Throughout her campaign, Elizabeth Dole repeatedly asks her campaign staff “when do we go back to the track?” Dole loves NASCAR racing and is proud and supportive of the positive economic impact the sport has on her home state. In 1996, NASCAR had a statewide economic impact of $392 million, supporting 4,240 North Carolina jobs. Today, those numbers are estimated to have doubled. Dole has already attended three races this year. “North Carolina is racing country. The headquarters of NASCAR may be in Florida, but the state of North Carolina is the NASCAR capital of the world,” Dole said. As her bus tour winds down and her campaign enters its final stretch, Elizabeth Dole finally gets her chance to be a part of NASCAR racing. Dole’s name and campaign logo will adorn the #44 Busch Series car driven by Mike Harmon, who has also just inked a deal for two Winston Cup races. Hailing from Salisbury, North Carolina, a stone’s throw from “Race City USA,” Dole will be excited to see her name racing around the track at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, North Carolina. While she’d love to be trackside when the command to start engines is uttered, she’ll be in her hometown, Salisbury, concluding her bus tour. Certainly she’ll catch the action on the live broadcast. Dole’s campaign is one that certainly aims to please many in the NASCAR community-from the garage to the grandstands, even the suites. Dole wants to create jobs and economic security for North Carolina. She has longstanding history in supporting the state’s economy and transportation infrastructure in her previous positions, completing the I-40 corridor to Wilmington and the Blue Ridge Parkway, where she worked to complete the section with the smallest possible environmental footprint. Driver Mike Harmon is looking forward to the weekend, “I’m excited about Rockingham. I went over there and tested the Cup car. I love Rockingham. We can run there and we’re looking forward to this weekend.” Mike Harmon will attend Elizabeth Dole’s campaign stop in Shelby, North Carolina, on Thursday, October 31st.(Mike Harmon PR)(10-31-2002)
