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NASCAR HALL-OF-FAME INDUCTION CEREMONYJanuary 30, 2015Bill ElliottRay EvernhamKasey KahneCHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA KASEY KAHNE: Growing up in Enumclaw, Washington, I rooted for a hard‑charging racer from Dawsonville, Georgia, a small city nearly 3,000 miles away from my house. I even convinced my dad to take me to Evergreen Speedway to watch Bill when I was only 10. Thirteen years later when I took over the 9 car on behalf of Bill, I realized why he was the sport's most popular driver a record 16 times. He is still the same genuine person today that helped me through my rookie season. And when I think about our final inductee of the night, one word perfectly sums up his career and the influence he had on me: Awesome. (Video shown.) Please welcome 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee and my racing hero, Bill Elliott. RAY EVERNHAM: It is now my honor on the 30th day of January, 2015, to present the NASCAR Hall of Fame ring and officially induct my buddy, Bill Elliott, into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. BILL ELLIOTT: Wow. You know, it's been such a long road, hard road. There's so many people to thank, so many things to do. I'd like to thank NASCAR, the France family, Lesa, Brian, your vision of taking your father and your grandfather to new heights of what the sport is today. It's just an honor to be here, guys. I mean, if you look on the walls here at the people that are already inducted into this great Hall of Fame, it's just incredible. When you sit here, I don't think I'll ever match Rex's speech. Darrell, I'm not going to take advice from you. I know you're good, but we'd need to do a little work there before the night is over. But back to the Hall of Fame, Winston Kelley, all your staff here has done a wonderful job. It's been a great couple of days here, and since the summer and the announcing the induction and what this ceremony is all about, it's fantastic. But you know, one thing I look at out here today, guys, is one common bond with all these racers, it's the hard work and the dedication all these guys had. I mean, for me to stand up here among the guys that's already been here, it's just totally incredible. Growing up in a small town in Dawsonville and thinking about it, dreaming about it, listening to the guys on the radio that carved the way, that paved the direction of where you needed to go and the things you needed to do, it's just incredible. And for me, for just a‑‑ at a young age I dreamed of doing this, and I knew as time went on, my dad was so involved in racing, he had such a love for the sport. I've always said he was such a Ford fanatic, if you cut him, he bled Ford blue. That's just the way the man was. He was just so involved. He helped so many local racers from the area. It was totally incredible. For Ernie and myself and my brothers to come along, Ernie and Dan and what they meant to us and the things that they did for us, I can't thank Ernie and Dan enough. You know, Dan‑‑ really Ernie was my mentor. Ernie was my hero as far as what he could do to a race car. I look at all these guys here on the rows, from driving with Richard to being able to drive for the years I did for Junior, the friendship I had with Bud Moore, Stevie and Darrell, with what they meant to me throughout the years. I know we had some tough goes at it, but it was a great ride, guys. Bobby Allison, I can't say enough about him. I never raced against Ned. Leonard, he was my always hero, watching him working with race cars‑‑ I could sit in the garage area and just go over and watch Leonard work on the famous Wood Brothers 21 car and just be in awe of what they could do and the things that they did. Just sitting here, and then you go on and you expand in life and meet the kind of people that you meet, Jim and Jan Knutson are a couple out of Brooklyn, Michigan, that were so involved‑‑ a little story. Ernie and I went up to Brooklyn, Michigan, to drive for Bill Champion back in 1976. We go to the speedway that day and do whatever, and after the stuff was over at the racetracks, we go into town in the little town of Brooklyn, Michigan, and there's a little shop there that sells a certain kind of motorcycle. Ernie and I drive back and we turned around and go back, and we go in the store and meet Jim and Jan Knutson and they were so down to earth and they were so special to me, it was unbelievable. And what they did for my career, was just a start of the people that I met and was so instrumental in where I went and as I continued on my through career. Through their friendship got me involved with Harry Melling. Mark Melling is here tonight and Harry was such a fine man. He meant so much to us and to our family and what he was able to do and take us to the next level, he believed in us and he believed in what we were doing, and I think that was the most special part of this whole career that I had throughout my part of what I did. And to me, I look at it, and it's just a small part of the things that I did throughout just through driving the race car. That was the little part. Then you continue on with Harry's involvement and what he did and what he brought to the table, and the man‑‑ I know Ernie and I, we drove up there one time in it had to be 1980 and we sat down in front of Harry and I probably said two words, and Ernie did all the talking, and we presented this little deal to him about, hey, we want to go race 12 races in 1981, and Harry looked at us and said, hey, we'll go do that, and he believed in us. He sponsored us that year, then came on in '82, bought our little race team. We had two cars.  My dad had scraped the money to put together to do what we needed to do, and that was a very special time in my life. And Harry came along and said, look, we'll help you get to the next level, and he believed in us, and that's the type of relationships that you can't buy, that you can't put a price tag on as you continue through your career. And after Melling, I drove‑‑ we did our little deal, I drove for Junior for three years and that was a fantastic ride. We had some good races, we had some bad times, you know we struggled through a lot of things and we did some things that we shouldn't have done. You look at the people that were instrumental, I know Peter Coors was involved with us through the 80 era and I was with Budweiser for three years with Junior, and then I left Junior and I thought I was so smart I was going to start my own race team. That didn't work out too well. I did the McDonald's deal for six years, and that was quite a struggle, quite a part of my life that was so different. You look at it and you say, well, it's just something that you learned. Then Ray came along. I'll never forget the time Ray came up and I heard in the garage area that Ray Evernham was looking for me. It was at Loudon, New Hampshire. I thought, why is Ray looking for Bill Elliott. That's crazy. So I walk in the hauler and Ray takes me off to the side and he said, I want to bring Dodge back in. I want you to drive my race car, and I'm thinking, you said what? And it's like, I couldn't believe this. And Ray really brought me back to the next level. It seems like the things that I lost in the late '90s, Ray brought me back to where I needed to be, and to be able to win races and be competitive and be the part of what I remember racing was all about, and really bringing the fun back into it. Then after that, I went to the Wood Brothers, Len and Eddie called me one day and said, hey, we'd like to you to come pilot the 21 car, and that's the pinnacle of everything. Being with Leonard, being with Len and Eddie and what they had done for the sport was beyond belief, and the years that I cherished what I did for those guys. The other thing is just thank the fans. You look at everybody that's here tonight and all the hard work that everybody did, it's just unbelievable. One other thing I've got to say. I've got a lot of my crew that was so much a part of my career throughout my life sitting over here, and I just‑‑ it's such a relief to see those guys come in. They meant so much. They worked so hard for Bill Elliott, Ernie Elliott, Dan Elliott, George Elliott, it's unbelievable, and they sacrificed so much for me to be here tonight. And as Grady Turner said, it's just something that puts everything in perspective. It's just a dream come true for me. But like I said, thank you, guys. Thanks to NASCAR, thanks to the Hall of Fame. It's been a great ride, and I've enjoyed every minute of it. Thank you, guys. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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