In search of the Holy Grail

A Hall of Fame is the place were rare artifacts are housed and the NASCAR HOF will be no different. Buz McKim is the Historian and spoke recently to the NASCAR Members Club annual convention.

There are already so many things loaned and donated to the Hall, some exhibits will be rotated on a two-year basis, he said. He estimates 95 percent of the items are on loan.

This man is a walking, talking, breathing history of racing - all racing - with a memory like a steel trap. I mentioned we only had one asphalt track in West Virginia and he finished my sentence with, "Ona Speedway." We think we're not an integral part of race history. Lots of people blow off Ona as a track and make fun of it. Not Buz McKim, he can tell you who raced there and when.

And he was a big help as a ringer in the final quiz event on my Yellow Flag "Lucky Dawg" team in the Chase for the Championship. That's him second from the right, a couple of the Lucky Dawgs flanking him. That's me with him a little further down the blog.

But back to the Hall.

One of Buz's favorite things is Dale Earnhardt's handwritten application to NASCAR, dated 1975. It was found in Daytona. It revealed he was living with his mother, Dale Jr. was three months old, he had been a high school wrestler, his superstitions were the color green and peanuts, and asked about his ambition beyond racing, answered, "none."

Well, alrighty, then.


The one thing he really, really, really wants for the Hall is what he termed his "Holy Grail." He's not even certain it still exists, but he wants to find this in a big way.

The 1954, gold-plated NASCAR card, numbered 1, belonging to Bill France Sr., is that one single item they want more than just about anything.

So if you are in possession of that artifact, that special card, that Holy Grail, let him know.

But who's going in as the first class of 5 in the HOF? Who knows and Buz wouldn't say his favorites. He did say everyone from every aspect of racing will be considered for induction. It's about what that person brought to the sport, the impact they made, not their name or if they were a driver.

The guy driving every Saturday night at a dirt track, living out of his car, splitting a cheeseburger, small fry and small Coke with his girlfriend because he didn't win is eligible. (That's a Tony Stewart story, documented in several articles and books.)A crew member, crew chief or pretty much anyone related to racing in any way can be nominated and included.

Well, look around your garage and attic for that #1 card, or if you don't have that, anything that might be rare or unusual and let Buz know at the HOF.

It opens next April with the official big opening in May, 2010.

For more about the NASCAR Hall of Fame, log on to:

http://www.nascarhall.com