Next decision is to determine Hall selection procedure

10:27 PM CST on Sunday, March 12, 2006

Finally, all the politicking is out of the way and the decision is made. The NASCAR Hall of Fame goes to Charlotte, N.C., as it should.

The cities that spent millions of dollars campaigning for the Hall would disagree, but the arduous bidding process and the determination of the winner was the easy part.

Deciding who gets inside and how they get there is the tough part. It's the main topic the NASCAR fans want to know: Who makes up the inaugural class?

If Dale Earnhardt's name isn't on that list, better call out the SWAT team for the riot that will ensue around the downtown Charlotte facility.

Earnhardt and Richard Petty are no-brainers, but it's impossible to say for certain how this will go.

At this point, we don't even know the criteria for selecting potential inductees or who the selectors will be.

Those important details haven't been determined, not that there's any rush.

Officials won't break ground until 2007, and the Hall probably won't open until 2010.

NASCAR officials own exclusive rights to the selection process. That leaves a lot of latitude, probably too much latitude. Officials say whatever the process becomes, it will include the ''highest integrity."

NASCAR could opt to decide the inductees the same way it decided the winning city for the Hall – a vote by the board of directors.

That turned out OK for the location choice, but it's a bad idea for selecting entrants. The NASCAR board isn't like your typical corporate board.

NASCAR isn't a corporation; it's a family business. The board is four members of the France family and NASCAR president Mike Helton. Not exactly a diverse group.

The late Bill France Sr., NASCAR's founding father, is a shoo-in for the inaugural class. Bill France Jr., now semi-retired, also will get in soon.

France Jr. still is part of the NASCAR board. He would need to vote for his father and/or himself. NASCAR chairman Brian France probably would cast votes for his father and grandfather.

That won't work. The NFL and Major League Baseball use experienced and respected sports writers, people who have covered football or baseball for many years, as its selectors.

The Texas Motor Sports Hall of Fame selects its members from a panel of 20 reporters across the state.

At the Charlotte announcement Monday, some people suggested the fans should have a say in the NASCAR selection process.

Along with determining the selectors, NASCAR also must decide the criteria for induction.

Will a driver need to be retired for five years? What about a team owner? Can an active team owner be inducted?

And what about a character clause? We're talking about a sport that started with guys running moonshine.

Junior Johnson, a deserving candidate for early induction, spent a year in jail for hauling hooch. Heck, that's a badge of honor in NASCAR.

Then there's the issue of cheating. Ask baseball about that these days. Do you vote Barry Bonds into the Hall of Fame?

He may be the greatest player of all time, but to many baseball followers, he is viewed as a cheater for alleged steroid use.

Cheating in NASCAR is a much different thing. If you eliminated so-called "cheaters" from the NASCAR Hall of Fame, you could use a closet to house the inductees.

No format is perfect, but NASCAR's should work toward a system that avoids any hint of favoritism. NASCAR gets enough criticism already for the way it runs the sport, often called a "benevolent dictatorship."

So make sure the Hall selection process is more of a democratic approach. Fairness of the system and knowledge of respected selectors are good places to start.

E-mail tblount@dallasnews.com

What fans need to know about the NASCAR Hall of Fame, which was awarded to Charlotte, N.C., on Monday:

Why Charlotte?

It's the heart of stock racing and the grass roots beginnings of the sport.

More than 90 percent of NASCAR's teams are headquartered in the Charlotte area and most of the drivers live in suburban Charlotte. The industry employs 24,000 state residents and pumps $6 billion into the economy annually.

The city made the biggest financial commitment with more than $100 million in public funding. Charlotte, which beat out Atlanta; Daytona Beach, Fla.; Richmond, Va.; and Kansas City in the bidding process, has the rights through 2038.

FILE 1999/AP

Dale Earnhardt (left) and Richard Petty are certain to be in NASCAR's first Hall of Fame class.

Who will get selected for the inaugural class?

The selection process hasn't been determined yet, but three names are guarantees for the first class: Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty and Bill France Sr. Beyond that, it depends on how many people are selected for the first induction group. But it's a long list of deserving candidates.

What will the Hall include?

It will be a 300,000-square foot facility that will have a Great Hall with exhibit space and historic cars, a Hall of Honor for inductees, an interactive entertainment area, restaurants and retail outlets.

When will it open?

Groundbreaking won't happen until 2007. It could open as early as the fall of 2009, but the contract states it must open by March 31, 2010.

What will it cost to build?

About $150 million, give or take a couple of million.

How many people are expected to visit each year?

Charlotte officials estimate 800,000 to visit the Hall the first year it opens, dropping off to 400,000 by the sixth year.

What will a ticket cost?

Hall officials say adults will pay $17 for a ticket in the first year.