Just found this column by Jeff Gluck of USA TODAY Sports on the need for the NASCAR Hall of Fame to raise its standards over time:
The NASCAR Hall of Fame will induct its fourth class Friday night, bringing the membership to 20.
Rusty Wallace is getting in this year. So are Leonard Wood and Buck Baker, Cotton Owens and Herb Thomas.
In the next half-dozen years, there will be more classes filled with racing legends and pioneers who will join the likes of seven-time champions Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. And they’ll deserve the honor.
But what happens after that? If the current trend of inducting three or four drivers per year continues, the crop of qualified candidates will be rapidly thinned.
There could be quite a few non-famous people — “contributors” — in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
That’s not good for the still-young Hall’s prestige.
Yup. Will be interesting to see if/when NASCAR deals with this issue.
