Five inductees for its first class will be selected by a voting panel made up of NASCAR members, manufacturer representatives, former competitors, the media and fans.
Voting ends Sept. 15, with the results announced in October and the finalists honored next May when the hall is scheduled to open in Charlotte.
Among other finalists, announced Thursday night in Charlotte are drivers Dale Earnhardt, Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison, owners Richard Childress and Rick Hendrick and former NASCAR president Bill France Jr.
Lee Petty was the first Daytona 500 winner in 1959, was a three-time points champion before retiring in 1964.
Richard Petty, the owner of Richard Petty Motorsports, won 200 races, 123 poles and tied for most championships (seven).
France, NASCAR's second president after his father, William, died in June 2007 at the age of 74.
Copyright 2009 by United Press International
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