Hot Laps
comprise the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2017. The five-person group – the eighth since the inception of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010 – consists of Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick, Mark Martin, Raymond Parks and Benny Parsons. In addition, NA- SCAR announced that Martinsville Speedway founder H. Clay Earles won the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel met today in a closed session at the Charlotte Convention Center to debate and vote upon the 20 nominees for the induction class of 2017 and the five nominees for the Landmark Award.
NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France and NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton announced the class and Landmark Award winner, respectively, this evening in the NASCAR Hall of Fame’ s“ Great Hall.”
The Class of 2017 was determined by votes cast by the Voting Panel, including representatives from NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities and historic short tracks, media members, manufacturer representatives, retired competitors( drivers, owners, crew chiefs), recognized industry leaders, a nationwide fan vote conducted through NASCAR. COM and, for the third year, the reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion( Kyle Busch). In all, 54 votes were cast, with four additional Voting Panel members recused from voting as potential nominees for induction( Ricky Rudd, Robert Yates, Waddell Wilson and Ken Squier). The accounting firm of EY presided over the tabulation of the votes.
Voting was as follows: Benny Parsons( 85 %), Rick Hendrick( 62 %), Mark Martin( 57 %), Raymond Parks( 53 %) and Richard Childress( 43 %).
The next top vote-getters were Robert Yates, Red Byron and Alan Kulwicki.
Results for the NASCAR. COM Fan Vote, in alphabetical order, were Buddy Baker, Alan Kulwicki, Mark Martin, Benny Parsons and Larry Phillips.
The five inductees came from a group of 20 nominees that included, in addition to the five inductees chosen: Buddy Baker, Red Byron, Ray Evernham, Ray Fox, Ron Hornaday Jr., Harry Hyde, Alan Kulwicki, Hershel McGriff, Larry Phillips, Jack Roush, Ricky Rudd, Ken Squier, Mike Stefanik, Waddell Wilson and Robert Yates.
Nominees for the Landmark Award included Earles, Janet Guthrie, Raymond Parks, Ralph Seagraves and Ken Squier.
____________________________
HISTORICAL MARKER TO BE UNVEILED FOR USAC CHAMP LARRY RICE
Three-time USAC National champion Larry Rice will be honored Wednesday, May 4 with the unveiling of a historical marker acknowledging the late racing legend’ s life and career.
The public is invited to the ceremony which takes place at 2pm in Brownsburg, Indiana on the southwest corner of State Road 267 and Interstate 74, just north of the Bob Evans Restaurant. Rice captured the 1973 USAC National Midget championship as well as the 1977 and 1981 USAC Silver Crown titles. In his successful USAC racing career, Rice collected five Silver Crown, three National Sprint and 15 National Midget feature victories.
Rice passed away in May of 2009 after a bout with cancer at the age of 63.
This is the ninth of 19 markers to be completed by the Indiana Racing Memorial Association( IRMA) during Indiana’ s bicentennial celebration in 2016.
6 | American Racing News | Hot Laps