Richard Petty Honored at Randolph Community College Groundbreaking
ASHEBORO (August 5, 2008)
In his signature cowboy hat and bright red Petty Enterprises shirt, it wasn't hard to pick 7-time NASCAR champion Richard Petty out of the crowd at the groundbreaking Tuesday morning for the Richard Petty Education Center at Randolph Community College here. Petty was surrounded by a slate of dignitaries that included North Carolina Senator Jerry Tillman, Representative Harold Brubaker, Randolph County Board of Commissioners Chairman Harold Holmes, and RCC Board of Trustees Chairman Jim Campbell.
"I feel honored to be able to be here and be a part of this," said Petty when he took his turn at the podium. "You can't just be a backyard mechanic anymore," he continued, "you have to have that technical knowledge and to get that, you have to go to school." The 20,000-square-foot Richard Petty Education Center will house Randolph Community College's Automotive Systems Technology and Autobody Repair programs, doubling the space that each program has in its current location.
"This will be a state-of-the-art facility that will provide training for students who are interested in becoming world-class automobile mechanics and autobody repairmen," said Dr. Robert Shackleford Jr., RCC president. He described Petty as a "native son of Randolph County who represents the winning spirit and professional excellence that will mark our faculty, students, and programs that we house in this facility that will carry his name. Richard Petty does not put his name on anything less than the best, and we could not be more honored that he has so willingly partnered with us on this exciting project."
In his remarks, Representative Brubaker said, "It is a pleasure to be here to reflect on what I consider to be Randolph County's leading citizen….Richard Petty and his family have given more to Randolph County than they ever got." Senator Tillman noted, "When you can put Richard Petty and Randolph Community College (together), that's as good as it gets."
Commissioner Holmes welcomed the crowd on behalf of the Randolph County Board of Commissioners, which provided the majority of the funding for the new education center. "We are proud as county commissioners to partner with Randolph Community College…it is a jewel for the community." Holmes noted that Richard Petty had served as a Randolph County commissioner for 16 years.
Also speaking were RCC Board Chair Jim Campbell; Ashley Dennis, the project designer with SchenkelShultz Architecture; and Brandin Wrisley, president of the Sterling Building Group, which was recently awarded the $1.5 million contract to build the center.
After their brief remarks, the speakers all turned a shovel of dirt to break ground on the new facility, which the College hopes to have completed by next fall. The building will include offices, classrooms, 10 automotive bays, an automotive lab, welding area, and paint booths.
In addition to lending his name to the building, Petty Enterprises has agreed to donate Petty memorabilia to be placed in the lobby area to enhance the building and to honor Mr. Petty.
Participating in the groundbreaking were (left to right) Ashley Dennis, project designer, SchenkelShultz Architecture; Harold Holmes, Randolph County Commissioners Chairman; 7-time NASCAR champion Richard Petty; RCC President Dr. Robert Shackleford Jr.; Jim Campbell, chair of the RCC Board of Trustees; and Senator Jerry Tillman. Also participating, but not pictured, were Representative Harold Brubaker and Brandin Wrisley, president of the Sterling Building Group.
