most recent five are Buck Baker – a two-time NASCAR premier series champion in 1956-57, the first to ever win back-to-back titles in NASCAR’s top level; Cotton Owens a driver and owner; Herb Thomas – the first driver to win multiple championships in NASCAR’s premier series; Rusty Wallace – the 1989 NASCAR premier series champion and a 55-time race winner and Leonard Wood – legendary engine builder, mechanic and crew chief for the Wood Brothers.

Each of the five inductees were officially welcomed into the hall by former inductees. The inductors for the five inductees: Herb Thomas was inducted by NASCAR Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett; Cotton Owens was inducted by his former driver NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson; Leonard Wood was inducted by his nephew and Wood Brothers co-owner Eddie Wood; Buck Baker was inducted by his son Buddy Baker; Rusty Wallace was inducted by his son Greg Wallace. MORE>>>

Greg Engle
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About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.