More Hall of Fame jockeying
In the Hall of Fame 500, the Charlotte paper reports that Atlanta is trying to slingshot past the Queen City.
The city of Atlanta made a dramatic, last-minute effort to lure NASCAR's Hall of Fame Wednesday, even as Charlotte boosters got ready to pop the cork to hail its arrival.Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin announced her city was upping its bid from $5 million to $77 million. That money, combined with promised state and private contributions, would put that city's package at about $165 million.
The announcement came hours after the Observer reported that Charlotte's $137.5 million bid had apparently beaten proposals from Atlanta and Daytona Beach, Fla., to win the shrine to stock car racing. Sources told the paper NASCAR had decided to put the hall uptown, and that an announcement would take place Monday in Charlotte.
After that comes a check with Charlotte's anonymous sources, which have dwindled from four in Monday's paper to two today.
The AP, meanwhile, catches up with Governor Trouble in Turn 2:
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina's highest-ranking NASCAR fan said Thursday he hopes the stock car series will award its first-ever Hall of Fame to Charlotte, but cautioned it's too soon for the city to start a Victory Lane celebration.Gov. Mike Easley, who has had his share of adventures — and misadventures — behind the wheel of a stock car, said it would be great if reports in The Charlotte Observer are true. The newspaper cited three anonymous sources Wednesday who said the city had won the race for the stock car racing museum, and an official announcement was expected Monday.
Two people in NASCAR who are close to the negotiations told The Associated Press later Wednesday that, while Charlotte is the leading candidate, the deal isn't complete and talks continue.
Why do I post all of this on a facility that's not in our extended coverage area? Maybe because the bumpin' and bangin' was more interesting than the real thing Sunday at California.