NASCAR Hall of Fame
The NASCAR Hall of Fame is a hall of fame in Charlotte , North Carolina . It honors drivers who have demonstrated exceptional skills in NASCAR races , eminent crew chiefs and team owners, and other important individuals who have been involved in NASCAR.
On March 6, 2006, NASCAR made the decision to build a hall of fame and chose Charlotte, North Carolina as the location. On 26 January 2007, the construction work for the 160 million began dollars expensive project that was completed in the second quarter of 2010. In addition to the Hall of Fame, the NASCAR Plaza, a 19-storey high-rise that opened in March 2009, was built. It houses the offices of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, NASCAR Images and NASCAR Licensing.
The city of Charlotte, which also owns the NASCAR Hall of Fame, was responsible for the construction. The operator is the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.
Choice of location
Because of the origins of US touring car racing in North Carolina, the many offices and administrative facilities of NASCAR and the many large NASCAR teams that are based in the so-called "NASCAR Valley" around Charlotte and over 73% of all motorsport workers in the United States States , Charlotte was a favorite with many fans and NASCAR commentators in advance. The location chosen was Uptown Charlotte, which is about 30 minutes south of Lowe's Motor Speedway . Another important factor was that over half of all residents of the United States live within a 500-mile radius of the Charlotte area. Charlotte's bid was led in particular by team owner Rick Hendrick , Mayor Pat McCroy, and business leaders in Charlotte. The slogan of the application was “Racing Was Built Here. Racing Belongs Here. "
Other locations
Atlanta
NASCAR legend Bill Elliott launched a promotion for Atlanta , Georgia as the location for the NASCAR Hall of Fame, which should have been built not far from Centennial Olympic Park . One argument in favor of Atlanta was that there would be many more visitors to the city because of the nearby World of Coca-Cola , CNN Center , Georgia Aquarium, and the Children's Museum of Atlanta . There was initially no information about the exact details of the application, as the Attorney General of Georgia wanted to keep it secret at the request of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution , but with this procedure violated the Georgia Open Records Act. Ultimately, US $ 25 million from the state and another US $ 5 million from the City of Atlanta and Fulton Counties were to be spent on the project.
Daytona Beach
Although Daytona Beach , Florida is home to NASCAR and also a city with a rich racing history, the city has struggled to raise money for the company. Florida's legislature rejected a bill that would have allowed Daytona Beach $ 30 million for the project, but subsequently approved a special license plate, the proceeds of which should have financed the Hall of Fame. The money raised with the badge was donated to the nonprofit NASCAR Foundation and Florida Sports Foundation after Charlotte was chosen.
More candidates
The state of Alabama was also discussed as a possible location, particularly the city of Talladega . However, it was not given any great chances, as the International Motorsports Hall of Fame is already there. There was only one city in the Northern States that was considering competing for the Hall of Fame. The city of Detroit , Michigan prepared an application, but it was ultimately not submitted. The only other cities that were applicants were Richmond , Virginia , and Kansas City , Kansas . On January 5, 2006, NASCAR announced that both were no longer in the race.
Members
2010
The following people were inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010:
- Dale Earnhardt , team owner and seven-time Winston Cup champion
- Bill France senior , founder of NASCAR
- Bill France Junior , son of Bill France, Sr. Led NASCAR to international renown
- Junior Johnson , six-time championship winner as a team owner
- Richard Petty , seven-time Winston Cup champion, winner of 200 Winsten Cup races
Every year five more people are to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
2013
- Ander Vilariño , two-time European champion in the NASCAR series
Web links
Coordinates: 35 ° 13 ′ 16.8 ″ N , 80 ° 50 ′ 36.3 ″ W.