25 Hall of Fame nominees unveiled for inaugural class (cont'd)

Richie Evans
The recognized "king" of Modified racing, Evans captured nine NASCAR Modified titles in a 13-year span, including eight in a row from 1978-85.

In the first year of the current NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour format in 1985, Evans won 12 races, including a sweep of all four events at Thompson, Conn.

Nicknamed "The Rapid Roman," his career accomplishments included multiple track championships across the Northeast and hundreds of victories including a 37-win season during a stretch of 60 Modified races in 1979.

Evans, who was fatally injured on Oct. 24, 1985, during a practice crash at Martinsville Speedway, ranked No. 1 in the 2003 voting of the "NASCAR All-Time Modified Top 10 Drivers."

He also was named one of NASCAR's "50 Greatest Drivers" in 1998.

Tim Flock
A two-time series champion of the Cup Series, Flock was one of the sport's first dominant drivers.

Flock had 39 victories in only 187 starts. His victory total still ranks 16th all time. Flock won his first series title in 1952 while driving Ted Chester's Hudson Hornet. He had eight wins and 22 top-five finishes in 33 starts.

Flock won his second series title in 1955 while driving Carl Kiekhaefer's Chrysler. He dominated that season, posting 18 wins and 32 top-fives in 39 races. Flock's 18 wins stood as a single-season victory record until Richard Petty surpassed it with 27 wins in 1967.

In addition, Flock won NASCAR's only sports car race, in 1955, driving a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL.

The entire Flock family raced at times during NASCAR's formative years. In 1949, brothers Bob and Fonty and sister Ethel joined Tim to become the only four siblings to drive in the same Cup Series race.

Flock, who died on March 31, 1998, was named one of NASCAR's "50 Greatest Drivers" that same year.

• 'Super teams' have been around since the beginning

Bill France Jr.
William Clifton France is remembered -- and revered -- as the man who followed his visionary father at NASCAR's helm, in the process becoming a visionary himself, as he guided the sport to unprecedented levels of popularity.

He combined pragmatism with optimism, an approach that resulted in a calculated -- and adventurous -- road to success.

France, who died in June 2007 at the age of 74, grew up in the formative years of stock-car racing, living and learning every detail of the sport from his own experiences, and those of his father William H. G. France.

Bill France became NASCAR's president in January 1972, replacing his father and becoming only the second president of the world's largest auto racing sanctioning body. His emergence coincided with the sport's emergence, and its eventual ascent to become America's No. 1 form of motorsports and the nation's second-most popular sport overall.

France, often referred to as "Bill Jr.," remained president until November 2000, when Mike Helton took over the position. At that time, France announced the formation of a NASCAR board of directors on which he served as chairman and CEO until October 2003 when he was replaced by his son, Brian Z. France. After that, he continued to serve the sport for the remainder of his life as NASCAR vice chairman.

• Remembering Bill France Jr.

William H. G. France | Video Highlights
William Henry Getty France was called "Big Bill," and only partly because of his 6-foot-5 stature. He was larger than life it seemed, during the years of founding, then building, a sport. In the years since his 1992 death, his legend has grown, along with that sport.

France spearheaded NASCAR from its beginning and directed it to its present status as the world's largest stock car racing organization. Born in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 26, 1909, he came to Daytona Beach, Fla. in the 1930s.

In 1936 he helped lay out the first beach/road course in Daytona Beach; in the first race on the course he finished fifth. Starting in 1938, he helped promote races on the sands of Daytona Beach. That endeavor was interrupted by World War II but resumed in 1946.

In 1947 France became the driving force behind the establishment of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. NASCAR, it was called, resulting from a famous meeting at the Streamline Hotel on A1A in Daytona Beach -- a structure that stands to this day, as a racing landmark.

In January 1972, France stepped down as president of NASCAR and handed the reins to his son William C. France. The elder France continued to be a consultant for a number of years, in addition to serving as ISC chairman/president.

"Big Bill" France passed away in June 1992. He left behind a lasting legacy.

He remains larger than life -- still.

• Points system birth more elaborate than a napkin

Rick Hendrick
The founder and owner of Hendrick Motorsports, Rick Hendrick recently celebrated his 25th anniversary as a team owner. His organization is recognized as one of NASCAR's most successful. A longtime racing enthusiast and driver himself, Hendrick owned a championship drag racing boat team before founding "All-Star Racing," the team that would evolve into Hendrick Motorsports, in 1984. Hendrick's current Cup Series stable includes drivers Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin.

Hendrick Motorsports owns eight Cup Series car owner championships titles -- four with Gordon, three with Johnson and one with Terry Labonte. Hendrick also has 11 total NASCAR national-series, car-owner championships, tied with Richard Childress for the most in history. Gordon and Labonte combined to win an unprecedented four consecutive titles from 1995-98. Gordon's four titles rank third on NASCAR's all-time list.

Some of NASCAR's most prominent drivers have driven for Hendrick. Geoffrey Bodine was the first, snaring the organization's first victory on April 29, 1984, at Martinsville Speedway. The late Tim Richmond, three-time series champion Darrell Waltrip and the late Benny Parsons, the 1973 series champion, also are Hendrick alumni. Ricky Craven, Ricky Rudd, Ken Schrader, Joe Nemechek and Kyle Busch are other well-known drivers who have driven for Hendrick.

Off-track, Hendrick is active in promoting awareness for leukemia research. He successfully battled the disease in 1996, establishing the Hendrick Marrow Program in 1997 to aid patients nationwide suffering from leukemia and 70 other blood diseases.

• Martinsville where it began 25 years ago for Hendrick (Continued)