NASCAR has named NC Sports Hall of Fame members Dale Earnhardt, Junior Johnson and Richard Petty to the inaugural class of its hall of fame.  Bill France, Sr. and Bill France, Jr., from NASCAR's founding family, are the other two members of the first group of inductees.

The class of 2010 will be inducted at a May 23 ceremony at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in uptown Charlotte, two weeks after the 150,000-square-foot facility is slated to open.

The group was chosen by a mix of NASCAR officials, retired drivers, track owners, team owners and crew chiefs.

Bill France Sr. started the stock car organization in 1947 that his grandson now oversees. Johnson, Petty and Earnhardt were drivers.

More than 670,000 racing fans submitted online votes. The fans voted Petty, Earnhardt, France Sr., Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison as their top five.