ESPN Classic - Earnhardt to be enshrined in 2006

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Earnhardt to be enshrined in 2006
Associated Press

Dale Earnhardt must wait five years for consideration by the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, like every other driver.

"He'll be eligible for induction in 2006, and he'll obviously get in on the first ballot," Hall of Fame executive director Jim Freeman said Tuesday. "But our feeling was that to waive the five-year rule would, in a sense, downgrade all the other people we made wait five years. It's not something we wanted to do."

The Hall of Fame is near Talladega, Ala., and honors drivers from all sides of racing, not just the stock car circuits. More than 80 drivers have been inducted into the Hall, which holds a ceremony each year to add new honorees.

Freeman received numerous calls asking that Earnhardt be enshrined immediately, given his stature as one of the top drivers in NASCAR history.

The Hall of Fame board met Monday to discuss the issue, and decided not to stray from its original guidelines.

Other sports have set aside Hall of Fame waiting periods occasionally, including for Roberto Clemente and Lou Gehrig in baseball and for Wayne Gretzky in hockey.

"The position we take is that Davey Allison waited five years, Ayrton Senna waited five years and Alan Kulwicki is still waiting," Freeman said, referring to three late star drivers. "We thought waiting until 2006 was appropriate."

The Motorsports Hall of Fame was among several places holding ceremonies to honor Earnhardt on Tuesday.