CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The NASCAR Hall of Fame welcomed its most diverse class to date Friday night, when Dale Inman opened the ceremony as the first crew chief to be inducted.

Inman was introduced by seven-time NASCAR champion Richard Petty, a member of the first Hall of Fame class. Inman crew chiefed Petty to all his titles, and won an eighth with Terry Labonte.

“Neither one of us was that mechanically inclined. We just sort of learned as we went,” said Petty of his cousin Inman. “Way back when, there wasn’t no such thing as a crew chief. They had mechanics, crew mechanics, whatever they wanted to call them, and Dale was basically the first one. He’s the one that basically started the crew chief operation.”

Petty then rattled off a list of prominent NASCAR crew chiefs and mechanics – including current NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton – who all learned the trade from Inman.

Also in the third Hall of Fame class was pioneer team owner Glen Wood, modified driver Richie Evans and three-time champions Darrell Waltrip and Cale Yarborough. Evans was killed in a 1985 accident at Martinsville.

NASCAR chairman Brian France presented the four living inductees with Hall of Fame jackets prior to the ceremony, and Waltrip grew emotional as soon as he got on stage. So excited to be voted into the Hall, Waltrip raced onto the stage the day the class was announced and kissed France.