A JOINT RESOLUTION honoring NAsCAR and the inductees of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Whereas, North Carolina has a rich heritage in the sport of stock car racing and is proud of NASCAR's presence in the State and its position as the stock car racing capital of the world; and
Whereas, after World War II, stock car racing evolved as a sport in the foothills, pinewoods, and piedmont of North Carolina and quickly became one of the deepest traditions in the State's popular culture; and
Whereas, North Carolina is the home of NASCAR and motorsports events, which staged its first sanctioned "purely stock car" race at the Charlotte Speedway on June 19, 1949; and
Whereas, in 2011, stock car racing became the official State sport of North Carolina; and
Whereas, the Charlotte Motor Speedway currently hosts six NASCAR events annually, including one NASCAR Camping World Series truck race, two NASCAR Nationwide Series races, and three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races; and
Whereas, motorsports and stock car racing tremendously affect the economy of North Carolina through travel and tourism and job creation; and
Whereas, NASCAR nonprofits, operated by both drivers and owners, have provided millions of dollars to support and enhance the quality of life in North Carolina; and
Whereas, the NASCAR Research and Development Center, located in Concord, focuses on safety, improvement, and development of the sport; the NASCAR Transportation Center, located in Concord, provides equipment to support races held throughout the year both in North Carolina and throughout the United States; and the NASCAR Plaza, located in Charlotte, houses NASCAR's corporate offices as well as the site of the new digital floor containing NASCAR.com and NASCAR's Fan and Media Engagement Center, which was built in partnership with Hewlett Packard (HP) and later became the centerpiece of HP's multimillion dollar advertising campaign in 2013; and
Whereas, skills and trades used in NASCAR are supported as part of the State's educational system at the university, community college, and career school levels; and
Whereas, the State's motorsports industry partnered with the military in February 2012 to share technology related to performance and safety to help our nation's service men and women; and
Whereas, as the home to many of the legends and pioneers of stock car racing, it was fitting that North Carolina was chosen in 2006 as the site of the prestigious NASCAR Hall of Fame, which opened in Charlotte in 2010 and whose mission is to preserve the history of NASCAR and to entertain and educate racing and nonracing fans alike; and
Whereas, each year, the NASCAR Hall of Fame recognizes those who have made outstanding contributions to the sport by inducting five legends into the Hall of Fame; and
Whereas, this year's class of NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees, Tim Flock, Jack Ingram, Dale Jarrett, Maurice Petty, and Fireball Roberts, will join other Hall of Fame members: Bobby Allison, Buck Baker, Dale Earnhardt, Richie Evans, Bill France, Sr., Bill France, Jr., Dale Inman, Ned Jarrett, Junior Johnson, Bud Moore, Cotton Owens, David Pearson, Lee Petty, Richard Petty, Herb Thomas, Rusty Wallace, Darrell Waltrip, Glen Wood, Leonard Wood, and Cale Yarborough; Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

SECTION 1.  The North Carolina General Assembly pays tribute to the racing legends that have been inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame and commends NASCAR for the many valuable contributions it has made to the sporting scene and popular culture in North Carolina.
SECTION 2.  The North Carolina General Assembly honors the memory of the deceased NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees, Dale Earnhardt, Bill France, Sr., Bill France, Jr., Lee Petty, Richie Evans, Buck Baker, Cotton Owens, Herb Thomas, Tim Flock, and Fireball Roberts, and expresses its appreciation for their contributions to the sport.
SECTION 3.  The Secretary of State shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to NASCAR and the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
SECTION 4.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 15th day of May, 2014.

	s/	 Daniel J. Forest
	 President of the Senate

	s/	 Thom Tillis
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives