NASCAR Hall of Fame Kicks off Final 50 Days
The No. 11 Mountain Dew Buick will be one of 18 stock cars featured in the Hall's Glory Road, a display featuring many of NASCAR's great race cars in a static showcase that mimics various degrees of banking at racetracks including the impressive 33-degree incline found at Talladega Superspeedway.
Courtesy: NASCAR Media Relations
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 22, 2010 – 50 days until opening) –
The checkered flag is in sight for the NASCAR Hall of Fame grand
opening. To mark the final days before the 150,000-square-foot
interactive entertainment attraction opens May 11, fans are invited to
participate in a 50-day countdown on Twitter and watch www.NASCARHall.com for 50 days of news about the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Beginning
today and running through May 11, a trivia question will be posted each
morning on the NASCAR Hall of Fame Twitter page (@NASCARHall). The
lucky fan who posts the first correct response to @NASCARHall will win
a NASCAR Hall of Fame prize pack. In conjunction with the contest, the
NASCAR Hall of Fame team will reveal one feature of the facility daily
at www.NASCARHall.com/50days.
“This has been one of
the most anticipated openings of an entertainment attraction not just
for Charlotte and the Carolinas, but nationwide,” said Winston Kelley,
executive director for the facility. “We are in the final stretch, and
we want to get as many people involved as possible. We are
looking forward to revealing features of the venue each day on our Web
site and through social media. This allows everyone nationwide to share
in our excitement as we prepare for the grand opening.”
The
first item announced in the 50-day countdown was revealed today in a
news conference at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. NASCAR legend Darrell
Waltrip unveiled his championship-winning No. 11 Mountain Dew Buick.
Waltrip drove the iconic, green-and-white stock car to back-to-back
NASCAR Winston Cup championships in 1981 and 1982, the first two of
three championships in his famed career. In 1981 and 1982 alone,
Waltrip had 61 starts and earned 24 wins, 29 top-5 finishes and more
than $1.6 million in winnings.
The
car denotes a significant occurrence in NASCAR history when the
sanctioning body mandated a downsizing of cars to coincide with changes
taking place in Detroit during that period. The car was built and owned
by NASCAR Hall of Fame Inaugural Inductee Junior Johnson. Waltrip’s two
championships in this car marked Johnson’s fourth and fifth titles as an owner. Waltrip and Johnson captured a third championship together in 1985.
The
No. 11 Mountain Dew Buick will be one of 18 stock cars featured on
Glory Road inside the main entrance of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. A
banked ramp simulating various racetracks, Glory Road also highlights
40 current and historic tracks and mimics various degrees of banking at
racetracks including the impressive 33-degree incline found at
Talladega Superspeedway. The car is on loan from Darrell Watlrip
Motorsports to the NASCAR Hall of Fame for two years.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame opens to the public May 11 at 10 a.m. EDT. The opening
ceremony for the high-tech, interactive attraction begins at 9 a.m.
EDT. The one-hour ceremony will culminate with NASCAR celebrities,
elected officials and other dignitaries officially opening the venue.
The opening ceremony will be followed by free outdoor activities from
10 a.m. through the late evening. Activities will include NASCAR
celebrities, question-and-answer sessions, strolling entertainment,
food vendors, musical entertainment and more. The day will conclude
with a free concert by country music trio Love And Theft.
