After six decades of thrilling tens of millions, NASCAR joined the club of all major sports by constructing it's own prestigious hall of fame. And with this milestone, NASCAR announced that it tapped famed artist Stephen Holland to paint their inaugural class of inductees. 

Starting with "The King" Richard Petty

When Stephen Holland took his first step into the world of sports, he made the bold choice to start at the top. This led to his first official portrait of Muhammad Ali, and what followed was legendary. This clearly has been the pattern of his career ever since, and right up until now. As Holland's first painting off the line is with the driver they simply call the King...

For a painter, starting in a new territory can be truly intimidating. But starting with the very person who defines not just a game, but a way of life, that's a feat of fearlessness.

At this years Sprint Cup, the seven time NASCAR Champion and winner of two hundred races, held up his own Stephen Holland NASCAR Hall of Fame portrait. And in this one action, the statesman of American racing proclaimed in front of a crowd of 168,000 attending fans and over 16 million TV viewers, that NASCAR had finally found its artist laureate – Stephen Holland.