There was much discussion during the two weeks of racing at Charlotte regarding the new NASCAR Hall of Fame opening in 2010. Topics ranging from the display of the new logo to the criteria for induction and induction ceremonies at Nextel All. The Star Challenge weekend ran through Lowe’s Motor Speedway throughout the weekend.

Construction of the new Hall of Fame began recently, and Hall of Fame representatives toured the media throughout the weekend spreading information about the Hall. The city of Charlotte, responsible for the construction, promises a NASCAR Plaza, an office building and increased tourism and the prestige of Charlotte.

I agree with Charlotte as the choice for the city that houses the Hall. Charlotte beat Atlanta and Daytona for the Hall. Charlotte, which we all know is the home base for most racing teams and with NASCAR’s roots in the Carolinas, Charlotte became the easy choice to have the Show.

The Hall will end up being more than just a historical attraction. It will become a gathering and gathering place for racing fans throughout the year and especially on Charlotte race weekends. It will be interactive; It will be impressive and modern with restaurants and a shopping mall component that will attract locals and tourists to the facility.

The first indications that the Charlotte-NASCAR partnership is going well regarding the construction of the Hall. A first-class team of architects, Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, which is the group responsible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and expansion to the Louvre in Paris, is on board for the design.

NASCAR has always wanted to have its own show to celebrate America’s rich history of stock car racing. The ground is broken and construction is progressing, we won’t have to wait long to see what turns out to be a destination attraction.

The week it was

On Saturday we were all treated to an on-air appearance of Ned Jarrett during ESPN 2’s coverage of the Busch race in Charlotte. Ned joined Dr. Jerry Punch and Son Dale in the coverage. The oldest Jarrett was still ready and brought me back to the early days of ESPN coverage of the race. For me, this served as a passing of the torch to Andy Petree and young Jarrett, who seem to be heading for a brilliant career as a broadcast team. It was great to have Ned back, even if it was just for a run.

Race weekend

Low on fuel and taking the lead late in the race, Casey Mears held out to win the Coca Cola 600 on Sunday night. It was Mears’ first Nextel Cup victory and another victory for Hendrick Motorsports. JJ Yeley finished second and, having his best streak in more than 10 years, Kyle Petty finished third.

Jeff Gordon remains on top of the points with a 132-point margin over Jimmie Johnson. The big drivers in the points race were obviously Casey Mears up six spots to 29. Also JJ Yeley moved up five spots to 15. Losers included Kurt Busch who dropped two spots to 9 and Ryan Newman who dropped five. positions at 18.

Next week

This is followed by a Sunday afternoon race at Dover. Matt Kenseth is the defending champion at the 1 mile oval. Other drivers who have been successful recently at Dover include Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson.