- Bill France Sr. Love him or hate him, there is no doubt that without Bill France Sr. that there would be no NASCAR as we know it. There are a lot of arguments that he cheated others out of their stake in NASCAR but he is the one who brought the founders together. It can also be argued that his style was dictatorial but NASCAR is the sanctioning body that has survived and prospered; you just cannot say that about other sanctioning bodies such as AAA, USAC, and CART.
- Bill France Jr. Once again, there is no doubt that without Bill France Jr. there would be no NASCAR as we know it. Most of the same arguments from the father apply to the son. Bill France Jr. grew the sport from what he inherited from his father as a regional sport to gargantuan national sport that now garners international attention.
- Raymond Parks The creator of the first superteam before NASCAR was even started, Raymond Parks planted the seed of what Rick Hendrick and Jack Roush operate today. Raymond Parks supported Bill France Sr. with loans before NASCAR was started and in NASCAR's early days. It would not be a stretch to say that there may have been no NASCAR without Atlanta's Raymond Parks.
- Richard Petty There are only two seven time champions in NASCAR. Along with Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty has to be among the first five. Richard Petty also has the record of 200 wins, perhaps untouchable for the forseeable future.
- Dale Earnhardt The same argument: The only two seven time champions must be in the first five selected to the Hall of Fame. Besides Earnhardt's success on the track, it must also be mentioned that Earnhardt's death on the track, more than any other's pushed NASCAR from simply paying lip service to safety to being more serious about safety (although in my opinion, they still have a VERY long way to go).
Mac McCormick III
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