The NASCAR Hall of Fame Class was announced Wednesday in uptown Charlotte by NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France.
Leading all nominees was 1973 NASCAR champion Benny Parsons. Parsons, who co-hosted PRN's Fast Talk from 1994 until 2007, was on 85-percent of Hall of Fame ballots. Parsons was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998, and was a fixture on NASCAR broadcasts until his death in 2007.
Team owner Rick Hendrick received the second-most votes from the panel. Hendrick's teams have combined for 240 victories in NASCAR, to go along with 11 premier series championships. Hendrick was on 62-percent of ballots.
Mark Martin will join the Class of 2017 after appearing on 57-percent of ballots. Martin won 40 premier series races in NASCAR, and earned 56 career poles. While he never won a championship at NASCAR's top level, Martin finished second in the standings five times. Martin also has 49 career Xfinity Series victories, holding the series win record for 14 years.
Pioneer car owner Raymond Parks is one of stock car racing's earliest and most successful team owners. Parks' team won the very first NASCAR championship in 1949 with Red Byron behind the wheel. As an owner, Parks accumulated two premier series wins and two poles in 18 starts.
Legendary drivers Fonty Flock, Curtis Turner, and Bob Flock are among those who raced for Parks.
Richard Childress wraps up the 2017 NASCAR Hall of Fame class. Since starting out as an owner/driver in NASCAR's top series in 1969, Childress has visited victory lane 105 times and has 11 total NASCAR championships. Combined with NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Dale Earnhardt, Childress amassed 67 victories and six top series championships from 1984-2000.