Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue and Senator Mike Crotts will host an Atlanta racing rally on Thursday at the Georgia State Capitol, and fans are invited and encouraged to attend and show their support for the sport. Gov. Perdue will host a news conference at 11 a.m. on the north side of the State Capitol building downtown. Fans interested in attending should be at the Capitol by 10:30 a.m. NASCAR drivers Tony Stewart, Terry Cook, Carl Edwards, Tina Gordon, Bill Lester, Chase Montgomery and Kelly Sutton, as well as Speedway Motorsports Inc. CEO Bruton Smith and Atlanta Motor Speedway President and General Manager Ed Clark are all expected to attend the news conference. A variety of showcars and simulators will line the street next to the Capitol, including the No. 97 Rubbermaid/Sharpie car of Kurt Busch, two Newell Rubbermaid Hummers, the No. 88 UPS car of Dale Jarrett, the No. 10 Power Stroke Diesel truck simulator, the NEXTEL mini-experience, the No. 24 Bang! Racing truck, the AMS pace car and a pair of Richard Petty Driving Experience cars.(AMS PR)(3-11-2004) UPDATE: Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue drove a Richard Petty Experience race car around the Capitol building in Atlanta today as part of the state’s second annual NASCAR Day observance, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The story says Atlanta Motor Speedway’s two Nextel Cup race weekends are estimated to bring in $455 million a year to the Atlanta economy, more than the combined total of all other sporting events in the city. NASCAR drivers Tony Stewart, Terry Cook, Carl Edwards, Tina Gordon, Bill Lester, Chase Montgomery and Kelly Sutton were scheduled to be on hand, along with Speedway Motorsports Inc. Chairman Bruton Smith and Atlanta Motor Speedway President and General Manager Ed Clark. AND Georgia State Sen. Carol Jackson has announced the formation of a motorsports caucus for members of the state General Assembly, Atlanta Motor Speedway reports. The caucus is designed to promote the state’s racing industry. “Motorsports has a multibillion-dollar economic impact in Georgia,” Jackson said.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(3-11-2004)
