Fame Game

They extended a different finger in Atlanta.

NASCAR's Hall of Fame jerk-around junket mercifully ended with the obvious choice of Charlotte. (What, you thought Kansas City had a chance? Officials only stopped there for the free ribs.) So while the NASCAR columnists who know more about pre-race buffets than pre-race track conditions debate who should be in the first class—Richard Petty should be in on mustache achievement alone—here is what the active drivers need to do to secure their place among the greats.

Jeff Gordon
Of all the current drivers, only Jeff Gordon is a sure thing. In today's racing environment, his 73 wins and four titles are nearly as impressive as Petty's 200 wins and seven titles. He wins on short tracks, intermediates, superspeedways, and road courses. In fact, he's so perfect, I am required by law to hate him.

Mark Martin
NASCAR's depressing bridesmaid has settled for second place four times, and while Martin still ranks in the top 20 in all-time wins, his lack of a championship is glaring. A strong title run this year probably seals his spot in the Hall, while another runner-up trophy will make Phil Mickelson look like the greatest winner of his era in comparison.

Kurt Busch
Busch's sunny-as-crabs disposition won't catch him any breaks, but if he wins at least two more championships, he'll force NASCAR officials to induct him anyway. If he remains a borderline case, NASCAR will treat him with the same respect the Baseball Hall of Fame treats Pete Rose.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Like Jeff Gordon, Earnhardt Jr. is probably a lock for the Hall—but not because his three Top 10s in six years are Hall of Fame–worthy. NASCAR isn't stupid—it all comes down to the thousands of red-clad fanatics in the stands. It knows Junior's induction ceremony will be one of the best attended in history—even though he will never win a title. (Leave all the hate messages you want at the end of the blog—it won't change the fact that Driver No. 8 is the most overrated on the circuit).

Dale Jarrett
From 1996–2002, Jarrett racked up seven Top 10 finishes and a championship—a pretty impressive six-year run, but not enough. A Hall of Famer should be able to point to a decade and say, "I dominated." Richard Petty can say that. Dale Earnhardt can say that. Jeff Gordon can say that. The only thing Jarrett dominates is the shuffleboard tournament at the Boca Raton retirement center.

Tony Stewart
If he retired tomorrow, would he deserve to be in the Hall of Fame? Two championships and seven straight Top 10 finishes say yes. He needs a few more seasons, however, to be a sure thing. If Fat Tony needs any extra motivation to keep racing hard, I hear the Hall of Fame dinner is all-you-can-eat.