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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 .
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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 .
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