New NASCAR Team? An effort to locate a NASCAR shop in the Princeton [West Virginia] area is still in the works, officials say. Several weeks ago, it was announced that NASCAR – in the form of an organization known as Team West Virginia – was coming to town. The team, it was said, was planning a facility for an area just outside Princeton off Interstate 77 at Exit 9, near the Ramada Inn. David Barker is president of Team West Virginia. Barker has said that initially the Princeton project would call for the construction of a race shop at the site. This would be the anchor for what Team West Virginia envisions as a 45,000 square foot facility that also would include a restaurant, office space and a gift shop. Initially, team sponsors applied to the state Economic Development Grant Committee for $2.7 million needed to construct an access road from I-77 necessary before the project could become reality. The committee turned down that request, but Barker has said efforts to obtain the funding is ongoing. This week, Barker said he has been working with state economic development representatives out of the governor’s office on the project. “They are still deeply involved in trying to make this happen,” he said. “Lots of people think it’s really a neat idea. It’s just a matter of when and how. I think it’s going to happen. I still feel real good about it. I feel good about the support we’re getting from Charleston on this. They’ve been very supportive. They’re trying their best to make some things happen.” Gov. Bob Wise earlier announced a partnership with Team West Virginia, Inc., and the West Virginia Division of Tourism for a special four-race NASCAR Busch Grand National project featuring Winston Cup driver and NBC-TNT color commentator Wally Dallenbach. The car is a Dodge R/T carrying the Pepsi brand as a primary sponsor.(Bluefield Daily Telegraph)(10-7-2002)
