Other inductees
included UNC’s Roy
Williams and
Globetrotter Fred
“Curly” Neal
WELCOME, N.C. (May 16,
2008) --
Richard Childress Racing
(RCR) president and CEO
Richard Childress and
six others were honored
in Raleigh last night at
the 45th
Induction Banquet for
the North Carolina
Sports Hall of Fame.
The evening’s event,
which took place at the
North Raleigh Hilton,
was a who’s who of some
of the greatest sports
figures in North
Carolina history. Those
inducted in addition to
Childress, who was the
258th
inductee of the now
260-member group, were
former Duke University
Athletic Director Tom
Butters, former Duke
University quarterback
Leo Hart, sportswriter
and promoter Bill
Hensley, former UNC and
NFL offensive lineman
Ken Huff, former
Guilford College men’s
golf and basketball
coach Jack Jensen,
legendary former Harlem
Globetrotter Fred
“Curly” Neal, and
current University of
North Carolina, Chapel
Hill men’s basketball
head coach Roy Williams.
“It was a very humbling
experience and an honor
for me to be nominated
and inducted into the
North Carolina Sports
Hall of Fame,” said
Childress. “Only in
America can a kid with a
dream to drive a race
car be fortunate enough
to be inducted into the
hall of fame of his home
state. I’d be remiss if
I didn’t give Dale
Earnhardt a lot of
credit for my induction.
I also have to thank all
of the long-time team
members at RCR and the
current team members who
are keeping the RCR
heritage strong. Racing
is a team sport and I’ve
been fortunate to have
been able to surround
myself over the years
with people who are
committed to success.”
Childress, an 11-time
NASCAR
championship-winning
team owner, including
six Cup Series titles
with the legendary Dale
Earnhardt (1986-87,
’90-’91, ’93-’94), is
the ninth member of the
motorsports fraternity
to be honored by the
North Carolina Sports
Hall of Fame. The others
include Lee Petty
(1966), Richard Petty
(1973), Ned Jarrett
(1990), Buck Baker
(1992), Junior Johnson
(1992), Herb Thomas
(1992), Dale Earnhardt
(1994), and H.A. “Humpy”
Wheeler (2004).
About Richard Childress
Racing
Richard Childress Racing
(www.rcrracing.com)
has earned more than 180
victories and 11 NASCAR
championships, including
the 2007 NASCAR
Nationwide Series
owners’ point title and
six in the Cup Series
with the legendary Dale
Earnhardt. It was the
first organization to
win championships in the
Cup Series, Nationwide
Series and Truck Series.
Its 2008 Cup Series
lineup includes Clint
Bowyer (No. 07 Jack
Daniel’s), Kevin Harvick
(No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil)
and Jeff Burton (No. 31
AT&T). Its Nationwide
Series lineup includes
Bowyer (No. 2 BB&T),
Bobby Labonte and
Stephen Leicht (No. 21
Chevrolet) and Burton
and Scott Wimmer (No. 29
Holiday Inn/Holiday Inn
Express).
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