01:47 PM EST on Tuesday, March 15, 2005

Associated Press

Legendary NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick was named Tuesday to lead an effort to bring the highly coveted NASCAR hall of fame to the Charlotte area.

Hendrick says "this is where it belongs."

He attended a packed news conference at the Hendrick Motorsports Museum, where he was joined by dozens of business and public officials who also will work on the project.

Few details were released about Charlotte's bid, including a possible location, the cost, and how to pay for it.

Six other cities are expected to submit bids by May 31. NASCAR expects to make a decision by year's end.