Mark Martin inducted into Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
Former longtime Sprint Cup Series driver Mark Martin was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in Detroit on Thursday night, joining a list of legends representing a variety of racing disciplines as a member of the Hall's 27th class.
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America honors achievement in all forms of motorized competition. The Hall's 99-person nominating panel itself reads like a "who's who" of racing, with stars such as Mario Andretti, Don Garlits, Craig Breedlove and Richard Petty involved in the process.
Martin made 882 starts in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series from 1981-2013, finishing second in points a record five times. Together, Martin and team owner Jack Roush won 35 Sprint Cup races, 41 XFINITY Series races and seven Camping World Truck Series races. After leaving Roush's team in 2006, the Batesville, Arkansas native drove for Dale Earnhardt Inc., Ginn Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Michael Waltrip Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing.
Martin finished his career with 40 Sprint Cup, 49 XFINITY and seven truck wins, along with a record five titles in the now-extinct International Race of Champions series.
Martin was joined by Ricky Carmichael, Walker Evans, Warren Johnson, Tommy Kendall, Duke Nalon and Lloyd Ruby as new inductees.
"I am overwhelmed by the news that I'm getting into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, especially with this 2015 class of inductees," Martin, who drove his final race in the 2013 Sprint Cup finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, said in January after being chosen for induction. "I have a lot of respect for each (of the other inductees)."
"This year's class truly reflects the wide range of American motorsports -- which has always been the foundation for our facility," said Ron Watson, president of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. "These gentlemen achieved success on two wheels and four, on dirt and pavement, on every kind of track -- plus off the road entirely."
Martin tweeted out a photo from Thursday night's event, where he was joined by Roush.
— Mark Martin (@markmartin) June 18, 2015
