NASCAR Hall of Fame passes over Wendell Scott, black drivers

[ballscout1]

The annual NASCAR Hall of Fame nominations are in. Notable drivers such as Rusty Baker, Herb Thomas and Bick Baker were among the names to be honored at the 2013 induction ceremony. This year, as in years past, there is one notable name missing — Wendell Scott, the first black driver to win a race, wasn’t nominated for induction into the Hall of Fame. Although Scott was third in the fan voting on NASCAR.com, he was not listed among those getting votes among the Voting Pane. Among the 25 names nominated Scott’s name wasn’t among the 5 who made the cut.

On December 1, 1963 at Speedway Park in Jacksonville, Fla., Scott became the first, and to date the only, African-American driver to win a NASCAR race. Scott rose up in the NASCAR ranks in the late 1950s, in an era rife with racial tension where trailblazers like Scott faced difficult challenges making their way in professions that had seen few to no black faces in the professional world. Scott earned four top-ten finishes in 1961 and would go on to have a very successful career on the raceway. In his 495 races, Scott compiled 1 win, 20 top-5 finishes and 147 top-10s.

The question remains: will Scott ever be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame? In the past decade, we have seen more people of color on the tracks and in the stands joining millions of people who are die hard NASCAR fans. Actually, NASCAR itself has seen its fair share of black drivers on the tracks. On July 31, 1955, Elias Bowie took the green flag in the Grand National race at Bay Meadows Speedway. Bill Lester, Willie T. Ribbs and others have all found some success of the speedways of the NASCAR circuit, and it seems fans are ready to see a person of color in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. So why aren’t members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame voting panel following suit?

There is no denying that NASCAR recognizes Scott’s contributions to the sport. Currently, he is the only NASCAR driver that is recognized every year by NASCAR. NASCAR also awards twelve Wendell Scott scholarships per year to historically black colleges. Nevertheless, until Scott joins the ranks of Hall of Famers, fans will have to wait to see his name enshrined in Charlotte.

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[jwilliam85]

 

[J Storm]

Come on now.. ITS NASCAR, not NASCOON!

 

[da_monumental_1]

Come on now.. ITS NASCAR, not NASCOON!

Mr. Burgess.

 

[mike123]

hall of fame for makin left turns really fast
who cares

 

[ballscout1]

hall of fame for makin left turns really fast
who cares

NASCAR, for years, has been perceived as a white man's sport. Over the years, especially in the sanctioning body's early stages, that may have been the case. Times are changing, though, made evident through NASCAR's "Drive 4 Diversity" initiative that began several years ago in an attempt to bring female and minority drivers into the fold.

Despite the white perspective, NASCAR isn't without its own black history. As America celebrates Black History Month in February, NASCAR has the ability to celebrate its own black pioneer -- Wendell Scott.

Scott was the first, and to this day, only, black driver to win a race in NASCAR's Grand National division, now more famously known as the Sprint Cup Series, claiming his one and only series win on Dec. 1, 1963, at Speedway Park in Jacksonville, Fla., according to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Scott faced adversity throughout his racing career that began on the local level around his hometown of Danville, Va., in 1947. Scott went on to win 128 amateur races on his shoestring budget before hitting NASCAR's big time in a car bought from fellow racer Buck Baker in 1961.

By the time 1963 rolled around, Scott was racing a car he purchased from another NASCAR driver, Ned Jarrett, and he drove that car to his victory that the driver he bought his first NASCAR racer from -- Baker -- was originally declared the winner of.

Hours later, officials determined that Scott, not Baker, won that race. But Scott never got to enjoy victory lane. He never even got to hoist the winner's trophy. The trophy for that race win was eventually presented to his family, years after his death from cancer in 1990.
According to many around the sport at the time of Scott's win, NASCAR wouldn't allow him to celebrate in victory lane, because that would mean he'd be able to kiss the white beauty queen/trophy girl.

According to NASCAR, though, a scoring error was the reason for the mistake. Scott had another version of what happened.

"Everybody in the place knew I had won the race," Scott said in later years, according to Legends of NASCAR . "But the promoters and NASCAR officials didn't want me out there kissing any beauty queens or accepting any awards."
Scott competed until severe racing injuries sustained at Talladega Superspeedway forced his retirement from NASCAR in 1973. He raced for most of his career with little to no support, either financial or moral.

"I was a black man," Scott told Legends of NASCAR. "They wasn't going to help a black man. That was all there was to it."

Despite the lack of assistance, Scott, along with a crew that was made up of himself and sons Frank and Wendell Jr., soldiered to 147 top-10 race finishes in 495 race starts, according to Wikipedia.

"I'm so glad we never gave up," Scott's widow, Mary Scott, said, according to Legends of NASCAR. "When Ned Jarrett and all of those old drivers came to Scott's funeral, they told us he had the respect of all the drivers. I'd say all of those older guys learned to like him and respect him. They knew he was a genuine person and he stood for what he believed. He didn't give up."

 

[Winslow Wong]

This should be a no-brainer for NASCAR but they are tuned into their base and no amount of big time corporate sponsorships are going to clean the KLAN stench off of the sport.

Hee muthafuckin Haw

 

[ballscout1]

 

[Mrfreddygoodbud]

Come on now.. ITS NASCAR, not NASCOON!

Let the brother in it aint NASCAC either!!

its nasCAR!

 

[ballscout1]

 

[Steve Lurkle]

No offense, but it's the hall of fame. Just cuz you won one race shouldn't get you in.

 

[Rick Spanish]

No offense, but it's the hall of fame. Just cuz you won one race shouldn't get you in.

Does breaking the color barrier not get you in? I mean, Jackie Robinson just won ONE pennant. Should he be in the MLB Hall of Fame?

 

[ballscout1]

No offense, but it's the hall of fame. Just cuz you won one race shouldn't get you in.

consistently in the top 10 with no factory support ?

getting out of his car and doing his own pit stop

doing that as the only black in the sport

doing that with junk yard parts

you are out of your mind trying to minimize what he did in the sport of racing all the while facing overt racism.

Jackie Robinson had baseball execs having his back

Wendell Scott had his two sons.

 

[knightmelodic]

This should be a no-brainer for NASCAR but they are tuned into their base and no amount of big time corporate sponsorships are going to clean the KLAN stench off of the sport.

Hee muthafuckin Haw

This right here. And I'm an F-1 man.

 

[cheyisrameyah]

I remember a movie with Richard Pryor and Pam Grier about this brother and his experience.

I figured with him being the first black man in NASCAR, it was a given that he would be in NASCAR's Hall of Fame.

Shit like this is why I cant really take NASCAR seriously.

 

[doug777]

Does breaking the color barrier not get you in? I mean, Jackie Robinson just won ONE pennant. Should he be in the MLB Hall of Fame?

A career .311 Avg. helps.

 

[Rembrandt]

The hall of fame is putting in what it's second class this year? with the entire history of drivers and while he was black, he only had one win back at a time there was no such thing as factory support so no one had it. He will most likely get in but the guys going in right now early are going to be the best of the best. they will have great classes for years.

 

[da_monumental_1]

Let the brother in it aint NASCAC either!!

its nasCAR!

It was sarcasm based on a prank call.

 

[Cybts1]

It is a DAMN SHAME but, you can say you did not expect this to happen.

Redneck's got to keep something pure.