| NASCAR Hall of Fame | |
|---|---|
| Location | 400 E. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Broke ground | January 2007 |
| Opened | May 11, 2010 |
| Owner | City of Charlotte |
| Operator | Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority |
| Construction cost | US $160 million |
| Architect | Pei Cobb Freed & Partners |
The NASCAR Hall of Fame honors drivers who have shown exceptional skill at NASCAR driving, all-time great crew chiefs and owners, and other major contributors to competition within the sanctioning body. NASCAR committed itself to building a Hall of Fame and on March 6, 2006, the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, was selected as the location. Ground was broken for the $160 million facility on January 26, 2007, and it officially opened on May 11, 2010,[1] with the inaugural class to be inducted the day following the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race XXVI. The new Hall of Fame brings hundreds of jobs and an increase in tourism to Charlotte. In addition to the Hall of Fame, the NASCAR Plaza, a 20-story office building, opened in May, 2009. The 390,000-square-foot (36,000 m2) structure serves as the home of Hall of Fame-related offices, NASCAR Digital Media, and their licensing division. Other tenants include the Charlotte Regional Partnership and Lauth Property Group. Richard Petty and Dale Inman helped unveil the first artifact at the Hall of Fame, which was the Plymouth Belvedere that Petty drove to 27 wins in 1967.[2]
The City of Charlotte was responsible for the construction of the building and is the owner of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. However, it is operated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. Winston Kelley is the NASCAR Hall of Fame Executive Director. Internationally renowned Pei Cobb Freed & Partners is leading the design effort. Little Diversified Architectural Consulting based in Charlotte is the local architectural firm overseeing many aspects of design and construction of the project. Engineering and Fabrication of the stainless steel möbius which wraps around the structure was completed by Zahner, of Kansas City. Exhibition design is by Ralph Appelbaum Associates, and exhibition lighting by Technical Artistry. Site excavation and grading services commenced on May 21, 2007.
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Because of stock car racing's roots in and wealth of famous drivers from North Carolina, many NASCAR offices in the area and many teams in the three major series NASCAR competes in (Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series) totaling over 73% of motorsports employees in the United States working in what the committee called "NASCAR Valley", Charlotte was considered the favorite by many fans and commentators. The Hall of Fame is located in Uptown Charlotte, about 15 minutes south of Charlotte Motor Speedway. The bid was led by NASCAR car owner Rick Hendrick, then Mayor Pat McCrory, and business leaders in Charlotte. Pei Cobb Freed & Partners were enlisted for the complex's design, which will be located near the Charlotte Convention Center.
The building contains the following:
There is also a gift shop, the Hall of Fame Café and a Buffalo Wild Wings restarauant on site. An expansion, which includes a new ballroom, is also part of the project.
While most information on the Charlotte bid has been released voluntarily, the Charlotte Observer has asked the state Attorney General for an opinion requiring full disclosure of the financial details.
The self-proclaimed slogan used by Charlotte for the Hall of Fame was "Racing Was Built Here. Racing Belongs Here."
The other two cities at the time of the announcement that were in the running were Atlanta, Georgia, and Daytona Beach, Florida.
The state of Alabama had also been mentioned as a potential candidate location, and was no longer seen as a contender, possibly because Talladega currently is home to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, which is not affiliated with NASCAR. The only northern area that considered bidding was in the state of Michigan. Detroit prepared bids, but state officials decided not to submit the proposals. The cities of Richmond, Virginia, and Kansas City, Kansas, were actually among the five finalists, but on January 5, 2006, NASCAR announced they had been eliminated from the running, leaving just Daytona, Atlanta and Charlotte as the remaining cities. [2]
Former drivers must have been active in NASCAR for at least 10 years, and retired for at least three. Non-drivers must have been involved in the industry at least ten years. Some candidates with shorter careers will be considered if there were special circumstances.
A 20-member nominating committee chooses nominees from those who are eligible. The committee consists of:
After the nomination committee selects the list of candidates, a total of 48 votes are cast by a voting committee, which consists of the nominating committee and the following:
On October 14, 2009, the NASCAR Hall of Fame panel met at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, to select the Charter Class of 2010. The five who were selected were:[5][6]
The class was inducted on May 23, 2010.
The members of the Class of 2011 are:[7]
The Class of 2011 was announced on October 13, 2010, and was inducted on May 23, 2011.
The members of the Class of 2012 are:[8]
The Class of 2012 was announced on June 14, 2011, and will be inducted in January 2012.
The ticket prices are Adult $19.95, Senior (60+) $17.95, Military $17.95, and Children (5-12) $12.95. Open daily 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. (closed only Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas)[9]
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