Celebrate the New Year with an affordable weekend getaway at the NASCAR Hall of Fame

NASCAR families, friends, resident enthusiasts and new fans looking for their first affordable weekend getaway of the New Year will find it at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and the Charlotte (N.C.) Convention Center, where NASCAR Acceleration Weekend 2012 will hit into high gear. The action-packed weekend, slated for Jan. 20-22, provides an opportunity for audiences to interact with the sport’s legends, current stars and catch a sneak peek at the upcoming season.

A snapshot of events includes:

· Friday, Jan. 20: Storytelling with 2010 and 2011 NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductees in the Great Hall (4 p.m.), followed by the Red Carpet event (4:30-6 p.m.) featuring past and current Hall of Fame Inductees, celebrities and NASCAR executives leading up to the 2012 Induction Ceremony. The Hall will welcome its third class – Darrell Waltrip, Cale Yarborough, Glen Wood, Dale Inman and Richie Evans (posthumously) – with enshrinement.

· Saturday, Jan. 21: NASCAR legend Junior Johnson will serve breakfast to Hall of Fame guests, free with paid admission to the NASCAR Hall of Fame (7-9 a.m.) kicking off NASCAR Preview 2012, Presented by Sprint. Top NASCAR drivers and legends will be on hand throughout the day (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.) for autographs and on-stage Q&A sessions, as well as interactive experiences for fans held at the Charlotte Convention Center. To put a nightcap on the day’s events, NASCAR legends and new Hall Inductees will be stationed at their respective exhibits telling stories and visiting with fans (7-9 p.m. ET).

· Sunday, Jan. 22: Fans will have the opportunity to mingle with the 2012 Hall of Fame class as they get their first glimpse of each inductee’s Hall of Fame cars and exhibits (9:30-10:30 a.m.). A perfect exclamation point to the weekend!

· Ticket special: Combo tickets for the NASCAR Hall of Fame and NASCAR Preview 2012 start at $20. Children under five-years old are FREE.

For more information on NASCAR Acceleration Weekend, visit NASCARacceleration2012.com or call 1-800-745-3000