The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) today announced that it has selected Charlotte, N.C., to be the home of its Hall of Fame. The NASCAR Hall of Fame, which will be a state of the art facility capturing the spirit of the sport, will honor the NASCAR icons and create an enduring tribute to the drivers, crew members, team owners and others that have impacted the sport in the past, present and yet to come.

"To NASCAR fans everywhere, it is my distinct honor to announce that NASCAR has selected Charlotte, N.C., to be the home of the NASCAR Hall of Fame," said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. 

"The winners in this process are the 75 million NASCAR fans nationwide, who will have a Hall of Fame to call their own.  The City of Charlotte will welcome fans from around the country and even the world to the NASCAR Hall of Fame," said France.

Charlotte's proposal best achieves NASCAR's overriding goal to have one of the premier hall of fames in the world of sports and entertainment.  The region's rich racing history and heritage along with the strength of the city's overall financial structure for the Hall, represents the best fit for NASCAR, the industry and the fan-base.

The Hall is expected to include exhibit space, a Great Hall, a Hall of Honor, interactive entertainment restaurants, retail outlets, and a state-of-the-art media center for the industry. 

The NASCAR Hall of Fame will be a special place that brings NASCAR's history to life and preserves that history in the appropriate environments.  The new facility will allow longtime fans to have the opportunity to relive NASCAR's greatest moments and for new fans to learn about them. 

"Our goal has been - and continues to be - to create one of  the "crown jewels" of Charlotte and the very best Hall of Fame-themed entertainment experience in the world," said Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory.  "This Hall of Fame will expand the dynamic and growing sport of NASCAR racing in a dynamic and growing city.  It's a victory not only for the entire region, but for NASCAR fans across the country and internationally.  We look forward to welcoming all fans for a unique and entertaining experience."

Mayor McCrory credits the regional effort and broad-based support from the business community, elected officials, the hospitality and tourism industry and NASCAR fans who supported this effort.  Mayor McCrory specifically cited the strong leadership from his fellow "Crew Chiefs," including Cathy Bessant of Bank of America; Luther Cochrane of BEK Building Group, as well as John Tate of Wachovia and Tim Newman of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.

The Hall of Fame, which will be located in Charlotte's Center City will be developed, designed, and operated by the City of Charlotte and the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.  The total cost of the Hall of Fame is estimated at $107.5 million. This will primarily be funded by a new two percent hotel/motel tax and contributions from the State of North Carolina and the private sector.

The Hall of Fame, which will be open no later than spring of 2010, has been designed and concept by world renowned architecture firm, Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. The firm has designed iconic buildings in cities worldwide, including the Javits Convention Center in New York City, the expanded Louvre in Paris, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

Charlotte is the hub of the NASCAR industry.  Currently 82 percent of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup teams, 72 percent of NASCAR Busch Series teams and 55 percent of NASCAR Craftsman Truck teams are based in the Charlotte region.  The industry's current annual statewide economic impact is estimated to be $5 billion.

March 6, 2006 - Hall of Fame Announcement

THE MODERATOR:  We're happy to welcome you to what is clearly an historic day in the 58-year history of NASCAR and the history of Charlotte. 

A little over 12 months ago, the City of Charlotte received an RFP from NASCAR to participate in the bid process for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.  It was last August 17th that we officially kicked off our efforts with this video.  Please join me. 

(Video shown.) 

THE MODERATOR:  Ladies and Gentlemen, there were literally hundreds of people that worked behind the scenes, and many that you saw out front, far too many to recognize today.  But a few of them we would like to call to your attention as they join us here.  First of all, the Charlotte City Council.  Please welcome to the stage, your Charlotte region NASCAR Hall of Fame team. 

Please welcome to the stage the honorary grand marshal of the NASCAR Hall of Fame team, and the owner of Hendrick Motorsports, our good friend Rick Hendrick. 

RICK HENDRICK:  Thank you.  Didn't get to go to stage in New York, so this is second best.  What a great-looking crowd. 

I can't tell you how proud I am to be here today, standing with all these folks, all of you that worked so hard, such a great effort.  A few years back, Brian France came up with the Chase scenario.  We had the Nextel Cup Chase.  We would have 10 races, 10 teams, run for a championship.  When the Hall of Fame got started, I felt like we were in another Chase.  We end up with five cities, then three cities, and hopefully today Brian France is going to put the stamp on coming to Charlotte, where it belongs, the home of NASCAR, the home of all the teams, drivers and all the support industry that's made NASCAR what it is. 

You know, I've been in the sport now 25 years.  I got to meet Mr. France Sr.  Made a big impact and really put NASCAR on the map.  Then I got to race with Bill Jr.  He added his touch to the NASCAR situation.  Then along the way, Brian came on the scene, developed a marketing strategy that really kind of pole vaulted NASCAR into an arena that was not just a national sport, but an international sport, then the Chase. 

It's my pleasure today to introduce to you the chairman and CEO of NASCAR, Mr. Brian France. 

BRIAN FRANCE:  Thank you, all.  You know, the community support that has been behind this project has been there from the very beginning.  Thank you all for coming today. 

Two years ago we talked about this being one of the last remaining major sports that didn't have its own Hall of Fame, a place to house its past, present and its future.  The good news was the amount of interest around the country was overwhelming to us, everyone at NASCAR.  The five cities that ended up really showing the right enthusiasm, I want to thank all of them, and in particular Atlanta, Mayor Franklin, Governor Perdue.  Thank you very much for the support you showed, the enthusiasm you showed for this project.  As well as our home state of Florida.  Governor Jeb Bush, Mayor Scarlett-Golden, thank you very much for all the enthusiasm you shared. 

In the end, like any tough decision, you look at what's going to be best in the long run.  I'm happy to tell you today that the NASCAR Hall of Fame is going to be right here in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

(Applause.) 

BRIAN FRANCE:  One last thing and I'll join the group behind me.  I also know one other thing.  Not only thanks to everyone in this room's support, frankly the entire state of North Carolina and the City of Charlotte, I also know this is going to be the most technologically advanced superior Hall of Fame that's ever been created in all sports.  We're going to have a lot to be proud of in the future.  Thank you very much. 

MAYOR McCRORY:  Brian, on behalf of the entire City of Charlotte and thousands upon thousands of people that made this happen, I'd like to officially welcome you to Charlotte, the home to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. 

As mayor, along with this great team, we've been saying now for nine months that one of our goals is to connect NASCAR and Charlotte the same way Hollywood is connected to the movies, the same way Pasadena is connected to the Rose Bowl, the same way Augusta is connected to the Masters, the same way Cooperstown is connected to baseball.  And now forever, NASCAR and Charlotte, the Hall of Fame, it's something we can all be proud of. 

We've been doing this for many reasons.  We've been doing this because, one, this is going to be a tremendous boon to the travel and tourism industry, not just Charlotte, but this entire region and this entire state. 

Second, we think this will add an incredible amount of jobs for economic development.  The NASCAR industry is right here.  About 60 to 70% of the teams, the race teams, excellent athletes, technicians, engineers, drivers, they all live in this area.  This is the home of these drivers.  There's no place like home. 

In addition, for generations to come we firmly believe that the history of the racing industry, it started here, and it does belong here, and it will be here forever and ever.  You can applaud on that, too. 

(Applause.) 

MAYOR McCRORY:  As mayor of the City of Charlotte, I also need to say this.  This team behind me, the team in front of us, we greatly respected the competition that also bid for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.  Actually, friends of mine, Mayor Franklin in Atlanta, Daytona, Richmond, Kansas City, they also saw the value of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.  I know they worked extremely hard like we did for it.  I just want to compliment each one of those cities for making us work very hard.  I compliment them on their outstanding effort.  We continue to want them to be a part of this great racing industry, and we look forward to working with all those cities throughout the United States of America. 

Let me also say this.  We would not have gotten this far, to this wonderful announcement, unless we treated it as a team sport.  As you know, when a race is won, it's not just the driver.  I see Darrel Waltrip in the audience.  Great to see you, Darrell.  Darrell knows when he won many, many races, he didn't win it by himself.  When he danced in Victory Lane, he was dancing on behalf of a great team. 

I'm not going to dance.  I don't have the talent that you have, Darrell, but I just want to let you know that a lot of people have put nine months of hard work into this.  The first people I need to thank is not in my order, but I'm making them my order, teammates in the City of Charlotte.  I know they've been recognized once, but I want to thank the Charlotte City Council.  They've been working very, very hard on this.  Members of the Charlotte City Council. 

I also want to thank our honorary chairman.  When we asked him to be chairman of this, he thought it would just be honorary.  When you ask Rick Hendrick to lead something, he participates.  He pulled a trick on me earlier today.  He pretended he was in Miami.  My heart just dropped (laughter).  But, Rick Hendrick, you're a tribute to the city, you're a tribute to the state and the NASCAR industry.  It's been great working with you. 

I'd like also to think Senator Dole and Richard Burr for their excellent work, Congressman Mel Watt who helped us out in this effort and has been a great advocate for NASCAR.  Governor Mike Easley, it's great to have you here.  You and your team have been just true partners.  We really appreciate it.  Thank you very much. 

There are four people that have been very close to me during the past nine months.  They really were the workers behind the scenes that deserve an incredible amount of credit.  I'd like them to stand up and wave to you.  Cathy Bessant, president of the Chamber of Commerce when they started.  She's with bank of America.  John Tate, representing Wachovia Corporation.  He was head of our finance team.  My other crew chief, Mr. Luther Cochrane, who is head of CRVA.  Luther, couldn't have done it without you. 

There are two other elected bodies that I see many of in the audience.  I want to thank them.  I cannot tell you how much we appreciate it.  The one is our state delegation.  Without them working in Raleigh to get approval to have the hotel industry basically play for this NASCAR Hall of Fame, along with the private sector, we couldn't have done it without you.  I see them all lined up.  Mecklenburg state delegation, please stand.  Also the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners.  If any of them would please stand also, it's just great having you, having you part of the team. 

I'd like also to recognize some fellow mayors that are in the audience.  Our Mecklenburg delegation, the mayors of the Concord and Moorseville.  Would the mayors please stand.  This is a regional effort. 

There are just a few more people.  We could go on forever.  Like in NASCAR, the teams are huge.  That's one reason we want NASCAR to stay here, because it's growing and growing and growing.  Tim Newman and the Charlotte Regional Authority, CRVA board, Tim Newman, we appreciate your work.  I've also got to recognize the members of the Charlotte city staff who were the leaders of this area, our city manager, Pam Syfert, Ron Kimbel, one of the assistant city managers, Mack McCarley and Jim Shumacher.  Everyone please stand. 

Like NASCAR and Charlotte, 10 years ago they weren't on the radar screen nationally.  We were the best-kept secret, both the sport and the city.  The secret's out, we're both on top.  Congratulations to all of you.  Thank you very much. 

RICK HENDRICK:  Thank you, mayor.  It is amazing to see the amount of support from the city, the state and the region in this room today.  It's more horsepower than you have in the garage area at Daytona. 

We couldn't have done this without the leadership that's in this room, and we want to thank everyone.  But I've got to tell some of the NASCAR guys sitting here, Darrell, you'll enjoy this, I really enjoyed getting ready to come out on the stage because they were telling Mike Helton what to do (laughter).  They said, "You'll go at this point.  You won't speak.  You'll sit here."  I've been waiting a long time to see that (laughter). 

Moving right along, when you talk about our state of North Carolina, we have had tremendous support from our governor.  Our governor, this isn't something that just came to him lately.  The $6 billion that this industry brings into our state, he recognized this a long time ago.  He formed a special task force to study our sport and to see what they could do from the state level to keep us here, to help us grow, to make us better.  I know that he's the fastest governor in the United States.  I know that he's the only governor that went to the wall for the NASCAR effort.  In our new contract with Lowe's, Mr. Niblock said he couldn't drive a Lowe's car anymore.  Seriously, he's been a tremendous supporter, a tremendous supporter of our community, our government, and especially NASCAR.  My privilege to present or ask to come forward today our governor of North Carolina, Mike Easley. 

GOVERNOR EASLEY:  Thank you.  I appreciate the kind introduction.  Rick said I won't drive that Lowe's car anymore.  I can tell you, nobody will drive that car anymore (laughter).  It's still piled up somewhere in one of your garages.  But thank you for your kind introduction.  That's about as good as I ever expected to get. 

Mayor, I want to commend you on selecting Rick to head up this team.  I got a call right away from Rick Hendrick, said he'd been selected.  Kind of went like this.  "There's not really anything in this for me.  I don't really stand to gain anything on this.  I'm not cashing in any of my chips with you, but this could really be big for you."  It sort of went from there.  Then when it got down to the short rows, he really needed something, he said, "Have you gotten that bill for that car yet?"  So I knew it was time to come through. 

So congratulations, Rick, on a good job, all of the team here, John Tate.  He's on the State Board of Education.  Hope we have a conversation about education one more time instead of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.  Mayor, great job.  I think you're one of the big reasons why this happened.  I wouldn't say it if I didn't have to, you know that (laughter).  Luther, you did great, too. 

But I've been looking over the numbers.  We do our due diligence.  If there was any one thing to say to do, it would be, "Charlotte, start your economic engine."  This thing is going to be big.  We're excited that Charlotte and North Carolina are finally recognized as the NASCAR Hall of Fame.  It ought to be.  We had discussions with Brian France, Mike Helton, the president of NASCAR, and they put it all on the table.  Unlike anything else I've ever dealt with with economic development.  They just walked in and quite honestly said, "This is what we need, this is what we want.  Let us know what you can do, we'll let you know what we can do."  We almost didn't know what to do with that information because it was so straightforward. 

I thank you for that and I thank you for the great job you do in a tough sport.  They can't win.  It's tough to be able to control that sort of enthusiasm.  But they do a great job with it.  I thank them for showing the confidence in Charlotte and in North Carolina for making this announcement today. 

After all, we've got 82% of the Cup cars here's, 72% of the Busch cars, 55% of the Craftsman Truck Series.  Got a ways to go before we get them all.  That's where we're headed.  We want to get them all because this is home. 

As Rick was talking about, the economic impact, it's over $6 billion for this state.  Over 24,000 direct jobs, not even counting the indirect jobs, over a thousand businesses across North Carolina related to motorsports.  There's a lot been written about clusters of innovation starting about 2000, 2001.  I remember being asked to go to Tokyo by the Prime Minister of Japan to talk about the RTP, which is the one that comes to mind first.  It was at that time that I started looking at motorsports and looking at NASCAR and realizing we have a cluster of innovation right here at our doorstep.  We have the jobs, we had the research and develop, high innovation, high technology, high skill, knowledge.  It's something we're good at, something we can grow.  That's why our legislators who are here today have recognized this today and supported the state's involvement in this all along the way.  I appreciate that confidence. 

We realized we had a cluster right here of some of the best and most sophisticated research and development that takes place, NASCAR.  We celebrate that.  This Hall of Fame helps us celebrate that.  These are the jobs of the 21st century of the new economy that we want to develop and expand as we go forward. 

NASCAR, we've often said, is as American as apple pie.  It's not just because of the entertainment.  That is good.  Try to contribute wherever I can in that regard, often not intentionally.  But it's the competition that is so American.  It's the competition out there that fuels the research.  It's the competition that drives the technology.  It's the competition that moves the needle on innovation. 

It's the Rick Hendrick team not wanting to lose to Roush teams, Childress teams trying to get one more mile per hour.  Everybody involved in the sport is involved in the competition.  NASCAR trying to be safer each year, have fewer injuries than the year before.  The tracks trying to reach greater speeds.  It's that same spirit of competition, research, development, creativity and innovation that the rest of the businesses in this state are beginning to learn, and we all have to learn that we're in a race in this global economy, and we have to be willing to compete, we have to be willing to be innovative, we have to find better and newer ways to do everything we do every single day.  That we can learn from NASCAR and this Hall of Fame. 

Let me close by saying we welcome the NASCAR Hall of Fame, not just because of its past and all of the history and tradition that comes with it.  We welcome the Hall of Fame and we understand and appreciate the obligation, the opportunity and the challenge that Charlotte and North Carolina has to make sure that this is the finest Hall of Fame of any sport anywhere in the world.  Thank you. 

MAYOR McCRORY:  I want to let you know today, because of this announcement, you're getting a Hall of Fame designed by IM Pei.  It's going to be a landmark for this entire region and state.  This is not just going to be a Hall of Fame, it's going to be an experience which you'll want to revisit again and again and again.  You're also getting a convention center ballroom added to this wonderful convention center we have here today.  You're also possibly getting a new office building on the same piece of property that we're working with NASCAR on at this point in time.  This is going to be something that will be sustainable for generations to come. 

Now I'd like to ask the whole team to come up.  Brian, it's been great working with you.  We have been working, the Charlotte City Council, many people on this team, have been working for a long time.  We'd like to finalize this with your signature on a contract.  Rick said, "Get it in writing now." 

BRIAN FRANCE:  They always say in North Carolina you guys know how to close the deal.  Figured that might come. 

MAYOR McCRORY:  We'd be honored to have your signature.  Tonight I hope to sign this with the Charlotte City Council.  Thank you very much. 

I'd also like to present you a special gift by this great team.  Your parents helped build NASCAR.  Your family built NASCAR from the ground up.  In fact, your dad told me about stories off of Little Rock Road where he actually sold hot dogs at the first track, the Charlotte Motor Speedway track.  He told me some great stories.  He remembered the aroma, the track, the people, and it stayed with him to this day. 

We stand here 58 years later talking about the past, the present and the future.  One thing we'd like to do, and we're going to give everyone an opportunity to do this in the audience, that is we're going to have some special bricks.  The first one is going to be dedicated to Bill Sr. and Ann B. France, titled No. 1, and dedicated to NASCAR Hall of Fame March 6, 2006.  Thank you very much. 

BRIAN FRANCE:  Thank you. 

THE MODERATOR:  Ladies and Gentlemen, fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a great ride.  Thank you very much.