CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Batesville native Mark Martin is considered the greatest driver to never win a NASCAR championship.
Martin never won a Cup championship, finishing second a record five times. He won 40 races -- 17th on the all-time list. In NASCAR's second-tier series, Martin won 49 times, which was a record for 14 years.
For his efforts, he was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Friday night.
He was introduced by 2003 champion and former teammate Matt Kenseth, who considers Martin his mentor, and former car owner Jack Roush. Martin was the first driver hired when Roush formed Roush Racing in 1988.
Martin reflected on a time in 1984 when he had no ride, no access to the NASCAR garage, and he stood outside the fence knowing he could beat the drivers inside the garage.
"Sometimes you just need a second chance," Martin said.
It came in 1988 from Roush, who also was starting out in NASCAR. Martin stayed with Roush through the 2006 season and was a constant force at or near the top of the sport.
He also never won the Daytona 500, the sport's most prestigious race, although he was close in 2007, finishing second by .020 seconds to Kevin Harvick. The inability to win races troubled Martin for many years, he said.
"I let that rob me of an enormous amount of joy, something that I did let go of," he said in a recent interview. "I have a lot to be grateful for. I'm proud of what I accomplished in my career, and I'm not sour about the things I didn't accomplish."
Martin was emotional during most of his induction speech as he noted he was "just a kid from Arkansas who just wanted to win races and drive cars."
Also inducted Friday night were car owners Rick Hendrick, Richard Childress and Raymond Parks, and former NASCAR champion Benny Parsons.
Hendrick, owner of the most successful organization in NASCAR, grew up on a Virginia tobacco farm knowing that wasn't the life he wanted to lead.
He took chance after chance chasing a NASCAR career, came close to folding his team more than once, but always found a way to persevere.
Hendrick Motorsports has a NASCAR-leading 14 national titles -- 11 in the top series with Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Terry Labonte.
"I didn't know what I wanted to do in life, but I knew what I didn't want to do, and that was be a tobacco farmer," Hendrick said.
He was introduced by Johnson and Gordon, and inducted by his wife, Linda.
"He's the most loyal man that I know -- he'll take the shirt right off his back for you," Gordon said. "His accomplishments are endless, and his character is unrivaled. Some know him as a champion. Some know him as a winner. Most of us simply know him as Mr. H -- and now that H takes on a new meaning: Mr. Hall of Famer."
With a nod to the late Dale Earnhardt, a tearful Childress thanked his former driver for helping build an organization that led to Childress' induction.
Childress began his career as a driver and formed his own race team in 1972. He officially gave up driving in 1981 to focus on Richard Childress Racing, and Earnhardt won six of his record-tying seven titles driving Childress cars. Earnhardt won 67 races for Childress, who has 11 total NASCAR titles as a car owner.
"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," he said. "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's a champion to all of his fans, his friends and his family."
Childress was introduced by his grandsons Austin and Ty Dillon, and his wife, Judy, joined the young drivers to induct him.
Parks, one of the first team owners in NASCAR, was an Atlanta businessman who first entered NASCAR with drivers Lloyd Seay and Roy Hall. Paired with mechanic Red Vogt, his teams dominated in the 1940s and 1950s.
His career as a car owner was interrupted when Parks served in World War II, and he fought in the Battle of the Bulge. When he returned from the war, he was lured into NASCAR by founder Bill France Sr. and his teams won the first NASCAR title in 1948 and again in 1949.
Parks was presented by 2014 NASCAR champion Kevin Harvick, inducted by Kyle Petty and it was accepted by his granddaughter.
Parsons was introduced by 2012 champion Brad Keselowski, a fellow Michigan native who grew up respecting Parsons' career.
"He's from Detroit, and he came from being a Michigan taxi driver to a NASCAR champion," Keselowski said. "Think about that. That seems like the script from a Hollywood movie. But that is exactly what Benny Parsons accomplished in 1973."
Parsons was officially inducted by Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett, and it was accepted by his widow, Terri. Parsons died in 2007 from complications from lung cancer at 65.
He won the 1973 NASCAR championship, and the 1975 Daytona 500 was among his 21 career victories. Parsons also had a successful career as a NASCAR commentator after his retirement from driving.
Sports on 01/21/2017