Parks collection a boost for hall

Legendary car owner Raymond Parks will donate his collection of trophies and other memorabilia to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, scheduled to open next May in uptown Charlotte.

The collection includes two iconic items, the 1948 modified series championship trophy emblematic of the very first NASCAR-sponsored championship and the trophy from Red Byron's 1949 championship in the inaugural season for Strictly Stock cars - the series now known as Sprint Cup.

Now 94, Parks was one of racing's first successful car owners. From his base in Atlanta he fielded cars driven by such drivers as Roy Hall and Lloyd Seay before NASCAR was even formed.

Parks and his wife, Vi, were on hand Saturday for the announcement at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Bill France Sr., recognized as NASCAR's founder, raced in cars owned by Parks. One of the trophies in the donated collection, in fact, is from a 1940 race on Daytona Beach won by France.

"This is one of the most amazing and valued collections we could have envisioned," said Winston Kelley, executive director of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. "Raymond Parks is a genuine legend of this sport.

"It is both an honor and humbling to be entrusted with a collection such as Mr. Parks' and be able to share it with the millions of NASCAR fans. We pledge to treat and preserve it with the respect and care that it deserves."

Another of the trophies being donated is from a 1938 race at Georgia's historic Lakewood Speedway. Seay was the winning driver and it was Parks' first win as a car owner.

"Clearly, we believe this generous gift is priceless," said Buz McKim, the hall's historian. "Obtaining the first championship trophy is akin to having the trophy from Major League Baseball's first World Series championship in 1903. We are honored and thrilled."