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Newsmakers: Five inducted into NASCAR Hall of Fame

The 2017 class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, from left, Benny Parsons, Rick Hendrick, Mark Martin, Raymond Parks and Richard Childress, is displayed in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Chuck Burton / Associated Press)
From staff and wire reports

Inducted Drivers Benny Parsons and Mark Martin and car owners Rick Hendrick, Richard Childress and Raymond Parks were inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Wednesday. Parsons, the 1973 NASCAR premier series champion, was the first driver to eclipse 200 mph. Parsons, also a longtime broadcaster, died in 2007 at age 65. Martin won 96 races across NASCAR’s national series competition, including 40 on the Sprint Cup level.

Enrolled Graduate transfer quarterback Davis Webb officially joined California, giving the Golden Bears an experienced option to replace No. 1 overall NFL draft pick Jared Goff. Coach Sonny Dykes announced that Webb has enrolled at Cal and will be eligible to play his senior season in 2016 after graduating from Texas Tech.

Announced Veteran women’s soccer defender Christie Rampone said she’s not healthy enough to be part of the U.S. national team’s training camp for a pair of matches early next month against Japan. Rampone, 40, had arthroscopic knee surgery in December.

Transferred Twins Cody and Caleb Martin will continue their college basketball careers at Nevada. The Martins, who played the past two seasons at N.C. State, will go from the Wolfpack to the Wolf Pack. The Mocksville, North Carolina, natives will have to sit out the 2016-17 season but will have two years of eligibility.

Kentucky forward Batouly Camara transferred to NCAA national women’s basketball champion UConn. Camara, who averaged 5.1 points and 4.3 rebounds as a freshman, becomes the sixth Kentucky player to transfer out of the program since the start of last season.

Withdrawn Clemson’s Jaron Blossomgame said he is withdrawing from the NBA draft and returning to school for a final season. The 6-foot-7 all-Atlantic Coast Conference forward averaged 18.7 points a game last season and was voted the ACC’s most improved player

Indiana guard James Blackmon Jr. withdrew from the NBA draft. Blackmon, a rising junior, missed the final 22 games last season after having knee surgery. He averaged 15.8 points in 13 games, shooting 46.3 percent on 3-pointers before getting hurt.

Purdue forward Caleb Swanigan also withdrew from the NBA draft and will return to school for his sophomore season. Swanigan averaged 10.2 points and 8.3 rebounds and was named to the Big Ten’s all-freshman team last season.

Elected Prominent thoroughbred breeders and owners Arthur B. “Bull” Hancock Jr. and William Woodward Sr. were elected to racing’s Hall of Fame in the Pillars of the Turf category.