The visiting Grand Marshal for the 43rd annual Mountain Moonshine Festival was inducted into the 2011 NASCAR Hall of Fame last week.
Three-time NASCAR champion David Pearson was selected Oct. 13 by members of the hall of fame voting panel and a nationwide fan vote conducted through the association’s Web site.
Pearson will be in Dawsonville this weekend to serve in the capacity of Grand Marshal. He will lead the annual parade that kicks off the festival.
Pearson said “it felt good to be chosen” by the fans and nominating committee for the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing.
According to a press release from NASCAR, hundreds of thousands of fans submitted votes online to help choose the inductees into the hall of fame.
Also inducted were Bobby Allison, Lee Petty, Ned Jarrett and Bud Moore.
Pearson received the highest number of votes, with 94 percent.
His career included a total of 105 victories — second on the list behind Richard Petty.
He won titles in 1966, 1968 and 1969. He also won the sport’s biggest event, the Daytona 500 in 1976. In 1998, he was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers.
For more information, visit www.nascarhall.com.