With NASCAR legends Bobby Allison and Ned Jarrett looking on North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue signed Senate Bill 322 into law Tuesday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The bill declares stock car racing as the official sport of the state of North Carolina.

The bill was originated by a group of students who attend Lake Norman Elementary School and Mt. Mourne IB School in Iredell County, North Carolina. Iredell County is home to a large percentage of NASCAR race teams.

The motorsports industry is a boon to the Charlotte-metro area, contributing more than 6 billon each year to the local economy.

Also attending today's ceremony were Charlotte Motor Speedway President and General Manager Marcus Smith, Sprint Cup driver David Ragan and the students that began the effort more than one year ago.

"Sometimes it takes really bright kids to tell all of us grown-ups what we ought to be doing. And that's what these students are about today," said Perdue. "They found something that should have been right under our noses because we all love NASCAR, we love Charlotte Motor Speedway, we get really excited during race season. So it's pretty cool for these students to understand that we needed to do better."

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2011

SENATE BILL 322
RATIFIED BILL

 *S322-v-3*

AN ACT TO ADOPT STOCK CAR RACING AS THE OFFICIAL SPORT OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Whereas, stock car racing has played a significant role in the history, heritage, and culture of North Carolina; and

Whereas, stock car racing leads the way in the motorsports industry in North Carolina; and

Whereas, the motorsports industry has a six billion dollar economic impact in North Carolina annually and creates over 20,000 direct and indirect jobs; and

Whereas, North Carolina continues to grow and advance the grass roots of the sport of stock car racing with over 30 short tracks located throughout the State hosting over 700 events per year; and

Whereas, North Carolina educates and trains individuals in its University system and Community College system for jobs in stock car racing; and

Whereas, North Carolina is the home of the coveted stock car racing NASCAR Hall of Fame and the NC Auto Racing Hall of Fame; and

Whereas, North Carolina is the home of more than 90 percent of NASCAR Sprint Cup stock car race teams; and

Whereas, Charlotte Motor Speedway hosts three stock car races annually in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series, the most in-season Sprint Cup events held at a single motorsports facility in the United States, and Charlotte Motor Speedway attracts more than one million visitors annually, most of whom are from other states; and

Whereas, North Carolina is the home of "The King," Richard Petty, stock car racing legend Junior Johnson, dubbed "The Last American Hero" by writer Tom Wolfe, and seven-time champion, the late Dale Earnhardt; and
Whereas, North Carolina is the home of stock car racing, and North Carolina is committed to the continued growth and popularity of the sport; and

Whereas, stock car racing should be adopted as the State's official sport; Now, therefore, The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1. Chapter 145 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:

"§ 145-36. State sport. Stock car racing is adopted as the official sport of North Carolina."
Page 2 S322 [Ratified]

SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 16th day of June, 2011.

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