"Whatever success I've had in the past, or will have in the future, I owe to my friends and supporters," Crawford told his fans during the induction ceremony, Thursday, April 19 at the Mobile Marriott.

The 48 year-old Crawford's best year in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series was 2002, when he finished second in the points standings in the No. 14 Circle Bar and RV Park Ford.

Crawford's career began at Mobile International Speedway in Mobile, and Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida.

In 1981 and 1982 he captured two Alabama short track championships, three track championships at Mobile International Speedway and two at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL.

He spent 12 seasons in the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, southeast series, compiling five victories in 111 starts.

In 1989, he won the prestigious Snow Ball Derby at Five Flags.

"This is an honor indeed," said Crawford. "It is humbling to realize the friends I have here. It's those friends that have supported me throughout my career, and has made it possible for me to achieve what I have.

"It was hard work, and often it required money. But the friends and fans gave me the confidence that I needed to overcome a hurdle and move on."

Rick Crawford at his 250th NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start at Atlanta Motor Speedway, March 16, 2007. (Ronda Greer Photo)

His NTCS career began in 1997 when he and the Circle Bar Racing team moved up from the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division. He garnered a pair of top-five finishes and 10, top-10 efforts en route to a 12th-place finish in the series standings in his rookie campaign.

Like most rookie drivers, he wasn't expected to do well. But he beat out many veterans as he was able to qualify for all 26 events.

His sophomore season in 1998 brought him highs and lows. He celebrated his first NCTS victory at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, but found the rest of the season marred by engine problems and bad luck. The team only managed four top-fives and five top-10s, and he wound up 18th in points.

The following year, he posted three top-fives and 10 top-10 finishes on the way to a 14th-place finish.

In 2000, he finished 11th in points. The next year, he finished eighth in series points, his first time among the top-10 drivers.

The next year (2002), he finished runner-up with 12 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes in 22 events.

Rick Crawford celebrates in the winner's circle after winning the Florida Dodge Dealers 250 at Daytona International Speedway,  February 14, 2003. (High Sierra Photo)

His second trip to victory lane was the opening race of 2003 at Daytona, when he emerged the victor of a tight three-truck battle with Robert Pressley and Travis Kvapil, and broke a series record of 120 winless races dating back to 1998.

In 2004, he finished 12th in series points, and won at Martinsville for his first series win on a short track, and became the series' fifth $3 million winner.

He got a win at New Hampshire in 2005, and despite two poles at Atlanta and Martinsville, he wound up 16th in the final points.

Crawford's No. 14 team was right up with the leaders at the beginning of the 2006 season, but despite a win at Indianapolis Raceway Park, he had problems late in the season that dropped him to ninth in the final points.

"We come a long way from that first year, when we started with only one truck and one engine," said Crawford. "We've got a new race shop and we really expect to move the team forward.

"Right now, we're third in points, and we're looking forward to the remainder of the season."