NASCAR Hall Of Fame Opens To Fanfare
After more than 60 years of existence, NASCAR has finally opened the NASCAR Hall of Fame to honor drivers that have made exceptional contributions to the sport. The facility broke ground and began construction in 2007 and opened Tuesday, May 11, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The class of five drivers was selected from 25 nominees last year, and they will be inducted 12 days after the opening, on May 23 2010. The beneficiary may be surprising although the opening will probably be a quick payday.
NASCAR and their Hall of Fame
The NASCAR Hall of Fame broke ground for construction in January 2007, according the NASCAR Hall of Fame website. Construction continued, and by fall of 2009, exhibits started to be installed, and the building was scheduled to open for May 11, 2010. The festivities had many of the first inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
The First Class
The inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame includes Dale Earnhardt, Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., Richard Petty and Junior Johnson. Each of these men were giants of the sport in their contributions. Bill France JR. helped to further the organization after his father Bill France Sr. found the NASCAR organization. I don’t even need to introduce Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty as popular and successful drivers and owners. Junior Johnson won six championships as a team owner.
Charlotte now
North Carolina plays a unique role in NASCAR. Many of the most famous and greatest NASCAR drivers, including three members of the first class to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame hail from North Carolina. In Charlotte there are three major races. Also, according to Wikipedia, almost three-fourths of all motorsports employees work in Charlotte, North Carolina. Besides Dayton Beach, that’s as heavily NASCAR as you can get. Furthermore, the NASCAR Hall of Fame itself is owned by the city. It will bring in tourists and plenty of employment. The NASCAR Hall of Fame will be good for the public.
Sources
NASCAR Hall of Fame website
http://www.nascarhall.com/about/the-building
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASCAR_Hall_of_Fame
