NASCAR Acceleration Starts Friday

A long winter’s wait is over. NASCAR Acceleration Weekend 2013 rolls into Charlotte, N.C. this weekend, signaling the beginning of the new season.

Three days of activities at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and adjacent Charlotte Convention Center include the Hall’s induction of the Class of 2013 and the popular NASCAR Preview 2013 featuring driver appearances, up-close viewing of the NASCAR Gen-6 race cars, autograph sessions and fan Q&As.

The event marks the final weekend before engines roar to life at Daytona International Speedway and the start of Daytona Speedweeks 2013. The Sprint Unlimited is set for Saturday, Feb. 16. Ten days of practice, qualifying and racing culminates with the 55th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 24.

NASCAR Acceleration Weekend 2013 kicks off with Friday night’s induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame of five of the sport’s legends: NASCAR premier series champions Buck Baker, Herb Thomas and Rusty Wallace; champion car owner Cotton Owens and innovative crew chief, mechanic and engine builder Leonard Wood.

The Induction Ceremony, which follows a red carpet walk, private reception and induction dinner, takes place at 7:30 p.m. ET in the Crown Ball Room at the Charlotte Convention Center which is directly connected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. SPEED, MRN Radio and SIRIUSXM NASCAR Radio will broadcast the ceremonies live.

Tickets for the induction ceremonies start at $45, and are available at WWW.NASCARACCELERATION.COM and the NASCAR Hall of Fame box office. In addition, a $20 ticket will gain fans all-Saturday access into NASCAR Preview 2013 and the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Induction day ceremonies also include unveiling of an exhibit dedicated to pioneer broadcasters Ken Squier and Barney Hall, the initial recipients of the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence at 3:45 p.m.

A NASCAR Hall of Fame autograph session featuring Hall of Famers Bobby Allison, Dale Inman, Ned Jarrett, Junior Johnson, Bud Moore, David Pearson, Darrell Waltrip and Glen Wood precedes Friday’s Induction Ceremony. It will be held from 4-4:45 p.m. in the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Hall of Honor.

Saturday’s NASCAR Preview 2013 activities, featuring drivers from the NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, takes place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Convention Center Ballroom and Exhibit Hall C. Autograph sessions begin at 9:30 a.m. with on-stage Q&A sessions starting at 9 a.m.

Event sponsors Sprint and Nationwide Insurance will have interactive fan displays, show cars and giveaways throughout Saturday.

Other Official Partner displays and activities during the event includes a question-and-answer session engineered by Mobil 1 with three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart, scheduled for 10 a.m. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Gen-6 Ford Fusion and Toyota Camry show cars will be on display, and Miss Coors Light will participate in a Q&A at 11:50 a.m. and be onsite for autographs with fans. M&M’S will have a prize wheel and racing simulator, while Ritz will also have a show car on-site. Participating Official Partners will offer giveaways and special offers for fans in attendance.

The on-stage schedule includes:

·         9 a.m. – Q&A with Greg Biffle, Mark Martin and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

·         9:20 a.m. – NASCAR Foundation unveiling of NASCAR Day pin

·         9:45 a.m. – Q&A with Rusty Wallace and Leonard Wood

·         10:20 a.m. – Joe Gibbs Racing team announcement

·         10:30 a.m. – Q&A with Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, Paul Menard and Sam Hornish Jr.

·         11 a.m. – Q&A with Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson

·         12 p.m. – Q&A with Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Marcos Ambrose, Trevor Bayne, Austin Dillon and Johanna Long

·         12:20 p.m. – Q&A with Bobby Allison and Ned Jarrett

·         1 p.m. – Q&A with Richard Petty and Kyle Petty

·         1:30 p.m. – Q&A Brad Keselowski, Danica Patrick, Travis Pastrana, Regan Smith, James Buescher, Daniel Suarez

·         2:30 p.m. – Q&A with Junior Johnson

Here is a complete list of driver autograph times:

9:30 a.m. – Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurray, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Joe Nemechek, Elliott Sadler, Justin Allgaier, Eric McClure, Brian Scott, Timothy Peters, Miguel Paludo, Jennifer Jo Cobb, Todd Peck and Dylan Kwasniewski.

11 a.m. – Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Joey Logano, Paul Menard, Aric Almirola, Scott Speed, Sam Hornish, Mike Wallace, Brennan Newberry, Sean Corr, Jamie Dick, Hal Martin, Brian Keselowski, Ron Hornaday Jr. and Matt Crafton.

12:30 p.m. – Dale Earnhardt Jr., Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, Marcos Ambrose, David Ragan, David Gilliland, Brian Vickers, Austin Dillon, Michael Annett, Trevor Bayne, Kyle Larson, Johanna Long, Ty Dillon, Nelson Piquet Jr., Todd Bodine, Joey Coulter and Darrell Wallace Jr.

2 p.m. – Brad Keselowski, Danica Patrick, Kasey Kahne, Juan Pablo Montoya, Bobby Labonte, Casey Mears, Michael McDowell, Travis Pastrana, Regan Smith, Brad Sweet, Jeremy Clements, John Wes Townley, Ryan Blaney, Jeffrey Earnhardt, Alex Bowman, James Buescher, Parker Kligerman, Justin Lofton, Johnny Sauter, Jason White, Max Gresham, Dakoda Armstrong, Jeb Burton and Daniel Suarez.

Two NASCAR Hall of Fame events are on tap Saturday, open to all with a NASCAR Preview wrist band. The public may view Hall of Honor displays highlighting the careers of the Class of 2013 beginning at 9:30 a.m. NASCAR Hall of Famer Junior Johnson will host a Midnight Moon Shine and Sign from 4-7 p.m. in the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Great Hall. The event will feature a Q&A, autograph signing and moonshine tastings.

NASCAR Acceleration Weekend 2013 wraps up Sunday at 10 a.m. with a NASCAR Hall of Fame autograph session with Rusty Wallace and Leonard Wood in the Hall of Honor. A Sunday Hall of Fame ticket is required for admission.