The importance of the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall

Later tonight, NASCAR will unveil the 25 names eligible for induction in the inaugural class of its soon-to-open Hall of Fame. It will be prestigious just to be named to the initial list, and most (if not all) who are on it will eventually be enshrined.

But how about those first five? NASCAR will announce those soon, and those five will set the standard for the future of the Hall. The inaugural class says a lot about the titans of a sport. Take a look at the inaugural classes of some other major sports:

Baseball: Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson. These inductees ranged from superlative pitchers to incomparable hitters to, allegedly, horrible human beings, which makes baseball's rationale for keeping other players out harder to stomach.

Football: 17 players, coaches and owners, including Sammy Baugh, Red Grange, George Halas, Curly Lambeau and the incomparably named Bronko Nagurski. With so many disparate elements to a football team, the Hall has to range far and wide to collect a representative sample.

Basketball: 16 players, coaches, owners, creators and referees (!), including Dr. James Naismith, creator of the game; George Mikan, Amos Alonzo Stagg and the barnstorming "Original Celtics." The sport is so far-reaching, the Hall has to be inclusionary rather than exclusionary.

So what, then, should NASCAR recognize as its inaugural class? Here's my vote:

Bill France Sr.: Creator -- with some assistance, granted -- of NASCAR as an entity. Responsible for the foundations of the sport and innovations that continue to dominate conversation to this day.

Richard Petty: The winningest driver at NASCAR's highest level, an unparalleled legend who represents the very best of the sport.

Dale Earnhardt: The icon, still the face of the sport to millions almost a decade after his death. The reason NASCAR grew from being a regional curiosity to a national phenomenon.

David Pearson: Petty's most frequent (and, often, hated) rival, a man who would have been immortal if he hadn't been born in the time of the King.

Junior Johnson: Not just one of the finest drivers in the sport's history, a direct link to its bootlegging origins. Naming Junior to the Hall of Fame would go a long way to legitimizing (or at least excusing) his illegal alcohol runs. But man, the guy can drive.

NASCAR would not be what it is today without the lifelong dedication of these five men, and it's only fitting that NASCAR recognize them in its inaugural class.

Now, it's your turn. Who else belongs in this august company? Make your case below!