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First, he has the same car that was running great at Talladega Superspeedway until getting hit from behind under caution. Second, he loves racing the 2.5-mile track of Daytona International Speedway because of the high speeds. Third, the thrill of racing under the lights of DIS on a Friday night is the one ingredient Richardson likes the most.

The No. 23 North Texas Pipe Dodge team is taking to the track looking to complete the entire event, unlike the season opener when they got caught up in someone else’s mess and hurt their radiator. This time, the car and driver are ready to race like hell to the checkered flag.

Fast Facts: This will be the 83rd-career start for the native of McKinney, Texas and 14th of the 2011 season. His best start, to date, this year is 26th place; which was achieved at Talladega Superspeedway. The best run to the checkers took place at Richmond when he placed 20th.

Track Facts: Richardson is making his 10th -career start at DIS, and second of the season. The season opener was shaping up to be a good run for him and the No. 23 team as they were up in the top-15 early. When they got caught up in someone else’s wreck, it punched a hole in the radiator and caused the car to overheat and out of the race. His best start DIS was 27th and finish of 25th place. The 29-year old driver has completed 95.3% (963 of 1011) laps contested at Daytona.

Car Facts: Walter Giles and team are taking chassis No. 55 with them to the World Center of Speed for this weekend. This car made its debut at the season opener at DIS and was used again at Talladega.

Tune in for the Win: On-track action begins on Thursday with two practice sessions for the NNS. The first is from 2:30 to 3:50 p.m. ET and the final one is from 5:30 to 6:25 p.m. That one will be aired on ESPN2. Qualifying is on the same network at 2 p.m. on Saturday, with race action a few hours later on ESPN at 7 p.m. Radio coverage can be heard on MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Ch. 90 for all 100 laps.

Did you know: People often ask how Lake Lloyd came to be in the infield of the 2.5-mile oval. When Bill France, Sr. built the track on the relatively flat landscape of Florida in 1957, he had to come up with dirt to make the high banking for the turns. So, they dug it right out of the middle of the track leaving a large hole. That hole filled with water and was named Lake Lloyd; which is now used for fishing and water sports.

Robert Richardson, Jr. Quotes: “This race is always one I look forward to at Daytona for a few reasons. First, it’s Daytona – what more needs to be said. Second, it’s under the lights on a Friday night and that makes it even more interesting and exciting for the drivers, teams and fans.

“What I don’t like is the two-car draft deal that’s come about with these new cars. You either have to be a pusher or be pushed, and that doesn’t work out too well sometimes. You’ve seen in the previous races at Daytona and Talladega how that usually works out for the guy in front.

“But, it is what it is and I know our No. 23 Dodge is a great car and the team did a great job getting it ready for this race. Now, it’s up to me – and whomever I work with – to get that car up front and get that great finish we all want.”

- R3 Motorsports Press Release

Brett Moffitt

No. 00 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota

Bowman Gray Stadium

Brett Moffitt

CORNELIUS, N.C. —

MOFFITT QUOTES

BOWMAN GRAY STADIUM: “We’re really looking forward to going to Bowman Gray. We don’t really know what to expect going there because our series has never running a race there before, but our car was really good at the test a few weeks ago. We just focused on getting the car to turn in the middle of the corner and have decent forward-drive off. I think it was very useful being able to go to that track to test and get that ex­perience. Personally, I learned a lot on how to get around there. Tim Brown came out to help us a bit and I have to thank him for that. We learned a lot and we are hoping to go back and use all of that information.”

NEXT NINE: “The Next Nine was a really cool event we did at the NASCAR Hall of Fame for a few days last week. It was a great opportunity for fans to come out and get autographs. It was also a great opportunity for us as drivers to get media experience and get our names out there a little bit more. It was fun for me and I was glad to be chosen as one of the nine drivers NASCAR invited to the event.”

TOYOTA DOMINATION: This year the Toyota cars are running really strong in the K&N Pro Series East. They’ve won every race so it’s a good start to the season for them. I know we couldn’t do it without their backing. They’ve provided us with a strong engine and it’s shown on the track with our two wins. Hopefully our MWR team can continue on that success for them this weekend.”

NOTES

· Moffitt owns six career victories in the East Series out of his twenty five races.

· Moffitt has led 355 laps of the season’s 565. He has earned two wins in the past four events.

· This weekend will mark the first time in a decade and a half that a NASCAR stock car touring series has visited Bowman Gray Stadium. The “Madhouse” is NAS­CAR’s longest running weekly race track started by Bill France Sr. and Alvin Haw­kins in 1949.

· Moffitt’s Crew Chief Mike Greci bids for his fifth East Series title in 2011. Greci won titles with Ryan Truex in 2009 and 2010 and with Mike Stefanik in 1997 and 1998.

· The race will be broadcast live on NASCARHomeTracks.com via Speed 51 Radio.

- Michael Waltrip Racing Press Release

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And while only one driver will earn the coveted national championship, there’s another prestigious title within ARCA’s framework up for grabs each season – the Bill France Four Crown award.

The award, depictive of the series’ versatility, is a separate point fund that tests drivers on four very different tracks. This year’s Bill France Four Crown will include events in four different months on the calendar, and competition for the celebrated prize begins this weekend in the ModSpace 150 at New Jersey Motorsports Park’s Thunderbolt Raceway, a 14-turn road course in southern New Jersey.

Filling out the Four Crown schedule will be: the June 17 speedway event at the 2-mile Michigan International Speedway; the August 21 dirt mile race at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield; and the September 17 short track showdown at Salem Speedway in Indiana.

The award is certainly important for whom it’s named after – Bill France Sr. – but also for what it represents: ARCA’s versatility. No other touring series requires drivers to compete on as many different styles of tracks as the ARCA Racing Series does. The award truly captures the essence of ARCA competition.

The very first Bill France Four Crown championship was awarded in 1984 to the late Davey Allison, a rookie at that time. Twenty-five years later another rookie, Parker Kligerman, would earn the honor driving for Cunningham Motorsports.

Last season, Joey Coulter won the Bill France Four Crown Award with finishes of first, second, fourth, and eighth in the four events, all scheduled in August. Frank Kimmel is the all-time Bill France Four Crown champion with six Bill France Four Crown titles.

Past Bill France Four Crown Award Champions:

1984 – Davey Allison
1985 – Lee Raymond
1986 – Lee Raymond
1987 – Grant Adcox
1988 – Grant Adcox
1989 – Tracy Leslie
1990 – Bob Keselowski
1991 – Bobby Bowsher/Bill Venturini (Tie)
1992 – Bobby Bowsher
1993 – Bob Keselowski
1994 – Bob Hill
1995 – Harris DeVane
1996 – Tim Steele
1997 – Tim Steele
1998 – Frank Kimmel
1999 – Bill Baird
2000 – Tim Steele
2001 – Frank Kimmel
2002 – Frank Kimmel
2003 – Jason Jarrett
2004 – Brent Sherman
2005 – Frank Kimmel
2006 – Blake Bjorklund
2007 – Frank Kimmel
2008 – Frank Kimmel
2009 – Parker Kligerman
2010 – Joey Coulter

Two Saturday practices are scheduled for the ModSpace 150, from 11:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m. and 1:45-2:45 p.m. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell – won on all three occasions in 2011 by Dillon – will begin at 4:30 p.m., in turn setting the field for Sunday’s race, which starts at 1 p.m. Live timing and scoring coverage of all ARCA Racing Series activity will be available on ARCARacing.com.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. The series tests the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, annually visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course.

Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events.

- Automobile Racing Club of America Press Release

NASCAR K&N Pro Series

No less than eight drivers with family ties to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series are expected to participate in the K&N Pro Series at some point in the coming season. Two have Hall of Fame lineage, one has seen his famous father hoist the Sprint Cup and another is the son of a multi-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion.

The first sign of such a movement came late in the 2010 season when Ben Kennedy participated in the K&N Pro Series East event at Gresham Motorsports Park under the Mark Martin Performance banner. While a mechanical issue ended the night early for the son of NASCAR Vice Chairwoman and Executive Vice President Lesa France Kennedy – and the great grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. – the writing was on the wall that was a test run for a full campaign in 2011.

A similar litmus test was made by Chad Boat, son of former Indy racer Billy Boat, when he participated in the fall race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The indication again was that this was setting the stage for a full season when the calendar turned, and indeed he will compete in a car fielded by Mike Curb.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Junior Johnson then founded Junior Johnson Motorsports late in 2010 to field a car for his son, Robert Johnson, for the full 2011 K&N Pro Series East season. Since the calendar turned, however, the flood gates have opened for the sons racing families that are now turning to NASCAR’s top developmental series to take the next step.

Chase Elliott will be the first driver to take advantage of the lowering of the minimum competition age to 15 for 2011. The son of 1984 Sprint Cup Series Champion Bill Elliott signed a multi-year deal with Hendrick Motorsports and will now compete full-time – a year ahead of schedule – out of the family garage in Dawsonville, Ga.

The K&N Pro Series East will also see a handful of legacy drivers get their toes wet on a part-time basis this year. Ryan Blaney, the son of current Sprint Cup Series driver Dave Blaney, plans to make spot starts in a family-owned ride while longtime national series driver Robert Pressley’s son, Coleman Pressley, will compete in a number of events with the newly-formed X Team Racing. Announced just this week, Brandon McReynolds, son of former Sprint Cup Series crew chief and current NASCAR on Fox analyst Larry McReynolds, will run with longtime K&N Pro Series East team Spraker Racing Enterprises. And Clay Alexander, the son of 1983 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion and former national series driver Mike Alexander, also hopes to make his debut in the series this year.

Not to be forgotten is a pair of drivers who also watched their fathers compete at the touring level. Ryan Reed, the son of former K&N Pro Series West competitor Mark Reed, has moved his operation from California to North Carolina in the offseason and plans to compete part-time in the K&N Pro Series East while ASA Late Model driver Yale Conley hopes to see his son, Cale, get some action in the K&N Pro Series East in 2011.

This group of racing sons just adds to those of a similar background that have already been running in the K&N Pro Series East. Two-time Nationwide Series titlist Randy LaJoie’s son, Corey LaJoie, has made seven starts in the series in the two previous season and plans to run for the championship in 2011. D.J. Shaw, the son of longtime K&N Pro Series East driver and 1994 champion Dale Shaw, will also be back for his sophomore campaign and expect to see Ty Dillon, son of former Nationwide Series driver Mike Dillon and grandson of Sprint Cup Series car owner Richard Childress, also return for a few spot starts.

As the 2011 schedule opens at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway on Saturday, March 26 with the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150, this group of racing offspring will just be a portion of the new faces that will take to the track as three-quarters of the starting grid figures to be rookies or second-year drivers.

And evidenced by the national series success of recent graduates Joey Logano, Trevor Bayne, Ricky Carmichael, Austin Dillon and now Cole Whitt, the K&N Pro Series East has become the destination for the best up-and-coming prospects to launch their NASCAR careers, and the destination for fans to get a glimpse of the starts of tomorrow.

- Integrated Marketing Communications Press Release

Jay Robinson Racing

The 1990 Daytona 500 Champion Derrike Cope said, “I am very excited to be able to introduce The Prevention Plan to the NASCAR fans. The Prevention Plan will be the most important link to good health for millions of people. As far the race, Daytona is definitely my favorite track. If we can be in the lead draft with 10 to go, we will have as good of a chance as anybody.”

Christopher Fey, founder, CEO and chairman of U.S. Preventive Medicine, said the opportunity to work with Cope and Daytona auto racing, is particularly poignant given his family background.

“We are delighted to have this special opportunity to work with Derrike and the Jay Robinson Racing team,” said Fey. “It feels full circle for me because my father was friends and worked with Bill France, Sr., around the time France was founding NASCAR. My father died from colon cancer at the age of 29 in 1953, the same year NASCAR started. I was just one year old at the time, and losing my father at that early age had a profound impact on me and is part of the reason I founded U.S. Preventive Medicine, which exists primarily to prevent devastating events from happening to people.”

U.S. Preventive Medicine’s primary product is The Prevention Plan®, a personalized program to help individuals achieve the best health possible by providing an analysis of their health, personal assistance from prevention experts, and a roadmap on how to reach specific health goals. The confidential program helps people live better and save money by providing valuable tools and personal attention to get healthier.

About U.S. Preventive Medicine

U.S. Preventive Medicine® (www.USPreventiveMedicine.com) is leading a global preventive health movement focused on saving lives and money by keeping people healthy and better managing chronic conditions before they progress. The company provides an integrated continuum of prevention programs – primary, secondary and tertiary – that are based on the clinical science of preventive medicine. The world’s first preventive health benefit, The Prevention Plan™, moves beyond traditional wellness to identify each individual’s top health risks and design a customized plan of action supported 24×7 by nurse coaches. The company is accredited in wellness and health promotion by NCQA and in disease management by URAC.

- Jay Robinson Racing Press Release

Daytona International Speedway Logo

It’s the second straight year that the “World Center of Racing” will honor Medal of Honor recipients, a program that was first started by Bill France Sr. back in the 1970s.

The Medal of Honor recipients, all from the Vietnam War, to be honored are:

• Joe M. Jackson, retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel from Newman, Ga.
• Don Jenkins, retired U.S. Army Staff Sergeant from Quality, Ky.
• Thomas Norris, retired U.S Navy Lieutenant from Jacksonville, Fla.
• Richard A. Pittman, retired U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant from French Camp, San Joaquin, Calif.
• Kenneth Stumpf, a retired U.S Army Staff Sergeant from Menasha, Wis.
• Michael Thornton, a retired U.S. Navy Petty Officer from Greenville, S.C.

All six Medal of Honor recipients will be honored during a special luncheon on Friday at the Bill France Room inside Daytona 500 Experience and will attend driver’s meetings and participate in pre-race ceremonies for both the Subway Jalapeno 250 Powered By Coca-Cola NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Friday night, July 2 and the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Saturday night, July 3.

There will be a special salute to the six Medal of Honor recipients between the National Anthem and the starting command, “Gentlemen start your engines,” for Saturday’s Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola.

In addition, the six Medal of Honor recipients will take part in an autograph session with race fans in the Sprint FANZONE near the Goodyear Legends of Daytona Legends of Daytona area on Friday at 4:30 p.m.

“We’re proud to be continuing this program for the second straight year,” Daytona International Speedway President Robin Braig said. “Through their military service to our country, these six men displayed bravery and courage in protecting the freedoms that we all enjoy today. We look forward to saluting them during the upcoming Independence Day holiday weekend.”

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It’s bestowed on a member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States.

Tickets for the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola on Saturday night, July 3 are available on online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP

- Daytona International Speedway, Press Release

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

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

Leonard T. Miller recalls the uphill battle, institutional racism and glass ceiling encountered in high-tier racing in his new book, Racing While Black: How an African-American Stock Car Team Made Its Mark on NASCAR (Seven Stories Press; February 17, 2010) written with sportswriter Andrew Simon.

The 2010 NASCAR season, the 62nd year of professional stock car racing, is underway. You’ve heard the familiar team names of Penske, Waltrip, Petty and Gibbs. Now meet the Miller Racing Group: a successful African-American auto racing team.

This father/son racing combo crashed through the cultural, racial and class barriers of motorsports. In 2005, Leonard T. Miller and his father, Leonard W. Miller (author of Silent Thunder) were the first African-Americans to win a track championship in NASCAR history.

What’s revealed in Racing While Black:

• · What it was like to be the first black-owned team to enter the Indy 500 in 1972.
• · Why corporations were unwilling to sponsor black racers.
• · How the Miller team navigated around hostile officials and promoters and bigoted competitors to become an enduring presence in NASCAR racing.
• · Why breaking the NASCAR color barrier is a little-known chapter in our country’s racial history.

“You don’t have to have motor oil running through your veins to savor the rich slice of contemporary Americana that Miller and Simon serve up – an unlikely team’s journey through the grimy garages and cool corporate offices where one of the nation’s fastest-growing spectator sport actually gets played. And if you are a racing freak, this is a book that tells secrets, names names and exposes the divisions that still constrict the sport.”

—Amy Argetsinger, The Washington Post

“For decades, black racing drivers have struggled against an unwelcoming environment in NASCAR. Fifty-five years ago NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., told the group’s first black racer, Wendell Scott, that the sport would treat him without prejudice. That promise proved false. Scott’s career hopes were undermined by hostile officials and promoters, bigoted competitors who wrecked him deliberately, and corporations unwilling to sponsor a black driver. The engrossing narrative in Racing While Black documents for the first time how African-American drivers seeking NASCAR careers in the modern era have endured the same problems as Scott. As a racing team executive, co-author Leonard T. Miller brings an insider’s knowledge to the story. This book will help readers understand why NASCAR, unlike other major sports, remains all-white at its top level. Racing While Black is an illuminating, action-packed journey through a little-known chapter in our country’s racial history”.—Brian Donovan, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of Hard Driving: The American Odyssey of NASCAR’s First Black Driver

Leonard T. Miller and Andrew Simon will be making appearances in New York, DC, Philadelphia at the Free Library of Philadelphia on February 4th, and Charlotte, NC. Please contact Ruth Weiner at ruth@sevenstories. com for more information.

Leonard T. Miller is a second-generation African-American auto racing team owner, the president of Miller Racing Group, Inc, and a twenty-one-year veteran commercial airline pilot. His dad, Leonard W. Miller, entered a team in the 1972 Indianapolis 500 and is in the Black Athletes Hall of Fame.

- Seven Stories Press, Press Release

NASCAR Logo

Johnson’s selection also validated the belief of Bill France Sr. that NASCAR drivers are indeed “athletes,” an assertion the late NASCAR founder said was crucial in further developing the sport.

In winning the honor, Johnson outdistanced tennis superstar Roger Federer, who won his record-breaking
15th career Grand Slam title last summer at Wimbledon and regained his No. 1 world ranking; and Usain Bolt, the track and field standout who became the first man in history to hold the 100- and 200- meter world and Olympic titles at the same time. That is pretty stellar company.

In a recent letter he wrote to Johnson, Jim France – NASCAR vice chairman and executive vice president and Bill Sr.’s son – said the recognition by the AP cemented the fact that drivers are athletes.

“Over 60 years ago, my father set out to make NASCAR part of the traditional American sports landscape,” Jim France wrote. “He believed the recognition of drivers as athletes was a key element in validating motor racing as a legitimate sport.”

An examination of the listing of the previous winners of the AP Male Athlete of the Year award reads like a “Who’s Who” in the history books of sports. Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Joe Montana, Carl Lewis, Muhammad Ali, Mark Spitz, Sandy Koufax, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Ben Hogan, Joe DiMaggio, Jesse Owens and Joe Louis are all past recipients, meaning Johnson has etched his name alongside some of sports’ greatest performers.

In winning his unprecedented fourth straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship, Johnson turned in a world-class athletic performance in 2009. It was a performance highlighted by intense preparation, focus, endurance – plus mental and physical toughness. And in doing so, Johnson validated Bill France Sr.’s vision for the sport.

- NASCAR, Press Release

France first caught the racing bug by turning laps in the familly Ford Model T as a teenager at a board track in Maryland, that is without his parents knowledge.

When he got older he owned and operated his own service station in the Washington, D.C., area before packing up his family and relocating to Daytona in 1935. - 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