DARLINGTON, S.C. – Three of NASCAR's newest hall of famers, Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick and Mark Martin, will serve as grand marshals for the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway next month.
The track announced the honor Wednesday. Childress, Hendrick and Martin will join Bojangles' CEO Clifton Rutledge in giving the command to start the engines for the Sept. 4 race.
Childress, Hendrick and Martin were voted into the hall last May along with late NASCAR pioneer Raymond Parks and late driver Benny Parsons.
Car owner Childress won eight times at Darlington, all driven by Dale Earnhardt Sr. Car owner Hendrick's teams have won 14 times at Darlington. Martin won the 1993 and 2009 Southern 500s. He also has eight Xfinity Series wins at Darlington, the most ever.
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