Childress inducted into North Carolina Sports Hall

WELCOME, N.C. -- Richard Childress Racing president and CEO Richard Childress was among the honorees at the 45th Induction Banquet for the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.

Childress

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 that is now 260 members strong.

"It was a very humbling experience and an honor for me to be nominated and inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame," Childress said. "Only in America can a kid with a dream to drive a racecar 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 longtime 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."

Others NASCAR members include Lee Petty (1966), Richard Petty (1973), Ned Jarrett (1990), Buck Baker (1992), Junior Johnson (1992), Herb Thomas (1992), Earnhardt (1994) and H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler (2004).

Inducted along with Childress were former Duke University athletic director Tom Butters, former Duke 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 men's basketball coach Roy Williams.