ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Friday, April 25, 1997                 TAG: 9704250074
SECTION: SPORTS                   PAGE: B-10 EDITION: METRO 
                                             TYPE: IN SPORTS
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS


PETTY HEADS NEW HALL INDUCTEES

Richard Petty, a.k.a. ``The King,'' was among a group of six to be inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in what many people say is the hall's most talented group of inductees.

Petty's induction was on the program for the black-tie ceremony Thursday night, along with the induction of Buddy Baker, Ralph Earnhardt, Don Garlits, Jim Hall and Rick Mears.

They make up the seventh induction class for the hall, which opened in 1983 outside Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway to honor contributors to all types of racing.

Petty's entrance into the hall is just another in a long string of accolades he earned while winning 200 races in 1,177 Winston Cup starts from 1958 through 1992.

Over a 35-year career, Petty won seven Winston Cup points championships and 127 poles; set records for wins in a season (27), consecutive wins (10) and most wins from the pole (61); and won the Daytona 500 seven times.

He was voted most popular driver by NASCAR fans nine times and was named driver of the year in 1971.

Among the other inductees, Baker is best known as the first driver to surpass 200 mph on a closed course. It happened March 24, 1970 while Baker was testing a Dodge Daytona at the then-Alabama International Motor Speedway. He turned a lap around the 2.66-mile course at 200.477 mph.

Earnhardt won more than 350 races in NASCAR's Grand National, Sportsman and Modified divisions in the 1950s and 1960s. He died of a heart attack in 1973 at age 45.

Garlits stands as the most important figure in the history and development of drag racing. He was the first drag racer to top 170, 180, 200, 240, 250 and 270 mph.

In 1985-86, Garlits - known by many as ``Big Daddy'' - became the first person to win the NHRA's highest honor, the top fuel world championship, in consecutive seasons.

Mears is being inducted for his success in Indy-cars. He began his career as a substitute for Mario Andretti, then went on to win the pole position and the Indianapolis 500 in 1979. He went on to win another three 500s, matching the record of A.J. Foyt and Al Unser. He was generally considered the top oval track racer of his generation.

Mears had 123 top-10 finishes in 203 starts. He won 40 poles, including a record six at Indy.

Hall helped engineer a series of race-car innovations that have had a lasting impact.


LENGTH: Medium:   55 lines
KEYWORDS: AUTO RACING










by CNB