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Campbell’s grandfather, H. Clay Earles, founded the family-oriented short track more than 60 years ago. It is not only the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ shortest track, but also the only speedway remaining on the schedule that was with the sanctioning body when it began. Campbell’s long-time relationship with the track has often led people to question him about his special memories surrounding the facility. There are two events that stand out in Campbell’s mind. One involves seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt, the other former NASCAR President Bill France Jr.

The Earnhardt saga began during a test session. At the time, there was a fairly large pond outside turn four, across the street from the speedway’s office. Earnhardt and his Richard Childress Racing team were testing at the 0.526-mile track. Earnhardt walked into the office and asked if there were any fish in the pond.

“I told him there were bass in it,” Campbell recalled. “He asked if I thought he could go fishing in it. I told him he could if he wanted to. The next day he drives up in his pickup truck and he has all of his fishing rods in the back of it. They tested for half a day and then we went out there and fished for half a day.”

Campbell’s other special memory came in 1988 when he was elected the track’s president.

“People thought I got the presidency because my grandfather ran the place, but that wasn’t the case. The France family owned half of it,” Campbell said. “It was in the 1950s when my grandfather and Bill France Sr. partnered up when the other two partners bowed out. The France family has been partners in the track ever since. That’s why when International Speedway Corp. took full ownership, it was not that big of a change. It was like living with someone for many years and then finally marrying them.

“At a board meeting in 1988, Bill France Jr. nominated me for president of the track. That was very special to me, that he thought enough of me to nominate me for that job.”

Campbell has served in that position ever since.

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NASCAR Hall of Fame

The historic event will take place in the Charlotte Convention Center’s new Crown Ballroom beginning at 1 p.m. ET following red carpet arrivals of VIPs and celebrities as well as the inductees.

As part of the program, personalities from inside as well as outside the sport of NASCAR will be on hand to recognize the inductees. Each inductee and family members of inductees no longer with us have chosen people close to them to take part in the ceremony to acknowledge their achievements.

NASCAR personalities Dale Inman, Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick, Kyle Petty, members of the Earnhardt family and Darrell Waltrip will take part in the induction as well as NASCAR Vice Chairman and Executive Vice President Jim France, NASCAR Vice Chairwoman and Executive Vice President/International Speedway Corporation Chief Executive Officer Lesa France Kennedy, NASCAR President Mike Helton and NASCAR Vice President of Corporate Communications Jim Hunter.

Also participating is Bill France Sr.’s long-time friend John Cassidy, NASCAR Hall of Fame Executive Director Winston Kelley, former NASCAR marketing executive Ken Clapp and more.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to bring the NASCAR Hall of Fame to our millions of fans and participate in a tremendous opening ceremony in Charlotte last week,” said Brian France, NASCAR’s chairman and CEO. “We are even more excited to officially and permanently enshrine those pioneers who made our sport what we enjoy today. When we honor my father and grandfather alongside great American heroes and champions Junior Johnson, Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, it will be a signature day in NASCAR.”

Long-time NASCAR television voice Mike Joy will serve as host of the induction ceremony while SPEED will bring live exclusive television coverage of the event beginning at 12 p.m. ET with Steve Byrnes and former NASCAR crew chief Larry McReynolds as well as Krista Voda, Jeff Hammond and Randy Pemberton. Additionally, Motor Racing Network will carry live radio coverage of the induction ceremony hosted by Barney Hall and Joe Moore on nearly 100 affiliates nationwide. The broadcast can also be heard on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio.

In October 2009, the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel, consisting of members of the Nominating Committee along with 29 others representing NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, major race track ownership groups, retired drivers, owners and crew chiefs along with motorsports media representatives, met in a closed session in Charlotte, N.C., to vote on the induction class of 2010.

The class was determined by the 51 votes cast by the panel and the nationwide fan vote conducted through NASCAR.COM. The accounting firm of Ernst & Young presided over the tabulation of the votes.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame opened to great fanfare on May 11, 2010. The facility honors the history and heritage of NASCAR and the many who have contributed to the success of NASCAR.

The process to choose the next class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame will begin in July when the 25 nominees will be announced. The class of 2011 will be announced in October 2010.

- NASCAR, Press Release

Commemorative NASCAR Hall of Fame Ticket

This limited edition collectable ticket features the five inductees chosen for the NASCAR Hall of Fame inaugural class: Dale Earnhardt, Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., Junior Johnson and Richard Petty. The tickets are oversized and suitable for framing. Only 10,000 tickets are available and each is affordably priced at $15.

Charlotte Motor Speedway also offers tours of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Fans can take a convenient shuttle from the zMAX Dragway main tower entrance to NASCAR’s newest attraction. Tours are available at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on May 19-20, May 24 (afternoon only), May 25-26, May 27 (morning tour only), and May 28. For more information, visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/fans/tours/.

Tickets for all May races at Charlotte Motor Speedway can be purchased online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling the speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS. Friends and family four-pack tickets start at just $39.75 per person for the May 30 Coca-Cola 600 and at $35 per person for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 22.

For daily updates on May race activities, connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway by following on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CLTMotorSpdwy or become a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/charlottemotorspeedway.

- Charlotte Motor Speedway, Press Release

2010 NASCAR Hall Of Fame Induction: Bill France Jr

“He would probably have said to pick a driver or an owner instead of him,” said NASCAR Vice President Jim Hunter, a long-time confidant and employee of France.

But that’s not to imply Bill Jr. – who passed away in 2007 after 35 years of leadership in his sport – wouldn’t have been proud. After all, he will be inducted alongside his father and NASCAR founder, the late “Big Bill” France.

“Our entire family is honored to have Bill chosen for the Hall of Fame’s charter class,” said his widow, Betty Jane France. “And I know that if he was still with us, he would also feel honored by this recognition.”

In contrast to the virtual slam-dunk selection of his father to the inaugural class, the subject of Bill Jr.’s induction sparked intense debate among the 50 members of the hall’s Voting Panel. Many voters were of the same mindset that he likely would’ve had, leaning toward legendary competitors such as David Pearson or Cale Yarborough to round out the “first five” that will also include Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty and Junior Johnson.

The voting was close, with Bill Jr. barely making the cut. But once he did, it was easy to justify. His historical importance to NASCAR – and sports in general – is undeniable.

“He had a sense of what the sport needed to succeed and NASCAR just took off because of that,” said longtime car owner Rick Hendrick, in the recently-released biography published by Triumph Books, “Bill France Jr. … The Man Who Made NASCAR.”

- NASCAR, Press Release
“He also had a sense for what the fans liked, what the competitors required and then, had a great sense of how to organize it all. It was like he was building on a foundation that he and his Dad had talked about a lot.
“Bill Jr., you see, knew where he wanted to take NASCAR.”
After working alongside his father for 25 years after NASCAR’s 1947 founding, Bill Jr. took over NASCAR’s presidency in 1972. In 2000 he was replaced by Mike Helton as president, but concurrently became CEO and the Chairman of the newly created NASCAR Board of Directors. In 2003 he handed over those roles to his son, Brian France, and settled into his final job at NASCAR, as vice chairman and chief advisor to his son.
During his leadership, he brought all of his father’s visions and dreams to fruition.
And in the process, he repeatedly silenced naysayers who questioned his readiness for leadership not only back in 1972, but periodically through the years when one of his decisions went down less-than-smoothly.
The legendary driver-owner Junior Johnson, one of the five inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees, was one of those early skeptics.
“Originally, I never had any idea that Billy would one day be running NASCAR,” Johnson said. “And when that came about, to tell the truth, it took me a long time to swallow it.
“It was just an opinion I had. I thought, he can’t do it … he doesn’t have the charisma … he can’t stand up to the people in the sport … the sport will be ruined. Well, as time went along he proved me not 100 percent wrong but 1,000 percent wrong. And when it came down to making big decisions, I don’t know of one that he missed, not one. I can’t think of any leader of a major corporation who has done a better job.
“People were thinking he was gonna be ‘behind’ his father [as a leader]. But he was so far ahead of his father, in terms of technology, reaching out to everyone. It was amazing to see him take the sport to the next level … just amazing.”

NASCAR Hall of Fame

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (April 21, 2010 – 20 days until opening)

The prestigious ceremony will feature presentations about each inductee from prominent members of the NASCAR community. The highlight of the event will be the official induction of the Inaugural Class of 2010: Dale Earnhardt, Bill France Jr., Bill France Sr., Junior Johnson and Richard Petty. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it is our pleasure to invite race fans to Charlotte to share in the special day,” said Winston Kelley, executive director of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. “This is like being at the first Induction Ceremony of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939 when legends like Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb were officially inducted. Only 3,100 people will have the chance to say they witnessed the first NASCAR Hall of Fame induction in person.”

The five inaugural inductees were selected by a voting panel consisting of 50 members representing NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, major racetrack ownership groups, retired drivers, owners and crew chiefs along with motorsports media representatives. The group met in a closed session in Charlotte, N.C., on Oct. 14, 2009 to vote on the induction class of 2010. The class was determined by the 51 votes cast by the panel and the nationwide fan vote conducted through NASCAR.com. More than 670,000 votes were submitted online at NASCAR.com as part of the fan voting process.

Guests should enter the event through the Caldwell Street entrance to the Charlotte Convention Center. The doors to the Crown Ballroom open at 11:30 a.m., and all guests must be seated by 12:45 p.m. Guests are encouraged to use the Charlotte Area Transit System. Limited parking will be available in the NASCAR Hall of Fame Parking Deck off Brevard Street.

Exhibits highlighting the life and career of each inductee will be unveiled following the ceremony in the Hall of Honor inside the new NASCAR Hall of Fame. Tickets to enter the NASCAR Hall of Fame, which opens May 11, are separate from Induction Ceremony tickets and can be purchased by calling 877-231-2010 or at www.NASCARHall.com. NASCAR Hall of Fame tickets are $19.95 for adults, $17.95 for seniors and military, $12.95 for children 5-12 and free for children younger than 5. Charter memberships also are available starting at $25 for children and $50 for adults.

SPEED is the exclusive television home of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and will offer a full slate of programming leading up to live coverage of the induction ceremony. For more information on all of the NASCAR Hall of Fame programming on SPEED, please visit www.SPEEDtv.com.

About NASCAR Hall of Fame

Opening May 11, 2010 in uptown Charlotte, N.C., the 150,000-square-foot NASCAR Hall of Fame is an interactive, entertainment attraction honoring the history and heritage of NASCAR. The high-tech venue, designed to educate and entertain race fans and non-fans alike, includes artifacts, interactive exhibits, 275-person state-of-the-art theater, Hall of Honor, Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant, NASCAR Hall of Fame Gear Shop and NASCAR Media Group-operated broadcast studio. The five-acre site also includes a privately developed 19-story office tower and 102,000-square-foot expansion to the Charlotte Convention Center, highlighted by a 40,000 square-foot ballroom. The NASCAR Hall of Fame is owned by the City of Charlotte, licensed by NASCAR and operated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. www.NASCARHall.com

- NASCAR, Press Release

SPEED™ WILL BROADCAST LIVE FROM the MAY 23 NASCAR HALL of FAME INDUCTION CEREMONIES STARTING at NOON, ET

SPEEDtv.com Logo

Their place in history is unquestioned and will be among those immortalized on Sunday, May 23 as the NASCAR Hall of Fame welcomes its inaugural class live on SPEED starting at Noon, E.T.

In addition, SPEED will feature France, Sr. (premieres April 16, 9:30 p.m. ET) and France, Jr. (premieres April 23, 8:30 p.m. ET) in one-hour specials that will chronicle each of their lives, including never before seen or heard in public audio files from France, Sr., found during the move of International Speedway Corporation’s (ISC) historical archive.

FRANCE, SR.: A VISIONARY

If there is a story that might best epitomize what the elder France was all about, NASCAR on FOX & SPEED play-by-play announcer Mike Joy may have innocently unearthed it on the roof of the Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway just prior to a race back in the mid-1980s.

“I’m up in the broadcast booth and I’m making sure our equipment is set up to do our broadcast, and I look out across the roof, and there sitting on an upturned cinder block was a very tall gentleman looking out at the grandstands,” Joy, 60, recalled. “I was curious, so I walked out and it was Bill France, Sr., and he had been retired for quite some time, but he still came to a lot of the races, especially Daytona and Talladega. He still had an active advisory role.

“I asked, ‘Bill, what are you looking at?’” Joy continued. “He said, ‘I’m just looking at the crowd filing in.’ He then pointed to the expanse of land in turns three and four and the backstretch and he said, ‘Mike, someday we’ll have seats all around these speedways. People will come from miles away to fill them. But the crowds will be packed and every race will be on television. It will get great ratings. This sport will grow to a level we can hardly imagine right now.’ He said, ‘I doubt I’ll be here to see it, but I can feel it. It’s going to happen.’ He said it with such certainty. Now, that was a time we were getting 75,000 people into Talladega and I thought that was all we’d ever get. Of course he was right. He had that vision.”

Visionary is a term often associated with France. Born William Henry Getty France on Sept. 26, 1909, just outside Washington D.C., he spent many a day visiting local tracks in and around his Maryland home. He entered the business world as a bank clerk, but his siren call towards the automobile, and his love of being a mechanic, pushed him to open and run his own service station.

By 1934, however, The Great Depression forced him, his wife Anne and infant son Bill, Jr. to close the station, take their $75.00 in life savings and move south towards ‘greener pastures.’ While some dispute still lingers on how Bill, Sr. actually arrived at staying in Daytona Beach, Fla., it became his destination after scouting it out and finding a job at an auto dealership. France later went on to open another service station.

At the same time, Daytona Beach was one of the most popular venues for land speed record runs, as 1934 also saw Great Britain’s Malcolm Campbell blasting through the sand at a record-breaking 250 mph. When land speed racers left for Utah’s more expansive Bonneville Salt Flats, a group of Florida race promoters took their place by hosting a closed-course race along the beach and A-1A Highway. France, who ran in those events, also hosted and promoted his own races by 1941. Then the sport really picked up steam at the end of WWII.

In December of 1947, France put together a meeting at the now famous Streamline Hotel. He assembled a group of drivers, car owners, race officials and promoters to address what France felt was the need for a single sanctioning body that would help organize races throughout the southeast and the country. After the meeting was over, France’s vision was realized and the National Association for Stock Car Automobile Racing (NASCAR) was born.

“He (France, Sr.) had the imagination,” said long-time play-by-play broadcaster and SPEED NASCAR host, Ken Squier. “He had the ability to see far over the horizon as to what the potential was (and) what the potential could be. He also had the business sense to make his visions realities. He was probably the Horatio Alger of the late 20^th century. He came penniless into Daytona and built a sports empire that – at the time – was second to none.”

“I think it was the power of his personality,” said Dave Despain, host of Wind Tunnel on SPEED. “He had the ability to get people to do things his way. He was smart enough to make sure everybody he dealt with got what they needed out of the deal – or got something out of the deal. My perception of him was that he was a very astute deal maker. Right time, right place probably had a lot to do with it too.”

But his vision for the future wasn’t limited to building NASCAR, as his promoter days also nudged him towards building race tracks. In 1957, France founded International Speedway Corporation (ISC) to build stock car racing’s first showplace with the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway, which opened in 1959, eventually hosting the sport’s crown jewel event, the Daytona 500. France wasn’t finished, opening the 2.66-mile, high-banked Talladega Superspeedway (Alabama International Motor-Speedway at the time) in 1969, instantly creating the world’s fastest closed-course racing circuit.

“I just don’t think that anyone else who was promoting racing because at the time, no body else had the combination of the vision, the drive, the resourcefulness and the personality to pull all of that together,” Joy added. “For example, building Daytona International Speedway took the city government, state government and federal government because they took part of the land that was the airport, (along with) quite a number of private investors whom were public corporations. But Bill, Sr. was one of those fellows that when people heard his stated vision for the sport, he was able to get them on board. They believed in it. They wanted it to grow. They wanted to help. I can’t think of another sport that was grown to the extent that Bill, Sr. nurtured and grew NASCAR.”

“Building Talladega was another one of those public-private partnerships, in that it was private money that built the track, but it was public land and the state of Alabama had stepped in to help him build the track,” Joy said.

After overcoming rumors and innuendo about the building of Talladega – including stories that it was built on an old Indian burial ground and was haunted – France ran into another obstacle at the track’s first major event. One that tested his mettle, and showed the strength and power of what he believed, and how far NASCAR had come.

Inaugural practice sessions and Charlie Glotzbach’s 199.466 mph pole run demonstrated speeds that, at the time, were unparalleled in the sport. Heights the tire companies struggled to adapt, enough so that cars had to come in and change tires every few laps to keep from severely chunking. Those issues prompted the Richard Petty-led Pro Drivers Association (PDA) to launch a protest and driver boycott of the event. According to Joy, safety concerns were only part of the story.

“Some drivers may have actually felt that way,” Joy said. “But there was an effort to organize drivers, who in large part were also the car owners, to have a larger voice and a larger stake in a sport they could see was growing very rapidly.

“France did a smart thing,” Joy continued. “If you’ll note on the tickets for Talladega or Daytona back in the day, the ticket advertises the length of the race, that it (was) sanctioned by NASCAR and that it’s (was) a 500-mile late model stock car race. (It) allowed France to fill the field with whomever he deemed necessary to put on a show for the paying fans. The first thing he tried to do was to get the drivers back by hopping into a car and hot lapping himself. He had Bill, Jr., entered into the Baby Grand race. Anything he could do to show that the track was safe to race on. When the PDA drew their line in the sand and said ‘We’re not racing,’ France filled the race with Grand American Series drivers from the day before like Richard Childress, ARCA drivers and occasional competitors such as Richard Brickhouse, who won the race. The PDA, realizing the sport would move on without them if they persisted. So they folded and came back to NASCAR.”

The other thing France did was offer free tickets to the next race at Talladega or Daytona, as a capacity crowd witnessed a different race than what they had expected. The moment helped crystallize France’s place in history.

“I think that (Talladega driver boycott) was a reflection of the power of personality side, the determination, which easily reached the point of stubborn, or the insistence that things were going to be done his way,” Despain said. “Also, he had the problem-solving part of it because he made the race happen. It wasn’t the race people expected or wanted to see, but when he threw in the free ticket for Daytona the following year, that pretty much took the edge off of it for the fans. The only real losers in that were his adversaries (drivers & union). It was him being willful enough and smart enough to make it happen. It was very much a reflection of the way he did business.”

The 1969 race season was only three years prior to France, Sr.’s retirement, officially handing the reins of the nation’s premier stock car sanctioning body over to his son, Bill France, Jr.

FRANCE, JR.: BUSINESS LEADER

Commonly known as Bill, Jr. or ‘Little Bill,’ France, Jr. was born just outside Washington, D.C. on April 4, 1933. He was an infant when Bill, Sr., moved to Daytona and grew up in and around the sport his father loved, and ingrained into his soul.

France, Jr., jumped into the family business at an early age, as he spent most of his days working concessions, flagging events, scoring, promoted, served as a steward and worked tirelessly, some say 12 hours a day for 13-straight months during the building of Daytona International Speedway, bulldozing, grading and compacting needed in building France, Sr.’s 2.5-mile oval dream.

And like his father, Bill, Jr., loved to compete, driving off-road motorcycles and competing in enduros like California’s Baja 1000. His enjoyment of motorcycle competition established the little-known, at the time, motocross race that blossomed into the Daytona Supercross. That event inspired the Daytona Beach Bike Week which is hugely popular today.

France, Jr. served as NASCAR Vice President from 1966 until he took over for his father on Jan. 10, 1972, becoming the NASCAR Chairman, CEO & President. Early on, his leadership fostered the growth of NASCAR’s Daytona 500 and the American Motorcycle Association’s (AMA) Daytona 200. That same year, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company signed the first significant non-endemic marketing partnership with NASCAR, investing in what would become a 31-year relationship that saw more than $60 million dollars a year going into the promotion of NASCAR.

By 1973, the NASCAR Grand National Series was renamed the Winston Cup Series and the points fund increased from $750,000 to $2 million, later raising just the champion’s portion of the fund to $2 million and above by 1998.

“I think Bill, Jr. gets most of the credit for its emergence, but he was working from a platform that his dad built,” Despain said. “For that, I think Senior gets the credit, but bringing in R.J. Reynolds was a huge development that I think really set the stage for television, the Fortune 500 companies and all the marketing success that came behind that. A lot of that was Junior’s work.”

With a title sponsor in place, France, Jr. also knew that the sport needed a significant television presence. In the early and mid 1970s, racing was still considered an outlier sport, appearing in limited segments during ABC’s Wide World of Sports along with drag racing, ski jump, swimming, etc… France, Jr. led the charge in trying to get live coverage of NASCAR races on national television, which culminated in the landmark deal with CBS Sports in 1979 to broadcast the entire race live for the first time in the sport’s history.

As NASCAR’s fate would have it, that year’s Daytona 500 might have been one of the most memorable, if not important, in its history. A snowstorm in the Midwest and Northeast kept a large population seated in front of their televisions as Richard Petty snatched victory out of the jaws of defeat after leaders Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough crashed on the final lap of the race heading into turn three. While Petty took checkers, the entertainment had just begun as Donnie’s brother, Bobby Allison, joined a knock down fight between the two aforementioned combatants.

The rating success and industry buzz from that race helped France, Jr. sign ESPN in 1980, which later added TNN and TBS, winding up with the large television contract with FOX and NBC in 1999 for the 2001 season. That move wound up being France, Jr.’s most significant until his retirement in 2000, handing the at-track leadership reins over to Mike Helton, the first non-France family president in the sports history.

“He drove a hard bargain,” Joy said of France, Jr. “He knew his circuit was the one sustainable, viable game in town, and he knew he had something let’s say that Indy Car Racing didn’t have, and that was the manufacturers and the close identity between the fans and the cars that were raced.”

France, Sr. remained active in the sport of NASCAR until his death on June 7, 1992, just as the sport he so loved started to experience some of the national success he had first envisioned 45 years earlier.

Bill France, Jr., was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1999, and battled the after effects of the disease and treatment until his death on June 4, 2007. Despite his health issues, ‘Little Bill’ remained an important figure in many of the decisions being made within the sport.

The France legacy is still very strong within the sport of NASCAR, as Bill France, Jr.s son, Brian, took over as the NASCAR Chairman & CEO in 2003, continuing his father’s legacy of overseeing business development. Brian’s older sister, Lesa France Kennedy, is the President of ISC, while Jim France, the brother of Bill France, Jr., is the Executive Vice President of NASCAR and founded the Grand American Road Racing Series.

“I think what Senior and Junior had in common is that they were always looking 10 years down the road,” Despain said. “Racers are very much focused on the world of what’s happening this weekend. Racers aren’t always that forward thinking, as they are dealing with the immediate reality of getting the most out of it they can. I think what Senior had and probably passed on to Junior, was the importance of having a long-term target and a plan for getting there. I don’t think they ever lost that. If you chart the growth of that sport, compared with most other sports, its pretty phenomenal, think about where they came from and where they ended up, and I think that was a product of them having a vision of the future and a relentless determination to get to that goal.”

“Bill France, Sr. was a promoter and a visionary, continually encouraging us to find new ways to grow the sport,” Joy added. “Bill, Jr. was a smart businessman who challenged us to be smart and efficient. In very different ways, they were both great to work for and learn from.”

SPEED is the nation’s first and foremost cable television network dedicated to motor sports and the passion for everything automotive. From racing to restoration, motorcycles to movies, SPEED delivers quality programming from the track to the garage. Now available in more than 79 million homes in North America, SPEED is among the fastest-growing sports cable networks in the country and, the home to NASCAR on SPEED and an industry leader in interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services. For more information, please visit SPEEDtv.com, the online motor sports authority.

- SPEEDtv.com, Press Release

It is the sport’s growth during France Jr.’s stint at NASCAR’s helm that he is among the first five inductees in NASCAR’s Hall of Fame.

“Our entire family is honored to have bill chosen for the Hall of Fame’s charter class,” his widow Betty Jane France said. “And I know that if he was still with us, he would also feel honored by this recognition.” - Full Story by Amanda Vincent – Louisville NASCAR Examiner

Dale Earnhardt Inc.

Announced by NASCAR CEO Brian France earlier today, Earnhardt, one of NASCAR’s favorite drivers and fiercest competitors, was selected to the first class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame based on the achievements of his 26-year career and his many contributions to the sport both on and off the track. He joins Bill France, Sr., Bill France, Jr., Richard Petty and Junior Johnson in the inaugural group to be recognized at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on May 23, 2010. Earnhardt’s selection was voted on by NASCAR track owners, team owners, series officials, drivers and media members.

“It is truly an honor to see Dale Earnhardt recognized as one of the five most influential members of the NASCAR family and inducted in the first class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame,” said Teresa Earnhardt, President and CEO of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. “Of the many legendary accomplishments and accolades of his career – from the seven championships to the win in the Daytona 500 to the founding of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. — this is another defining moment. It is the achievement of a lifetime and is celebrated by the millions of Dale Earnhardt fans around the world.

“From now on, Dale Earnhardt’s spirit will live on at Dale Earnhardt, Inc., and part of him will live at the NASCAR Hall of Fame,” she added. “Not only would he be proud of this day, he’d be proud to see the legacy of his race team competing for a championship with Juan Pablo Montoya.”

Kerry Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt’s oldest son, said the selection of his father to the NASCAR Hall of Fame is a humbling experience.

“The legends that were nominated for the NASCAR Hall of Fame were my racing heroes growing up – and my Dad was first among them,” said Kerry Earnhardt. “Congratulations to all of the legends who were selected for the NASCAR Hall of Fame and thank you to the members of the voting panel for recognizing my Dad’s accomplishments in the sport. To see my Dad voted to the very first class to be inducted in the NASCAR Hall of Fame is amazing and humbling. He was a legend to the millions of fans who cheered him every week, and definitely a hero to me.”

For Taylor Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt’s youngest daughter, seeing her father recognized as one of five most influential people in NASCAR is inspiring.

“I’m so proud to see my Dad selected to the first class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame,” said Taylor Earnhardt. “Everything he did, he did with passion, a competitive spirit and a drive to win. That legacy is inspiring to me, and I hope it is inspiring to all of his fans celebrating this exciting event.”

Dale Earnhardt’s oldest daughter, Kelley Earnhardt, said the selection of her father is an incredible moment for all of his fans.

“We are extremely honored to see my father chosen as part of the esteemed first class of NASCAR Hall of Fame members, and we want to congratulate the fellow inductees and their families,” said Kelley Earnhardt. “To be part of the inaugural class is the ultimate honor — one that is cemented in time and achieved by no other outside of the five members. My father impacted many lives, and I know I speak on behalf of Dale Earnhardt fans everywhere in showing our appreciation that his memory will live forever inside the walls of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.”

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., thanked the voting panel for recognizing his father’s accomplishments.

“For what my Dad achieved in this sport – both on and off the track – he certainly earned his place in history and deserves to be distinguished in this inaugural class of NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees,” said Dale Earnhardt, Jr. “I want to thank the voting panel and nomination committee for recognizing that and honoring him this way. It means a lot to the Earnhardt family, and it means a lot to my Dad’s fans, which I am one. He was the man, plain and simple.”

Fans Can Join the Celebration of Dale Earnhardt’s Selection

For the legions of Dale Earnhardt fans who faithfully support their hero, the selection of Dale Earnhardt to the first class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame is cause for celebration. To honor the event, Dale Earnhardt, Inc. will be open for a fan celebration at Dale Earnhardt, Inc. headquarters in Mooresville, NC, throughout the weekend of October 16 and 17, 2009 and will debut a new exhibit featuring his memorabilia. In addition, fans can post a congratulatory message at www.DaleEarnhardt.com.

In addition, Dale Earnhardt, Inc. has created a special commemorative icon for Dale Earnhardt’s selection to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. It will be featured throughout the year of celebration of his induction, and will be available for fans on select apparel and commemorative items on www.DaleEarnhardtInc.com.

About Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and the Dale Earnhardt Foundation

Dale Earnhardt, Inc. has a nearly 30-year history as a racing organization, founded by one of the most storied individuals in the sport. It is committed to keeping this legacy alive and to building Dale Earnhardt, Inc. as a leader in the motorsports industry, an innovator in the automotive and transportation business and champion in philanthropic outreach.

The Dale Earnhardt Foundation’s mission is to “Continue the Legend” through charitable programs and grants that sustain Earnhardt’s lifelong commitment to Children, Education and Wildlife Preservation. Through the legacy of Dale Earnhardt, the Foundation has been able to help thousands of people in need, give college students and future leaders a chance to pursue their dreams and improve the environment through conservation efforts.

- Dale Earnhardt Inc., Press Release

Daytona International Speedway

Included in the inaugural class are:

· Bill France Sr., the founder of NASCAR and Daytona International Speedway

· Bill France Jr., former Chairman and CEO of NASCAR and a former president of Daytona International Speedway

· Richard Petty, a seven-time NASCAR champion and a seven-time Daytona 500 champion as well as a three-time winner of the Coke Zero 400.

· Dale Earnhardt, seven-time NASCAR champion, Daytona’s all-time winning driver and 1998 Daytona 500 champion

· Junior Johnson, 1960 Daytona 500 champion, winner of 50 NASCAR races as a driver and six championships as an owner

“Daytona International Speedway is proud to have a strong tie to each honoree in the inaugural Hall of Fame class,” Track President Robin Braig said. “Each individual from the inaugural class made a significant and long-lasting impact on the history and success at Daytona International Speedway.”

In the 1950s, France Sr. had the vision to build a 2.5-mile tri-oval-shaped circuit boasting 31-degree banking in the turns that today is home to the Daytona 500, NASCAR’s biggest, richest and most prestigious race.

France Jr. was also instrumental in the planning and construction of Daytona International Speedway along with the growth and direction of America’s premier motorsports facility that is known as the “World Center of Racing.”

In addition to his record seven Daytona 500 wins, Petty captured his 200th and final victory at Daytona International Speedway on July 4, 1984 with President Ronald Reagan in attendance. It was the first time a sitting President of the United States had attended a NASCAR event.

Earnhardt is the all-time winning driver at Daytona International Speedway with 34 triumphs including the 1998 Daytona 500, which he won on his 20th attempt. With a lucky penny glued to his dashboard from a young fan, Earnhardt led 107 laps including the final 61 to earn the elusive Daytona 500 win.

Named one of NASCAR’s “50 Greatest Drivers” in 1998, Johnson won the second annual Daytona 500 back in 1960 and was credited with the discovery of drafting on the superspeedways.

Tickets for the 52nd annual Daytona 500, which start at $55, are available online at http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

- Daytona International Speedway, Press Release

Talladega Superspeedway - 40 Years Of Racing

“Without the actions and leadership of Bill France and Bill France, Jr. there would be no NASCAR, no Daytona and no Talladega. I can’t even imagine what the state of auto racing would be like were it not for them.

“Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt were peerless competitors. Their daring actions on the track and hard-earned success gave millions of fans someone to cheer for and gave a face to our sport.

“Junior Johnson showed the masses that ingenuity and hard work pays off on the racetrack and in the owner’s seat.

“I applaud the choices for the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame class and look forward to the ceremony.”

- Talladega Superspeedway, Press Release

Michigan International Speedway

Statement from Roger Curtis, president, Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., on the inaugural class:

“These gentlemen make up an amazing class of inductees and are truly deserving of what an inaugural hall of fame class should be.

“I watched NASCAR growing up in Indiana and have been a fan of this sport my entire life. So it’s truly remarkable that these men transcended what the sport was in their time by defining the principles that we use at Michigan International Speedway today. They always treated race fans with respect and always showed them they how much they were appreciated.

“Congratulations to all the nominees and their families by providing a NASCAR legacy that we should all aspire to.”

The Class of 2010 will be officially inducted in a ceremony on May 23, 2010, at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte.

-  Michigan International Speedway, Press Release

Darlington Raceway

“Bill France Sr. and Bill France Jr. had the vision and passion to build NASCAR from its humble beginnings in 1948 to the sport it is today and are certainly well deserving of this honor.

“Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, Sr. are great driver representatives for the inaugural Hall of Fame class. Richard Petty set the standard for NASCAR drivers recording 200 wins and seven championships in his career. Dale Earnhardt, Sr. had such an impressive career ushering in a new era of NASCAR all while winning seven Cup championships tying Petty’s record.

“Junior Johnson was a legendary pioneer in NASCAR first as a successful driver and later going on to own a championship race team.

“This inaugural Hall of Fame class will go down in history as one of the most influential groups in the history of NASCAR.”

- Darlington Raceway, Press Release

NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2009

The NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel, consisting of members of the Nominating Committee along with 29 others representing NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, major race track ownership groups, retired drivers, owners and crew chiefs along with motorsports media representatives, met in a closed session in Charlotte, N.C. to vote on the induction class of 2010.

The class was determined by the 51 votes cast by the panel and the nationwide fan vote conducted through NASCAR.COM. The accounting firm of Ernst & Young presided over the tabulation of the votes.

The Class of 2010 will be officially inducted in a ceremony on May 23, 2010 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte.

The results of the voting for the final five chosen in this inaugural class proved competitive. Also receiving votes were David Pearson, Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison.

As part of the inclusive voting process, more than 670,000 NASCAR fans submitted votes online at NASCAR.COM as part of the fan voting process. This remarkable fan feedback once again demonstrates fans’ passion and knowledge of the sport and its heritage. The fans voted Petty, Earnhardt, Bill France Sr., Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison as their top five.

The nominees included many of the sport’s legendary names:

Bobby Allison, Buck Baker, Red Byron, Richard Childress, Dale Earnhardt, Richie Evans, Tim Flock, Bill France Jr., Bill France Sr., Rick Hendrick, Ned Jarrett, Junior Johnson, Bud Moore, Raymond Parks, Benny Parsons, David Pearson, Lee Petty, Richard Petty, Fireball Roberts, Herb Thomas, Curtis Turner, Darrell Waltrip, Joe Weatherly, Glen Wood and Cale Yarborough.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame broke ground in Charlotte on Jan. 25, 2007 and will open May 11, 2010. The facility honors the history and heritage of NASCAR and the many who have contributed to the success of NASCAR.

Highlighting the Class of 2010:

Dale Earnhardt

Earnhardt co-holds the record for most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships (seven) with Richard Petty. In only his second full season, 1980, Earnhardt nabbed his first championship. He won consecutive titles on three separate occasions (1986-87, ’90-91 and ’93-94). Earnhardt’s 76 victories rank seventh all-time.

He is the all-time leader in race victories at Daytona International Speedway with 34, though the most prominent of them was a while in the making.

In 1998, Earnhardt won his most coveted race – the Daytona 500. The scene was a memorable one, forever etched in the minds of race fans. As Earnhardt’s black No. 3 rolled down pit road, a Daytona 500 winner at last, every crew member from every team lined up to congratulate one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history.

Bill France Sr.

Called “Big Bill,” only partly because of his 6-foot-5 stature, France spearheaded NASCAR from its beginning and directed it to its present status as the world’s largest stock-car racing organization. In 1936, he helped lay out the first beach/road course in Daytona Beach; in the first race on the course he finished fifth. Starting in 1938, he helped promote races on the sands of Daytona Beach. In 1947, France became the driving force behind the establishment of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. NASCAR, it was called, resulting from a famous meeting at the Streamline Hotel on State Road A1A in Daytona Beach – a structure that stands to this day, as a racing landmark. “Big Bill” France passed away in June 1992. He left behind a lasting legacy.

Bill France Jr.

William Clifton France is remembered – and revered – as the man who followed his visionary father at NASCAR’s helm, in the process becoming a visionary himself, as he guided NASCAR to unprecedented levels of popularity.

France became NASCAR’s president in January 1972, replacing his father and becoming only the second president of the world’s largest auto racing sanctioning body. His emergence coincided with the sport’s emergence, and its eventual ascent to become America’s No. 1 form of motorsports and the nation’s second-most popular sport overall.

France, often referred to as “Bill Jr.,” remained president until November 2000. At that time, France announced the formation of a NASCAR Board of Directors on which he served as chairman and CEO until October 2003 when he was replaced by his son, Brian Z. France. After that, he continued to serve the sport for the remainder of his life as NASCAR Vice Chairman.

Junior Johnson

Robert Glenn “Junior” Johnson is unique in NASCAR history, with tremendous success both as a driver and a car owner.

Johnson won the second annual Daytona 500 in 1960 and in the process, became credited with the discovery of “drafting” on the massive superspeedways. He won 50 races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series then surprised many people by retiring from driving to become an owner. As an owner, Johnson never missed a beat; through the years, his drivers won 132 races. There also were six series championships produced with Cale Yarborough (1976-78) and Darrell Waltrip (1981-82, ’85).

Named one of NASCAR’s “50 Greatest Drivers” in 1998, Johnson resides in Wilkesboro, N.C., and remains one of the sport’s most enduring – and endearing – personalities, at the age of 78.

Richard Petty

Known as “the King”, Richard Petty’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series records are staggering: Most wins (200), most poles (123), tied for most championships (seven), most wins in a season (27), most Daytona 500 wins (seven), most consecutive wins (10) and most starts (1,185).

Petty’s success continued even after his retirement from driving in 1992. He would still hold the top spot in the family business – Petty Enterprises, and now, Richard Petty Motorsports. In all, Petty Enterprises totaled 268 victories before merging with Gillett Evernham Motorsports for the 2009 season to become Richard Petty Motorsports.

- NASCAR, Press Release