Five added to NASCAR HOF nominees

The NASCAR Hall of Fame has added five new people to the list of 25 nominees under consideration for the 2012 class.

The new additions are Martinsville Speedway founder H. Clay Earles, 1970 champion Bobby Isaac, 1966 championship owner Cotton Owens, former NASCAR executive Les Richter, and Wood Brothers co-owner Leonard Wood.

Richter was elected to the NFL Hall of Fame in February. He moved to motorsports after his football career, first as president of Riverside International Raceway and then as a NASCAR executive.

The other 20 nominees for the Hall of Fame returned from last year's list. The nominees are picked by a 21-person committee.

The third induction class will be selected in June by a 54-member panel, plus a fan vote selected on NASCAR.com.