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Hall of Fame culminates NASCAR's journey

Junior Johnson (left) and Richard Petty are the only two living members of NASCAR's inaugural Hall of Fame class

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – John Cassidy was working in his Washington, D.C., office as a special assistant to then-Attorney General Robert Kennedy when his boss called him with a warning: a man named Bill France was headed down the hall to talk about auto racing and some problems he was having with Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa. Kennedy wanted Cassidy to help.

When the office door swung open moments later, a large man filled the entrance and wasted no time getting down to business.

"Son, we have a problem and Mr. Kennedy says you have the answer," Cassidy recalled France saying before pulling up a chair.

"He proceeded to educate me for several hours on the history of motor sports, on racing on the beach, on stock car racing, on NASCAR," Cassidy explained. "He emphasized to me that there would come a day when NASCAR and stock car racing and the NASCAR tradition would become a nationally recognized professional sport."

Cassidy, the longtime legal counsel for NASCAR, recalled that story Sunday while inducting Bill France Sr. as the first member of NASCAR's Hall of Fame.

In a ceremony held in the shadows of the new $195 million Hall, Cassidy said no one had any idea what France would be able to accomplish. He had a vision for automobile racing, but few realized just what it would eventually grow into.

Born in a hotel on Daytona Beach in 1947, France's dream – NASCAR – has evolved from regional curiosity to national phenomenon, competing in 19 states spanning from New Hampshire to California. Its competitors no longer work in backyard body shops but in 240,000-plus-square foot "Garage Mahals." The first race paid the winner $2,000; this year's Daytona 500 champion took home $1,500,000. And sponsors are no longer local repair shops but Fortune 500 companies.

Despite all the growth, there hadn't been one place that honored all of NASCAR's accomplishments. Until now. It's come in the form of the glistening Hall of Fame, which opened two weeks ago with a palpable excitement over the opportunity to celebrate those who paved the track from 1947 to today.

The crowning moment came Sunday with the inaugural induction ceremony, which served as the opportunity to lionize five pioneers: Bill France Sr., the sport's founder; Bill France Jr., who steered the series through its largest period of growth; Richard Petty, the all-time winningest driver; Junior Johnson, a former bootlegger who symbolizes NASCAR's roots; and seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt – the sport's first true crossover star.

All five inductees were honored by family members and industry veterans who told stories that drew laughter and a few tears.

Rick Hendrick recounted a 15-minute tongue lashing he received from France Jr.

"But it doesn't affect our fishing trip," Hendrick recalled France Jr. saying when he was done.

Darrell Waltrip recalled his first contract negotiation with Junior Johnson &ndash a "negotiation" Waltrip explained consisted of nothing more than Johnson handing him a piece of paper that promised to pay him a set salary.

"What are you going to do for Darrell if he wins the championship?" Waltrip remembered his attorney saying to Johnson.

"I'll tell you what I'm going to do if he don't," Johnson replied.

While the day was designed to celebrate the five honorees, in actuality it was a celebration of the entire industry.

"It made me proud to be a driver," Waltrip said. "It makes me even prouder just to be a part of the community – the NASCAR community. We have come so far and done so much, and this Hall is just indicative of the growth of this sport and how it has changed through the years."

NASCAR did not need a glitzy building to legitimize its accomplishments. But it did need a day like Sunday, where the people who pour their heart and soul into racing cars around in circles could come together and reflect on what they've created.

Yes, there's that annual season-ending ceremony, when everyone in the industry gathers to toast the champion.

This, however, was starkly different.

"At the banquet, you've got one person that won the championship and you've got a lot of people that are sitting there wanting to win the championship and kind of getting fired up to go back," Hendrick said. "So you've got one happy champion and everybody else is motivated to go whip him. Today, everybody was on the same team. Everybody here was celebrating our sport and recognizing everybody was on the same team today.

"We all won today."