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NASCAR HALL-OF-FAME INDUCTION CEREMONYJanuary 20, 2017Richard ChildressJudy ChildressTy DillonAustin DillonCharlotte, North Carolina AUSTIN DILLON: My brother and I are so proud and honored to introduce Pop Pop. There are countless family stories I could share of his true grit, persistence, determination, and love for others. One thing I want to get across is something I hear all the time at the track: A very familiar question is when is RC going to slow down? His answer is always the same, no matter how he's feeling. I have more to accomplish. I'm tough, or we need to win. TY DILLON: I do not believe my grandfather will ever stop pursuing his passion. He will continue to live his life, fighting to keep this ground which we stand on tonight the best in the world. He will always keep going to the track because that is what he loves to do, but most of all, he loves his family. (Video shown.) AUSTIN DILLON: It is now our honor or this 20th day of January, 2017, to present the NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee ring and officially induct Richard Childress into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. RICHARD CHILDRESS: Thank you. How great is that, to have your wife and your two grandsons to induct you into the NASCAR Hall of Fame? Proud of you two guys. I am honored to go into the NASCAR Hall of Fame with my heroes. Just look around this wall and look at the greats that we'll be going in the Hall of Fame with. Unbelievable. And to go in the Class of 2017 with so many great inductees is quite an honor. Raymond Parks, a pioneer car owner, who paved the way for owners like Rick Hendrick and myself; Benny Parsons, a great driver and a champion; Mark Martin, you deserve to be in the Hall of Fame, buddy. You can win at anything. And Rick Hendrick, my friend, what an honor to go in this Hall of Fame with you. You're a champion. You did so much for this sport. It's an honor to go in with you. Thank you. Congratulations to all of the inductees tonight. I'd like to start out by saying only in America. Only in America could a kid selling peanuts and popcorn at Bowman Gray Stadium have a dream of becoming a race driver some day, and then he goes out and buys him an old '47 Plymouth, pays $20 for it, that was the best investment I ever made, and have a dream of being a NASCAR driver some day, be standing up here tonight to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Only in America. What a great country we live in. When I was asked, what do you want to put in the NASCAR Hall of Fame museum, I said, I'd like to put a 10‑foot by 20‑foot granite wall with thousands of names etched in it that's helped me all along the way to get here tonight. I can't thank you all, but I want to put you on a great granite wall to where I can thank you for getting us up here. But on that granite wall, the first thing would be my family. My wife Judy, my daughter Tina, my son‑in‑law, Mike Dillon, grandson Ty and his wife Haley, she's here tonight. Grandson Austin and his fiancĂ©, Whitney Ward. I couldn't have done it without you all's support. We are a NASCAR racing family. Also on that wall would be the sponsors. They've helped build RCR along the way. I've built some great relationships and some great friendships along the way. Some have been with us for over 20 years, Chevrolet for 47 or 48. You know, Jim Campbell, Mark Reuss, are here tonight with Chevrolet. Thank you for all your support. Johnny Morris, thank you, with Bass Pro Shops, for all your support. Bill Jordan, Team Realtree, Ben Rilings with Coca‑Cola, I remember taking that car in the '90s with Dale and Dale Jr. and introducing it with Coca‑Cola on it. And we also have Michael Gaughan, a good friend of mine, South Point Hotels and Casinos, John Menard with the Menard's stores, and Doug Oberhelman with Caterpillar and J. R. Jones with Rheem. They have been with us for years. Also tonight we have our new partners carrying RCR to the next level. I'm so proud of them. Dow, Grainger, VF Imagewear, AAA, and American Ethanol. I will always be grateful for your support and for your support in the coming years. Also on that wall would be the drivers, drivers like Ricky Rudd, Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick. He was there when we needed him. Mike Skinner, Robby Gordon and Clint Bowyer, just to name a few. Also tonight, we have some of our current drivers here. We have Paul Menard. Paul, one of my favorite wins was winning Indy and watching your family and being with your family up there. That was awesome. Ryan Newman, Austin and Ty Dillon, Brandon Jones, and Brandon Gaughan. I couldn't have been here without you. They tell me we had 68 drivers over these 47 years. But there's one driver in particular, Dale Earnhardt. I wouldn't be standing here tonight without him. He was a great friend and a huge loss to all of us and to our sport. I knew Dale for over 25 years. We spent 18 seasons together racing. I have so many great memories. Winning our first championship, winning the Daytona 500, Indy, and many more. He is a seven‑time NASCAR champion. But most of all, he's a champion to all of his fans, his friends and his family. I've got so many Dale stories, I was asked to tell a Dale story. The only one I can think of that really stands out, it's the first time I met Dale and we were racing. We were racing down at Metro Atlanta Speedway on the Grand National race that Ned Jarrett put together that day, and was coming into Turn 3, Cale Yarborough and myself was racing for the win, and we got together going into Turn 3. I made it back around and won the race. After the race we was standing there having us a few cool ones, Dale was there, and in his ol' Dale Earnhardt style, he walked over, poked me in the chest, and he said, next time I race with you, I will win. What history never knew from that day. Great times. That's where our friendship began and lasted many years. And then the France family would be on that wall, as well. I've got to tell a quick story. Bill Sr., 1969 when we had the boycott in Talladega, I'd ran the race on Saturday, and he gave us the deal money back then to come and race plus what you'd win in the purse. When the boycott happened he stood on that bench down there, and he said, boys, if y'all race tomorrow, I'll give you more deal money and you can take the purse. I left that day with probably more money than I'd ever seen at once in my life, probably 3 or 4 thousand dollars. I didn't think I'd ever have to work again. Hell, I'm still working. That was the break that really helped RCR get to going. I'll never forget it. He also gave me a letter, and he said, if you ever need anything, you show this letter to my family, and they'll take care of you. If I'd have knew what I know today, I'd have made a lot of copies because I've been in a lot of trouble. Also Mike Helton‑‑ I missed one. And today, taking this sport to the next level, is the France family of today, Jim France, Brian France, Lesa France Kennedy, and Ben, I know you're going to be right there. Also, my friend Mike Helton. Call him a friend although he's fined me a whole lot, sent me out a lot of things, but he's a true friend. And thank all the NASCAR employees for everything they've done over the years for us. None of this would be possible without all of them. Also on the granite wall would be the hundreds of employees with RCR and ECR. I couldn't stand here or I'd be here all night thanking them all. But I was very fortunate and I am very fortunate to get to work with each and every one of them every day, and all of my friends, a lot of them are here tonight, came a lot of long distances, for supporting me over the years throughout my career. I've got to thank the millions of fans that support NASCAR racing. Without our fans, none of us would be here tonight. Last but not least, our military, for protecting our country and giving us freedoms that we've got. I'd like to close by thanking the NASCAR Hall of Fame and its members, Winston Kelley and your staff. You do a great job, and the voting members, thank you again, and I'm very fortunate in my life, and I'm humbled and honored to be inducted in this NASCAR Hall of Fame. Thank you, and God bless America. KRISTA VODA: Look out in this room. Every person is standing on their feet. You went from a kid selling popcorn and peanuts at Bowman Gray Stadium. Did you ever imagine this? You talk about what a great country you have, that a kid can go from selling popcorn to being in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. RICHARD CHILDRESS: No, it's unbelievable. When Mike Helton called me and told me I was going in the Hall of Fame, I couldn't believe it because there's so many people I think deserve it more than me, but I'm honored to be here tonight and to be in the Hall of Fame with all of these greats. I look on this wall and it gives you chills to think of what all these great drivers and owners and crew chiefs have brought to our sport. KRISTA VODA: You know the struggles not just as an owner but as a driver, the blood, sweat and tears and the long days it takes to get here. RICHARD CHILDRESS: Yeah, it was some nights I remember leaving Daytona and Austin told me to tell the story when I slept under the truck and Judy had Tina as a baby and they slept in the truck and I slept under it and ate a lot of baloney sandwiches along the way. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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