Richmond's Nascar Hall of Fame Bid

[eastsider]

I'm very anxious to see what Richmond comes up with in their bid for the hall of fame. They've been very quiet as far as details go, so my curiosity is going up.

At first I thought Charlotte would be a lock to get this, but as more info is coming out about the other cities bids I'm feeling less confident. I expected Atlanta would be tough, but I did not expect Kansas City to come up with as strong of a bid that they have. I have no doubt that Richmond will be competitive as well. I think all four of these cities have a shot to end up with it.

Reading through this thread, I guess I'm kinda like you guys - not a huge racing fan, although I'll watch parts of some races from time to time. I would love to see it come to my hometown though, Charlotte, just for the huge economic impact it would bring. I also want it here so we can have some distictive modern architecture in the downtown area, something with the "wow" factor.

Oh well.....I think this whole process has been very interesting. It's not often that you get to see cities compete for something like this. Can't wait for the end of the month to see what the final bids look like.

[wrldcoupe4]

Some thoughts that a poster on another site brought to my attention that seem to bode very well for Richmond's bid:

The France family, which controls NASCAR, also owns international speedway corp., which RIR is part of. Kansas City, Michigan, and Daytona are also owned by the France family. Charlotte's track is not (though they plan to put their HOF downtown).

Daytona also must compete with the many other Florida attractions as well. Strategically, it is not ideal like Richmond's (50% of the population is within a day's drive).

RIR is also a consistent money maker. When there are not races being held (NASCAR car and truck, IRL, etc), there are various shows, exhibitions, and concerts (Chili cook-off a couple weeks ago) that are held there. It attracts thousands upon thousands of people even when there are no races.

Also, after the state fair relocates to Caroline County in a year or two, RIR is planning major expansion/renovation projects.

[wrldcoupe4]

Reading through this thread, I guess I'm kinda like you guys - not a huge racing fan, although I'll watch parts of some races from time to time. I would love to see it come to my hometown though, Charlotte, just for the huge economic impact it would bring. I also want it here so we can have some distictive modern architecture in the downtown area, something with the "wow" factor.

Oh well.....I think this whole process has been very interesting. It's not often that you get to see cities compete for something like this. Can't wait for the end of the month to see what the final bids look like.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm definitely in it more for the economic impact and just having such a big draw for the area and the name recognition. I also think it would stimulate the area surrounding RIR creating some great gentrification. It would be nice to know more details for the Richmond proposal. Let's hope they are keeping a lid on it so that when they submit their bid it will blow NASCAR away. It might not be a bad idea. The other cities can look at what Charlotte and Atlanta have announced and then refine their proposals, making them more enticing than Charlotte/Atlanta. I guess we all have to wait and see....

[wrldcoupe4]

to reinforce what happens at the Richmond Raceway Complex when it isn't Race weekend:

"Richmond Raceway Complex is a sprawling, 800- acre, multi-purpose facility that is home to Richmond International Raceway and one of the most versatile special events sites in the country. It has six permanent buildings with more than 300,000 square feet of exhibition and meeting space.

More than 500,000 visitors attended consumer trade shows, special events, corporate meetings, concerts and outdoor festivals at Richmond Raceway Complex in 2004.

Headline shows in 2004 included the Virginia Golf Show, Bassarama, Richmond Home and Garden Show, RV and Camping Expo, Richmond Boat Show, Richmond Classic Sports Card Show, East Coast Sawmill and Logging Equipment Expo, Craftsmen Classic Spring and Christmas Shows, Bizarre Bazaar Spring and Christmas Shows and other various arts and craft events.

Outdoor festivals hosted by Richmond Raceway Complex in 2004 included the Virginia State Fair, Richmond Highland Games & Celtic Festival, March of Dimes Bikers for Babies, K95 Country Music Festival, XL102 Chili Cook Off, ACCA Temple Pork Festival, the VA Food Festival and concerts featuring local and national recording artists.

In addition, the Complex has three outdoor areas.... The Heritage Village is an eight-acre forestry area with gazebos and covered pavilions...The Horticulture Garden is a beautifully landscaped indoor/outdoor facility that can accommodate up to 1,000 people....The [Raceway Complex] also has a state of the art amphitheater that can accommodate 10,000 people [the Classic Amphitheater] and a 1,000 seat covered arena.

The Old Dominion Building is the newly remodeled 36,000 sq. ft. catering facility with a 30 ft. high center atrium that can comfortably accommodate up to 1,500 people."

excerpts from here

[eastsider]

I didn't realize what all was around the raceway, I haven't been through that part of the city before. I also didn't know that RIR was part of International Speedway Corp. I knew Kansas, Daytona, & Michigan were. It seems like Daytona is haveing funding problems and I've read Michigan may not put in a bid, so Richmond & Kansas could have an advantage there. Also, the Charlotte and Atlanta tracks are owned by Speedway Motorsports which is run by Bruton Smith, who has had issues with the Frances in the past. Could possibly be some old grudges there, but from what I've seen the tracks aren't involved in the bids.

Like I said before, this is an interesting process. There are many factors that will weigh on the final decision.

[wrldcoupe4]

Let's hope RIR's appeal to fans and drivers is also a plus for the HOF. Seems that most new tracks will be mirroring RIR's design:

RIR a model for new NASCAR tracks

Richmond Times-Dispatch

May 10, 2005

Since reopening as a reconfigured 0.75-mile oval in 1988, Richmond International Raceway has drawn hundreds of thousands of fans, countless raves from drivers and zero imitators.

Overlooked during the superspeedway-building boom of the 1990s, RIR's unique length likely will be copied when the next Nextel Cup Series facility is constructed. Tracks on the drawing board in New York and the Pacific Northwest are three-quarter-mile shapes patterned after RIR.

NASCAR President Mike Helton said Richmond's universal appeal makes it an obvious choice for cloning.

"Richmond offers a very good show for fans, but it's also very acceptable to competitors," Helton said. "I don't know of a competitor who doesn't like to go to Richmond and race. I think that says a lot."......

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[wrldcoupe4]

I guarantee the Virginans for the Hall will be at this event. I wonder if they will have any new info there....

"Race Fest begins downtown tonight

Richmond Times-Dispatch

May 12, 2005

RACE WEEK

Race week in Richmond

Get ready to party!

This evening the first Ukrop's Richmond Race Fest will be held in downtown Richmond to celebrate the Chevy American Revolution 400 NASCAR race at Richmond International Raceway.

The free, family-friendly street party is scheduled from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Shockoe Slip and at the James Center at 10th and East Cary streets.

The Race Fest will feature live music and entertainment on three stages. Cary Street will be full of vendor sampling booths, show cars from Nextel Cup and Busch Series teams, racing simulators, interactive displays, and games. A NASCAR driver autograph session will also be held in the lobby of the James Center..."

times-dispatch

[wrldcoupe4]

Michigan's out of the running. Daytona has had a heavy setback as the state will not give them $30 million towards the HOF. Sure isn't bad news for Richmond's bid.

[wrldcoupe4]

According to Gov. Warner, there will be a MAJOR announcement regarding Richmond's bid on Saturday, Nextel Cup race day.

[vdogg]

According to Gov. Warner, there will be a MAJOR announcement regarding Richmond's bid on Saturday, Nextel Cup race day. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hmm...We must've got it. That don't build things up for bad news.

[wrldcoupe4]

Hmm...We must've got it. That don't build things up for bad news.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ha I wish...no one will know who won until the end of the year...probbably will be more details announced though

[eastsider]

This is a table from the Charlotte Observer listing each remaning city with a little info and pluses and minuses for each. It lists the architect for Richmond's bid as the Smith Group.

Hired the Smith Group of Washington, D.C., which has worked on the MCI Center in downtown Washington, the popular International Spy Museum and the Smithsonian's new Museum of the American Indian.

[wrldcoupe4]

This is a table from the Charlotte Observer listing each remaning city with a little info and pluses and minuses for each. It lists the architect for Richmond's bid as the Smith Group.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What's interesting is that the Charlotte press does not report the stuff that we hear in Richmond. We are the underdog. We haven't made public as much information as the other cities. I think that puts us at an advantage (at least a better advantage than what most people think we have) because at the end of the day, what matters is that proposal that lands on NASCAR's desk on May31.

[wrldcoupe4]

Okay so Warner is supposed to make this major announcement, yet the FX on campus got knocked out. Kind of irritating. If anyone else can watch it and tell me what he says about the HOF it would be awesome.

[eandslee]

Okay so Warner is supposed to make this major announcement, yet the FX on campus got knocked out. Kind of irritating. If anyone else can watch it and tell me what he says about the HOF it would be awesome.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Darn, I just missed the beginning of the race to hear what Warner had to say! They're not even saying anything about Richmond or the chances for a HOF on fx. Sportscasters for NASCAR are weird like that.

[wrldcoupe4]

ah well...if it was important i'm sure itll be in the paper. thanks for trying though!

[wrldcoupe4]

tadaaaaa! here are some key excerpts from the TD article. the whole article can be found here

Details offered on NASCAR Hall

BY NATE RYAN

TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

May 15, 2005

Scoffing at reports labeling the bid a long shot, Virginians Racing for the Hall of Fame finally shed some details -- including a $103 million price tag -- on its proposal to bring the NASCAR shrine to Henrico County.

In a news conference at Richmond International Raceway before last night's Nextel Cup Series race, the proposed hall was revealed as a 129,000 square-foot building (including 68,000 square feet of exhibits) on about a 20-acre tract of land. Architectural firms with experience on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Baseball Hall of Fame and Smithsonian Museum of Natural History are designing the blueprint.

Fred Agostino, executive director of the Economic Development Authority of Henrico County that is spearheading the bid, said two locations within the vicinity of RIR are being considered, including one at the track. The VRHOF has an option on another site that puts the hall in an entertainment complex of hotel and retail stores.

An economic analysis predicted the hall would be attended by 700,000 visitors in the first year. The study said competing cities Kansas City, Kan., Daytona Beach, Fla., Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta would draw hundreds of thousands fewer fans annually.

An economic impact study projected a $6 million growth in tax revenue -- $4.7 million to the state and $1.3 million to Henrico County.

Agostino said financing for the project still was being determined. It's expected to be funded through a blend of public and private sources.......

.....The Richmond bid has been cloaked in secrecy since being announced Feb.2 and lacked the fanfare surrounding that of its rivals, especially Charlotte. The low-key approach has created a perception that Richmond trails heavily. A Charlotte Observer article said NASCAR insiders and sports experts believe Atlanta, Kansas City and Charlotte are the favorites, and Richmond is an underdog.

"We have not spent a lot of time and effort to try to keep our Hall of Fame efforts on the front page of the newspaper every day," Agostino said. "This is not a popularity contest. If it was, we would have gone about it a lot differently than we've gone about it."

Agostino said the Richmond bid would allow NASCAR to choose among several locations rather than "putting all its eggs in one basket." Charlotte, Atlanta and Kansas City are expected to zero in on a single spot......

.......RIR President Doug Fritz, whose staff is helping promote the proposal, said Richmond's proximity and racing heritage are its strongest assets. RIR has played host to Cup races since 1953. There are 55 million people within a 300-mile radius of Richmond, more than any of the competing cities.

"We're confident we're going to come out as the winners of this bid," Fritz said. "We believe we're much better than a long shot."

Don't count us out yet-

[wrldcoupe4]

The sport's governing body has set to major criteria for its decision:

1. the best place for the hall to be accessible to fans

2. the place where it will introduce new fans to the sport

According to those, I hardly thing Richmond is a longshot.

[wrldcoupe4]

Kaine: Bring NASCAR Hall of Fame to Richmond

Richmond.com

Saturday, May 14, 2005

Lt. Governor and Democratic Nominee for Governor Tim Kaine is strongly supporting Virginia's effort to make Richmond the home of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Kaine and campaign volunteers will use this weekend's Chevy American Revolution 400 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway to build public support for the effort.

"The economic impact potential of having the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Richmond is substantial," Kaine said. "The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York hosts 350,000 fans a year. The Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio draws 200,000 fans annually. I believe a NASCAR Hall of Fame in Richmond will attract similar, if not bigger crowds and bring in millions of dollars for the entire region.".......

.......Professional racing began in Richmond in 1946, two years before NASCAR was formed. A recent NASCAR.com survey ranked the Richmond International Raceway as the best track in America. RIR's popularity is no surprise considering 2.5 million fans from every U.S. state and several foreign countries have seen a race here.

"There is simply no better place than Richmond for the NASCAR Hall of Fame," said Kaine. "Virginia has more NASCAR-sanctioned races here than any other state and is home to 37 different racing venues and a proud collection of motorsports businesses, including racing teams, engine builders and component makers.

"I am proud of the support the Warner-Kaine Administration has given Virginia's racing industry over the last three years. The Virginia Motorsports Initiative is placing us ahead of the pack when it comes to growing this industry and I am optimistic that our strong support will help ensure Virginia sits in the pole position when it comes time for NASCAR to decide where to place its Hall of Fame."

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[eandslee]

Hey Coupe, did you read the article previous to yours on BuildRichmond.com about the HOF? It was rather discouraging saying that Charlotte was the likely favorite place for the HOF. I also wonder if it was written before last night's announcement. Folks sure were thinking Richmond doesn't have a chance! I sure hope we sock it to 'em though. I also hope we knock the NASCAR committee's socks off with a proposal they cannot refuse regardless of any "negatives" that might exist in their eyes. As for me, I see no "negatives", so let's land this thing in Richmond. I think I'd even go if it were in Richmond (even though I'm not a NASCAR fan).

[wrldcoupe4]

It was written before last night's announcement but yea it didn't seem to really glorify richmond.

[wrldcoupe4]

here is a pretty good article about Richmond's bid:

styleweekly

[burt]

In another thread, Eric mentioned Nascar HOF. The mention was about some millionaire building a monorail from the downtown HOF in CLT (Charlotte) to the race track there. (see skycraper city for details).

I have an alternate idea for transpo other than car in the Richmond plan. If it is built between US60 and I-64 and east of I-295, why not run trains on the Norfolk Southern line from Watkins Center with a stop at the new Canal Landing to a station near the HOF. If it is put at RIR, run trains from Petersburg thru with a stop at Main Street Station to a Laburnum Avenue stop, practically within walking distance to the track?

[burt]

Re: the above, CLT ain't gonna outdo RIC!!!

[wrldcoupe4]

It's coming down to the final days.....btw, I saw on CNN tonight that Kansas City was ranked in the top 5 metros for worst roads in the country. I'll take anything that gives us a boost at the moment!

Hall of Fame appears to have local support

Richmond Times-Dispatch

May 26, 2005

The deadline for their proposal is looming, and members of the Virginians Racing for the Hall of Fame say they have signs of public support.

According to a press release, more than 15,000 people have signed petitions, mailed postcards to the group's headquarters or registered their names on the Web site at www.bringthehalltorichmond.com. Also, dozens of area companies have donated money and offered "support and services" to the group.

"The support and encouragement from people in the greater Richmond metropolitan area and throughout the commonwealth have been overwhelming," said Executive Director Josh Lief.

Bids are due to the NASCAR offices in Charlotte, N.C., by Tuesday.

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