NASCAR's original trophies in good hands with Parks

History was under wraps at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday morning, hidden behind colorful terrycloth bath towels and tied together with plastic police barrier tape. That's how the championship trophies from NASCAR's first two seasons were transported to the track.

The Hall of Fame will bring NASCAR's history to life and preserves that history in the appropriate environments. The facility will allow fans to have the opportunity to relive the sport's greatest moments.

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Hockey's Stanley Cup travels in its own protective steel case, handled by assistants who wear spotless white gloves. The same goes for the NFL's Vince Lombardi Trophy and baseball's Commissioner's Trophy. The 1948 NASCAR Modified and 1949 NASCAR Strictly Stock trophies might be envious, if bronze had feelings. But then again, they don't get out much.

For the past six decades, the two symbols of NASCAR's very beginnings have been lovingly cared for by their owner, 94-year-old Raymond Parks, who owned the cars Red Byron drove to consecutive championships.

"They've always been in Raymond's office," said Violet Parks, Raymond's wife.

Parks still visits his office on Northside Drive in Atlanta on a regular basis, and as the trophies are a reminder of a NASCAR era long since gone, the liquor store on the corner is the last vestige of his once-vast real estate holdings.

"I didn't get to know Raymond until 1979," Vi Parks said. "I don't go back to that history, but he has always been very protective of those trophies. 'No, you can't touch those.' We had a fire in 2002 and all the newspaper people and radio people came up there to make sure those trophies were safe. It was a big deal." (Continued)