Photos from The Roanoke Times and Associated Press archives

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Although some fans claim that NASCAR has abandoned its roots, that's not true with the 25 men nominated for the sport's inaugural Hall of Fame class.

Nearly all 25 nominated are from the South, with eight from North Carolina and four from Virginia.

The list pays homage to a time when the sport had a regional following as opposed to its national footprint these days where Saturday's Sprint Cup race at Daytona will feature no more than three drivers from both North Carolina and Virginia. The five-man inaugural class will be determined in October and honored next May at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C.

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises with the 25-man list is Roanoke's Curtis Turner. Bill France Sr., also a nominee, suspended Turner from 1960 until late in the 1965 season, for attempting to unionize the drivers.

Turner finished with 17 wins -- well short of many other drivers nominated for the first class -- but he has been called by those who saw him as among the sport's best drivers.

The other Virginia natives on the 25-member list are Joe Weatherly (Norfolk), Glen Wood (Stuart) and Rick Hendrick (Palmer Springs).

North Carolina's contingent features Richard Petty (Level Cross), Lee Petty (Level Cross) Dale Earnhardt (Kannapolis), Junior Johnson (Ronda), Ned Jarrett (Newton), Richard Childress (Winston-Salem), Herb Thomas (Sanford) and Buck Baker (Charlotte).

[Dustin Long is among those who will vote for the inaugural Hall of Fame class.]

The nominees:

BOBBY ALLISON
Hometown: Hueytown, Ala.
Notable: Tied for third in all-time list with 84 wins. Won 1983 series
title and is a three-time Daytona 500 champ.
First-ballot chances: Good
Hello to Hall: Should be in by second year

BUCK BAKER
Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.
Notable: First two-time champion (1956, '57). Finished first or second
in the points each year from 1955-58. Won 46 races.
First-ballot chances: None
Hello to Hall: Likely four or so years away

RED BYRON
Hometown: Anniston, Ala.
Notable: Inaugural series champion (1949) and winner of the first
NASCAR-sanctioned race.
First-ballot chances: None
Hello to Hall: Might be five years off

RICHARD CHILDRESS
Hometown: Winston-Salem, N.C.
Notable: Independent driver who earns honor with ownership status. Has
six titles as an owner and finished second three times.
First-ballot chances: None
Hello to Hall: Chances improve after Year 5
       
DALE EARNHARDT
Hometown: Kannapolis, N.C.
Notable: Seven-time champion who won 76 races. All-time leader in total
victories at Daytona International Speedway with 34.
First-ballot chances: Lock to make it

RICHIE EVANS
Hometown: Rome, N.Y.
Notable: Nine-time NASCAR modified champion. Considered series' greatest
modified driver before his death at Martinsville.
First-ballot chances: None
Hello to Hall: Maybe within five or so years

TIM FLOCK
Hometown: Fort Payne, Ala.
Notable: Won 39 races in 187 starts (20.8 percent winning percentage).
Two-time champion. Drove at times with a monkey in the car.
First-ballot chances: None
Hello to Hall: Doors open in three to four years

BILL FRANCE SR.
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Notable: Driving force behind NASCAR's creation and ran the sport from
its beginnings in 1949 until 1972.
First-ballot chances: Count on it

BILL FRANCE JR.
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Notable: Took over sport from his father in 1972 and led it until 2000
as NASCAR grew from a regional to a national sport.
First-ballot chances: Possible.
Hello to Hall: No later than Year 2

RICK HENDRICK
Hometown: Palmer Springs, Va.
Notable: Sport's top car owner. Tied with Richard Childress with 11
total NASCAR titles as an owner. Has eight Cup titles.
First-ballot chances: Try again
Hello to Hall: May be 5 years or so away

NED JARRETT
Hometown: Newton, N.C.
Notable: Two-time champ who won 50 races. Retired before age 35.
First-ballot chances: Try again
Hello to Hall: Three to four years away

JUNIOR JOHNSON
Hometown: Ronda, N.C.
Notable: won 50 races as a driver and 139 races and six titles as a car
owner.
First-ballot chances: Fans might be drinking moonshine in May.
Hello to Hall: If not in Year 1, then in Year 2

BUD MOORE
Hometown: Spartanburg, S.C.
Notable: Car owner for Joe Weatherly's two titles and revolutionized the
sport as first owner to use two-way radio communication. Car owner for
37 years.
First-ballot chances: None
Hello to Hall: Might have a wait awhile

RAYMOND PARKS
Hometown: Dawson County, Ga.
Notable: One of the sport's earliest car owners. His car won the first
series race and title.
First-ballot chances: None
Hello to Hall: Also might have to wait awhile

BENNY PARSONS
Hometown: Detroit
Notable: Won the 1973 title and collected 21 career wins. First driver
to qualify a stock car at more than 200 mph.
First-ballot chances: None
Hello to Hall: Likely four years away or more

DAVID PEARSON
Hometown: Spartanburg, S.C.
Notable: Three-time champion ranks second all-time with 105 wins. Ranks
second with 113 poles.
First-ballot chances: He'll be in Charlotte in May

LEE PETTY
Hometown: Level Cross, N.C.
Notable: First driver to win three series titles. His 54 wins ranked
first all-time until son Richard surpassed his total.
First-ballot chances: Deserving but unlikely.
Hello to Hall: Year 2 he makes it

RICHARD PETTY
Hometown: Level Cross, N.C.
Notable: Seven-time champion who has a series-record 200 wins and known
just as much for how he treated fans.
First-ballot chances: Everyone get your cowboy hats ready

FIREBALL ROBERTS
Hometown: Daytona Beach, Fla.
Notable: Won 33 races and often described as sport's greatest driver
without a title. Died from injuries suffered in fiery crash in 1964
World 600.
First-ballot chances: May get a few votes
Hello to Hall: Definitely by Year 3

HERB THOMAS
Hometown: Sanford, N.C.
Notable: First two-time series champ who won 48 races. First three-time
winner of Southern 500. Career winning percentage of 21.0 _ highest
among those with at least 100 starts.
First-ballot chances: Slim
Hello to Hall: Should be in by Year 3

CURTIS TURNER
Hometown: Roanoke, Va.
Notable: Won 17 races but considered among sport's greatest drivers
although he was suspended for nearly five seasons for attempting to
unionize drivers.
First-ballot chances: None
Hello to Hall: May have to wait 4 or more years

DARRELL WALTRIP
Hometown: Owensboro, Ky.
Notable: Three-time champion whose 84 wins are tied for third all-time.
First-ballot chances: Outside shot
Hello to Hall: Expect "Boogity, boogity, boogity'' by Year 2

JOE WEATHERLY
Hometown: Norfolk, Va.
Notable: Won 25 races and titles in 1962 and '63 before his death in a
crash early in 1964 season.
First-ballot chances: None
Hello to Hall: Check back in about four years

GLEN WOOD
Hometown: Stuart, Va.
Notable: Although a driver he's known more as one of the leaders of the
Wood Brothers. Helped revolutionize pit stops.
First-ballot chances: None
Hello to Hall: Check back in about three years

CALE YARBOROUGH
Hometown: Sardis, S.C.
Notable: First driver to win three consecutive series titles. Collected
83 wins, including four Daytona 500s.
First-ballot chances: Could slip in.
Hello to Hall: Lock by Year 2.