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Richmond's Nascar Hall of Fame Bid


wrldcoupe4

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You know I've forgot to mention that Richmond is in the running for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Here is part of a TD article that slipped under the radar last week:

During the second annual Motorsports Day at the Capitol, Warner enthusiastically pledged his support for Henrico County's bid on a NASCAR Hall of Fame that reportedly could cost at least $60 million and attract hundreds of thousands of annual visitors.

"You can't underestimate what it would mean to bring it here," Warner said, standing before a white Ford donated by team owner Junie Donlavey and stamped with a "Virginians Racing for the Hall of Fame" logo. "It'd probably be as big an economic stimulus to the region as anything we're looking at."

Richmond is competing against Atlanta; Charlotte, N.C.; Kansas City, Kan., Daytona Beach, Fla.; and the state of Michigan for NASCAR's first officially sanctioned museum. The Henrico Economic Development Authority is formalizing the proposal for a May 31 deadline and is expecting funding from a blend of public and private sources. Richmond International Raceway President Doug Fritz, whose track would be the site of the hall, said state and local financial help would be needed.

With expected support from a legislative majority, Warner said his administration would "lobby and lead the effort to bring this world-class facility to Richmond.

"The state spent a year in quiet negotiations with Philip Morris to bring that $300 million research facility to downtown Richmond," Warner said, referring to a project in which Virginia contributed $15 million. "The same kind of concentrated effort we're happy to put behind bringing the Hall of Fame here."

NASCAR probably won't select a city until after state elections in November. Fritz said gubernatorial candidates Tim Kaine and Jerry Kilgore both back the hall.

"There's been overwhelming support from the community and business leaders," Fritz said. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. What Cooperstown means to baseball and Canton, Ohio, means to the NFL, Richmond can mean that to NASCAR."

The whole article

What do you guys think of Richmond's chances? It would be a massive infusion of money in the local economy.

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Some more info on the bid:

"Week of March 20, 2005

*Richmond Area's NASCAR Hall of Fame Bid Gaining Steam

*NASCAR.com Survey Votes Richmond #1

*Media Opportunities: Media Day with Elliott Sadler; NASCAR Busch and NEXTEL Cup testing approaching quickly

*New Faces at Richmond International Raceway

*May Schedule and Credential Deadline Reminder

Richmond's NASCAR Hall of Fame Bid Gaining Steam: Dozens of area companies have stepped up with financial donations, logistical support and offers of free services including air time and billboards for Virginians Racing for The Hall of Fame, a non-profit group dedicated to bringing the NASCAR Hall of Fame to the Greater Richmond Metropolitan Area. "The response has been fantastic," Fritz said. "The Richmond community realizes what a unique opportunity this is and what having the NASCAR Hall of Fame would mean for our area. I feel great about our chances. Now it's just a matter of fitting the pieces together into a winning proposal."

Virginians Racing for The Hall of Fame has retained renowned companies in economic research, museum and hall of fame design, marketing, public relations, and financial planning. Richmond is competing with Atlanta, Birmingham, Charlotte, Daytona Beach, Kansas City and the State of Michigan to win the bid. The deadline is May 31 and NASCAR has stated it expects to make a decision by the end of the year.

Which track is #1? It's Richmond! In case you missed it, a recent NASCAR.com survey of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers, owners and crew chiefs voted Richmond International Raceway the top track on the circuit.

A groundswell of support has steadily grown among many drivers, fans and industry insiders who say that the best track is Richmond International Raceway. The 

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Vdogg, I don't know how to send what I've already typed about this over to here so feel free to do that.

Here is some more info on it:

Warner lends support to bring NASCAR Hall of Fame to Richmond

Richmond.com 

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Last week, a crowd gathered in Richmond outside of the State Capitol to recognize the prominence and importance of motorsports in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in addition to rallying support for Virginia's bid to land the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Richmond International Raceway representatives handed out postcards to be filled out by those who support bringing the NASCAR Hall of Fame to the Greater Richmond Metropolitan Area. Supporters are encouraged to mail those postcards to Virginians Racing for The Hall of Fame. They will later be sent en masse to Daytona, Florida, to show the NASCAR selection committee how serious Virginians are about bringing the NASCAR Hall of Fame to the Greater Richmond Metropolitan Area.

"We will be willing to put forth state support to help bring the NASCAR Hall of Fame to Richmond," said Governor Mark R. Warner. "You've got the postcards. If you're a supporter of bringing the Hall of Fame to Virginia, send in the postcards. Show NASCAR the broad-based support we have."

"Virginia is not only for lovers, but Virginia is for lovers of NASCAR and racing," said Warner. "We have more NASCAR-sanctioned races in Virginia than any other state in the country. We have a series of tracks across the Commonwealth (36 tracks). We are a great place for racing. It's my hope we can continue to build on that."

"You can't underestimate what it would mean to bring the NASCAR Hall of Fame here to Richmond, Virginia," Warner continued. "This would build on our racing tradition. It would probably be as big an economic stimulus to the region as anything we're looking at."

Other locales vying for the NASCAR Hall of Fame are Daytona, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; Charlotte, North Carolina; Kansas City, Kansas; and the State of Michigan. The deadline to submit proposals to NASCAR is May 31, 2005.

Article

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Vdogg, I don't know how to send what I've already typed about this over to here so feel free to do that.

Here is some more info on it:

Article

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Thanks for the information coupe. I didn't know that there was so much going on to get this thing located in Richmond. It's good to see that they are really putting forth a good effort. I'm personally not a NASCAR fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I sure hope Richmond lands this thing!!!

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Yea I'd rather count arm hairs than watch NASCAR. But this would be a massive boost to the local economy and may add tourists to others segments of museums and other historical places.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, I'm also thinking about the big picture as well. If NASCAR gives Richmond its identity...well, at least it has an identity, even if it is NASCAR. Even though I don't like NASCAR, I did happen to watch the last Busch Series race on TV that was in Richmond only to see my hometown, since I'm so far away. Pathetic isn't it? I just wanted to see, first hand, what kind of publicity Richmond was getting from the race. The network I was watching did an "OK" job of marketing the city on TV, but they could have done a lot better such as have clips of the city and maybe a mini documentary (30-45 seconds or so) in between commercials. I would have liked that a lot, but it didn't happen. At least I know now and I'll probably never watch another race again.

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do you all really feel that Richmond can compete? Why do you think this? -Im being serious...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I see that you are from Charlotte...hum...well, by just reading the previous posts on this thread and frankly, Richmond has the BEST track on the circuit according to REAL NASCAR folks and the fact that so much is being put into place to draw this thing in (money, incentives, etc.) leads me to believe that Richmond can not only compete, but beat all the other cities out there trying to lure in the Hall of Fame...including Charlotte. Which leads me to ask you...Do you really believe that Charlotte can compete?...and yes, I'm being serious. What makes you think that Richmond cannot compete?

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I think Richmond really can compete. Drivers, owners and crew chiefs voted Richmond International Raceway the top track on the circuit. 50% of the nation's population is within a days drive from Richmond. Richmond sits right in the middle of the Atlantic Seaboard, which will make it a great location for people venturing down from New England, as well as people coming up from the south (NASCAR isn't loved only in the south).

From a Times-Dispatch article:

"You may not know that the Richmond area also boasts a strong racing history to challenge the traditionalists hoping for Daytona Beach or Charlotte. Professional racing began in Richmond in 1946, two years before NASCAR was formed. In 1953, Richmond International Raceway hosted its first Grand National race, which today is known as the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. The track has hosted two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series events every year since 1959, and today is one of the most popular stops for fans, drivers, race officials, and the media, as evidenced by 26 straight sellout crowds of more than 107,000 fans." Every single aspect of the community is behind this. The state and local governments, civic groups, and the entire business community.

Another quote from the times-dispatch that reiterates some earlier points:

"The Richmond area has by far the best location of any of the proposed cities. More than 50 percent of the U.S. population is within a day's drive of Richmond. How many "day-trippers" and easy, two- or three-day weekend trips are those other cities going to get from the millions of NASCAR fans and curiosity-seekers north of Richmond? Probably not as many as we would get here.

How about our highways? With I-95, I-64, I-295, and nearby I-85, we have an excellent, easy-to-navigate highway system and an ever-improving international airport. Would you like a traffic headache? Take a drive through some of the competing cities and call me from your cell phone while your day rots away with your car in park on the highway. A traffic headache in Richmond is riding your brakes for five minutes on I-64 every morning because of sun glare."

Want more?

"What else is in our favor? Other historical and cultural attractions, of course. You'd be hard-pressed to find more than a half dozen U.S. cities that have a more interesting history than Richmond. We also have activities for families such as Busch Gardens, King's Dominion, and nearby Williamsburg; two new, cool shopping malls; a wide variety of impressive restaurants, top-rated hotels, and a mild climate with four distinct seasons. And don't forget other nearby major tourist attractions such as Washington D.C., Virginia Beach, and the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains."

Still more?

"Virginians Racing for The Hall of Fame has assembled a strong, focused, powerful group of people who can land the NASCAR Hall of Fame and change the way people -- and not just sports fans -- think about our region forever. The group is aggressive and forward-thinking. In fact, one of the consulting companies retained by Virginians Racing for The Hall of Fame was courted by another city, but did so too late. Hey snooze, you lose.

The group consists of county and state officials and industry leaders in many fields, including economic research, economic development, architecture, museum design, tourism, public relations, marketing, advertising, and the media, to name just a few. More specifically, the group has the strong support from the Richmond Chamber of Commerce, Richmond Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, Virginia Motorsports Coalition, Retail Merchants Association of Greater Richmond, Virginia Tourism Corporation, and Greater Richmond Partnership."....

I'm sure plenty of people in Charlotte and Atlanta brush off Richmond as a half-rate backwater town with no chance to compete with such large southern metros. I'm sure ya'll dont take us seriously. All of the cities in the running have great things going for them with regards to this HOF. But what happens though if Richmond does win the bid? Just because we aren't as vocal and noisy about trying to get it doesn't mean that we aren't trying.

Article

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Oh yeah, and sorry to burst your bubble, but the argument that flying to Richmond is too expensive and it will cut back on attendance at the new HOF won't work anymore. After Airtran's announcement and Jet BLue's proposed entry into the market, we are much more competitive.

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Do you really believe that Charlotte can compete?

:D. That is rich.

Charlotte besides being the base of most of the racing teams (at least the area) is home to a superspeedway that may not be as liked by 'true' nascar fanatics, but is much larger in terms of people going to the race and sheer recogintion throughout the US. I don't know if Richmond does this for its races, but during SpeedWeek (The Coca Cola 600 week) Downtown is turned into a major festival with the main road in Charlotte full of things to do, its all about NASCAR. Plus the hiring of one of the most famous arhitects in the world to design the HOF shows Charlotte has a serious attitude of achieveing this goal.

Charlotte has long been a city of overachievers. I think this goal can also be achieved.

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The proposals aren't in until May 31. Charlotte could hold a global press conference tomorrow talking about how it has a famous architect but in the end does it matter? What matters is in the proposals. What matters is the decisions that are made between may 31 and the end of the year. Who's to say all the cities won't select world class architects? I really don't think any of the cities would enter into the competition and then half ass it. I think all of the cities have many things going for them though obviously I am rooting for Richmond. Not one city in the competition is full of underachievers. This is the United States. We are a nation of overachievers.

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The proposals aren't in until May 31. Charlotte could hold a global press conference tomorrow talking about how it has a famous architect but in the end does it matter? What matters is in the proposals. What matters is the decisions that are made between may 31 and the end of the year. Who's to say all the cities won't select world class architects? I really don't think any of the cities would enter into the competition and then half ass it. I think all of the cities have many things going for them though obviously I am rooting for Richmond. Not one city in the competition is full of underachievers. This is the United States. We are a nation of overachievers.

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I'll agree. It's going to be a tough call in the end as to which city will win the HOF...I'm glad I don't have to make the decision (I'm sure others are glad too because I'd be biased for Richmond alone to win it all). I think, however, that all cities involved will submit an excellent, tempting proposal. I do wish all competing cities the best. Thanks moonshield for giving us the reasons why you think Charlotte will be very competitive. I have to agree that you all WILL be a high contender, no doubt.

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Richmond sells out 27th straight NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race

"Richmond.com

Friday, April 15, 2005

Track President Doug Fritz announced today that every seat-all 107,097 of them-will be filled for the Chevy American Revolution 400, set for Saturday, May 14 "under the lights." The track's sellout streak of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series events is now at 27, spanning nearly 14 years. Nearly 2.5 million fans from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries have attended NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series events at Richmond International Raceway during that time.

"Drivers, fans, media members and sponsors continually rate Richmond International Raceway as one of the most exciting and entertaining stops on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series schedule," Fritz said. "I would especially like to thank our loyal fans who return race after race and year after year. They know they will always see terrific racing, be treated well and have a fantastic experience from start to finish.""

Hopefully that is a plus for the HOF bid.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I remember reading that Richmond has retained 3 internationally renowned, world class firms for its bid for the HOF (though they haven't been publicly announced yet). One of the firms was actually courted by another competing city, however, Richmond had already retained them.

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OK, here we go...here's the latest on the HOF proposal for Richmond. Support is definitely being drummed up!

From WRIC TV web site:

The rally to bring the NASCAR Hall of Fame to Richmond is heating up. After working with businesses and political leaders, the lobbying group Virginians Racing For The Hall of Fame is turning to you to help win NASCAR's approval.

The campaign is taking another huge step forward, asking for the public to show its support through petitions and postcards.

You can find them at any of the 56 Fas Marts in the Richmond, Petersburg and Fredericksburg areas. They were made by Virginians Racing for the Hall of Fame and state you support bringing the Hall of Fame here to Richmond.

"We just want to show NASCAR support that we've got a tremendous amount of support in this area in this community, and this will show it," said Doug Fritz, president of Richmond International Raceway.

Fas Mart officials say the Hall of Fame could be a big boom for our area. That's why they've made a financial contribution to the effort, and are home to the petitions and postcards.

"We think this is just a fabulous opportunity for the Richmond area to show its support for NASCAR," said Fas Mart spokesperson Tom Terry.

At one area Fas Mart we went to, signatures were quick in coming. Even customers who say they aren't NASCAR fans tell us they see the value in getting the Hall of Fame here.

"I like to see any tourist attraction coming to Richmond. People enjoy it around the Richmond area, I know that...there's so many NASCAR fans," said Rosemary Daugherty, who signed the petition.

The petitions and postcards will be gathered up and sent along with the final proposal submitted to NASCAR. The deadline for that proposal is May 31st.

Some other cities vying for the Hall of Fame are Atlanta, Charlotte, Daytona Beach and Kansas City.

Also, check this out (especially, you Coupe or anyone else who is in support of this project)...there is a web site for folks who want to show their support. I've already done it and you should too! The more names, the better! Also on this site are some great photos, sound bites, articles and other great information regarding Richmond's NASCAR HOF proposal! Act fast because the proposal must be submitted by May 31st! Click the link for the web site: http://www.bringthehalltorichmond.com/default.asp

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Great find man! especially the site to show support; I'll definitely have to check it out. I'm actually in Richmond for the weekend which is reallllly refreshing. Got to drive by the night skyline on my way home thursday night. I loove the way it looks at night, especially Main Street Station.

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Wow NBC12 had a very informative story on our bid! The Richmond proposal calls for a $100,000,000+ Hall of Fame. Estimates are for at least 500,000 visitors a year as well, given the great strategic position of Richmond (centrally located in the mid-atlantic accessible to 50% of the nation's population within a day's drive, not to mention the intersection of I-95 and I-64). The one discrepancy is that I believe Kansas City said it could have up to 1,000,000 visitors a year, though I think that is highly unlikely

"Richmond Prime Location For NASCAR Hall of Fame Museum

By Rob Richardson

NBC12 News

Wednesday, May 4, 2005

If the proposed NASCAR Hall of Fame Museum were built in Henrico County, it would attract more than 500,000 visitors a year. That

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With all the work Henrico County is putting forth, I sure hope we get this thing. Daytona is definitely going to be hard to beat, Charlotte will also be tough. Ricky Rudd said on the NBC 12 video that he hope the HOF comes to Virginia, but I heard a lot of doubt in his voice...I just hope he's wrong (as far as the doubt in his voice).

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Sorry Coupe, I had to edit this. We cannot post full articles on the site.

We've been called the 'darkhorse' in other forums. I don't want to get my hopes up too high, but it would be great to see Richmond pull an upset victory from Atlanta and Charlotte....

Race to the Hall of Fame

RIR President asks for support

Doug Fritz

Richmond.com

Monday, May 09, 2005

If you are a baseball fan, chances are you have visited Cooperstown, New York. If you follow the NFL, you know that the road from the gridiron to the Pro Football Hall of Fame leads to Canton, Ohio. And if you are a fan of the NBA or college basketball, you know that Dr. James Naismith used a peach basket to help invent basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts, home of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Even if you are not a fan of those sports or even a sports fan at all, surely you have heard of those towns and realize that they mean something very big and something extremely important to sports fans and to those who make or have made their living as professional athletes.......Full Story

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