NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. and seven-time series champion Richard Petty have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. France, who began as a promoter of beach racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., formed NASCAR in 1949 to create a governing body for American auto racing. Regarded as one of the most influential figures in motorsports, he ruled NASCAR from its first race in 1949 through his 1972 retirement. “No one, and I mean no one, deserves to be in the Hall of Fame more than Bill France Sr.,” said John Cassidy, NASCAR’s longtime legal counsel, who used a story of their first meeting in Washington, D.C., to induct France. “He explained to me that NASCAR was created to bring order to the sport. 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. I witnessed firsthand the growth … to a level of acceptance that goes well beyond Bill Sr.’s wildest dreams.” http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news;_ylt=AnLLHu6r2Jhrdk3RDAfNB4k5nYcB?slug=ap-nascar-halloffame
