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Sprint Cup
CUP: Q&A — Winston Kelley
Winston Kelley is the executive director of the NASCAR Hall of Fame....
NASCAR Hall of Fame executive director Winston Kelley stands by at Wednesday's gathering in Charlotte, N.C., where the next five members of the NHoF were announced. (Photo: Getty Images)
If there was anyone as happy Wednesday as the five NASCAR Hall of Fame 2011 inductees, it was Winston Kelley, the executive director of the Uptown Charlotte facility,
Kelley isn’t just someone who runs the NASCAR Hall of Fame, he’s someone who is passionate about the sport of stock-car racing, a sport he’s been around for most of his live.
He is the son of Earl Kelley, who served as a public relations director for the Charlotte Motor Speedway and was also a pioneer public address announcer and member of the Universal Racing Network broadcast team.
Since 1988, Winston Kelley has worked with the Motor Racing Network radio broadcasting team and currently serves as MRN’s lead pit reporter.
SPEED.com caught up with Kelley moments after Bobby Allison, Ned Jarrett, Bud Moore, David Pearson and Lee Petty were announced as the five members of the 2011 NASCAR Hall of Fame class.
What do you think of this year’s class?
I think it’s a great class. We had so much discussion. And you couldn’t go wrong with the five names you had, whether you were a fan or whether you’re in the voting council. All 25 (nominees) deserve to go in.
Were you surprised by the selection?
I think the only one that everyone expected was David. And I think there are some surprises for people, and I’m thrilled for every single one of them. I’m thrilled for Bobby, Ned, Bud, the Petty family. And David — I think a lot of us thought he should have gone in last year.
I was thrilled to see the standing ovation for David. I think that showed the appreciation and the respect. To see D.J. (Dale Jarrett) go give his dad a hug — it was a real emotional day.
How big was this for you?
Bobby and I were talking earlier. I don’t care who gets in the pro football hall of fame. I follow the sport, but these (NASCAR people) aren’t just people I work with, they’re friends. Of course, there were some name that weren’t on that list that you want to be on it, because they’re friends, too, and they’re deserving.
But it is emotional because to see the looks on their faces, that is cool.
Should there be more than five people per class, especially in the first few years?
In my opinion — and NASCAR is responsible for the process — and I don’t say that to shirk the responsibility, I say that because I like what they have done and I want to give them credit. In my opinion, it’s a great process and the right number.
It would have been easy today if we could put 10 in at a time. It would be have been easy last year if we could have put 6 names in. But if you put too many people in too soon, you start running out of people who are deserving hall of famers and then you start putting in people who contributed to the sport but who weren’t hall of famers.
And there are a lot of people who contributed to this sport who aren’t hall of famers — whether it’s drivers, or whatever. But I think it’s a tough process and it should be a tough process.
Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief of SPEED.com, Senior NASCAR Editor at RACER and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. You can follow him online at twitter.com/tomjensen100 and e-mail him at Jensen is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of Speed,” and has appeared on numerous television and radio shows. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association and an NMPA Writer of the Year.
Kelley isn’t just someone who runs the NASCAR Hall of Fame, he’s someone who is passionate about the sport of stock-car racing, a sport he’s been around for most of his live.
He is the son of Earl Kelley, who served as a public relations director for the Charlotte Motor Speedway and was also a pioneer public address announcer and member of the Universal Racing Network broadcast team.
Since 1988, Winston Kelley has worked with the Motor Racing Network radio broadcasting team and currently serves as MRN’s lead pit reporter.
SPEED.com caught up with Kelley moments after Bobby Allison, Ned Jarrett, Bud Moore, David Pearson and Lee Petty were announced as the five members of the 2011 NASCAR Hall of Fame class.
What do you think of this year’s class?
I think it’s a great class. We had so much discussion. And you couldn’t go wrong with the five names you had, whether you were a fan or whether you’re in the voting council. All 25 (nominees) deserve to go in.
Were you surprised by the selection?
I think the only one that everyone expected was David. And I think there are some surprises for people, and I’m thrilled for every single one of them. I’m thrilled for Bobby, Ned, Bud, the Petty family. And David — I think a lot of us thought he should have gone in last year.
I was thrilled to see the standing ovation for David. I think that showed the appreciation and the respect. To see D.J. (Dale Jarrett) go give his dad a hug — it was a real emotional day.
How big was this for you?
Bobby and I were talking earlier. I don’t care who gets in the pro football hall of fame. I follow the sport, but these (NASCAR people) aren’t just people I work with, they’re friends. Of course, there were some name that weren’t on that list that you want to be on it, because they’re friends, too, and they’re deserving.
But it is emotional because to see the looks on their faces, that is cool.
Should there be more than five people per class, especially in the first few years?
In my opinion — and NASCAR is responsible for the process — and I don’t say that to shirk the responsibility, I say that because I like what they have done and I want to give them credit. In my opinion, it’s a great process and the right number.
It would have been easy today if we could put 10 in at a time. It would be have been easy last year if we could have put 6 names in. But if you put too many people in too soon, you start running out of people who are deserving hall of famers and then you start putting in people who contributed to the sport but who weren’t hall of famers.
And there are a lot of people who contributed to this sport who aren’t hall of famers — whether it’s drivers, or whatever. But I think it’s a tough process and it should be a tough process.
Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief of SPEED.com, Senior NASCAR Editor at RACER and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. You can follow him online at twitter.com/tomjensen100 and e-mail him at Jensen is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of Speed,” and has appeared on numerous television and radio shows. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association and an NMPA Writer of the Year.
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