Voters Get it Right by Not Electing Wendell Scott

On Wednesday, the five inductees to the 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame were announced.

After the votes were tallied, including a tie for the final spot, those elected included some big names from NASCAR’s past and present.

For the new inductees: Rusty Wallace, Leonard Wood, Herb Thomas, Cotton Owens, and Buck Baker, there cannot be a greater appreciation of their success than being elected to the hall of fame.

There were 20 others who didn’t make the list. Amongst those was former driver, Wendell Scott.

As an African American I love the fact that Wendell Scott was the first (and still only) black driver to win a race in NASCAR’s biggest series. That’s history that can never be taken away.

Does that make him a hall of famer? Not for one second.

In sports, being elected to the hall of fame is the ultimate reward for one’s career. People that are elected have distinguished themselves from others who participated in their sport.

The 2013 inductees are all accomplished figures that have attributed to NASCAR’s history.

Electing Wendell Scott for the third class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame would have discredited the achievement, because the end result (statistics) should overshadow everything else.

We all know the history of racial tension in the United States during the 1950’s and 1960’s.  Scott knew these challenges before he chose to enter into NASCAR, a southern breed sport.

It was an immeasurable hurdle for Scott during his tenure in NASCAR.

He was able to fend off many of the obstacles and he obtained 1 series win. The win was in Jacksonville, FL in 1961. Due to the racial apprehension plaguing the south, Scott wasn’t awarded the win that night.

Ironically it was newly elected, Buck Baker who was declared the winner, though the entire field was 2 laps down to Scott at the finish. NASCAR later credited Scott with the win.

What happened in 1961 was unfortunate, but it’s 2012 people. We can’t change the past.

Electing someone to the hall of fame should be based on the results they produced throughout their career. There is no place in a hall of fame where voting should be determined by remorse or regret.

Without the racial difficulties, Scott’s statistics alone are not worthy of being in the hall of fame.

All drivers struggled during the 50’s and 60’s because sponsors were hard to find, for Scott and white drivers.  

Scott wasn’t the only driver to struggle during this time so he shouldn’t stand out on a ballot because he was black and won a race. He should stand out for his results which were no more than average, if even that.

For those that voted for Scott or would vote for Scott, I am sure he will get in within the next few years. After all, he did make history.

History is important. But for me, a good hall of fame is about inducting people whose history helped shape the sport in a major way. Scott’s journey in NASCAR was big for the sport, but it didn’t shape it in any form or fashion.

I don’t say these things out of spite, but for a rare change, voters in North Carolina got something right.

The views expressed are those of the writer. Send your comments and follow me on Twitter, @Dontae_Allen