Jeff Burton
A native of South Boston, Virginia Jeff Burton has never served as mayor of his hometown; however that did not stop him from earning that nickname on NASCAR’s highest circuit. Burton got his start racing go-karts on rural tracks in…
Joseph “Lil Joe” Weatherly
Joe Herbert Weatherly attended Norview Elementary, James Madison, and Maury High School in Norfolk and at the age of fifteen acquired his first motorcycle. On December 12, 1942, Weatherly, who had been employed by Pepsi Cola in Winston-Salem, N.C. as…
Glen & Leonard Wood
Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest continuously operating team in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup competition, with 97 series wins including 72 on super speedways and 12 victories at Daytona. But, it all started in Buffalo Ridge, Virginia in 1949 with…
Ray Hendrick
Ray Hendrick, native of Richmond, VA, was known as “Mr. Modified” during his 36-year career in motorsports. He passed away at the age of 61 in 1990. During his career, he collected more than 700 victories in modified racing, NASCAR…
Wendell Scott
Wendell Scott of Danville, Virginia was the first black man to compete in the all-white sport of stock car racing in 1952. Despite the prejudices and hardships he faced, he eventually earned the respect and admiration of many. He was…
Curtis Morton “Pops” Turner
Curtis Morton "Pops" Turner was born April 12, 1924, in Floyd, Virginia. He was a lumberman by trade, and one of the greatest drivers and showmen in stock car racing. He officially started his racing career in 1946 after leaving…
Ricky Rudd
Our next inductee, a Norfolk County (now Chesapeake) native, began his racing career at age nine on local go-kart tracks, and progressed to motorcross as a teenager. In fact, he did not climb behind the wheel of a stock car…
Paul Sawyer
One of the founding fathers of modern day NASCAR, Paul Sawyer is recognized as a guiding force behind the emergence of America’s fastest growing sport. A dream that began in a garage in Norfolk would eventually propel this Virginia native…