CUP: Talladega Names Press Box For Hunter

Sprint Cup

CUP: Talladega Names Press Box For Hunter

NASCAR executive honored by track...

Mike Hembree | Posted October 31, 2010 Talladega, AL

The press box at Talladega Superspeedway will be named for NASCAR Vice President of Communications Jim Hunter. (Photo: Getty Images)

Talladega Superspeedway has honored the late Jim Hunter, a long-time NASCAR executive and a former public relations director at the track, by naming the speedway’s press box for him.

Track chairman Grant Lynch announced the decision Sunday morning prior to the start of the Amp Energy Juice 500 at Talladega.

“Of all the responsibilities Jim had as vice president of corporate communications, I don’t think he enjoyed any duty or responsibility more than his weekly battle of wits with the NASCAR media,” Lynch said.

Hunter, who died Friday at 71, covered motorsports for several newspapers and magazines before going into the racing public relations field and, eventually, moving into an executive position at NASCAR.

The infield media center at Darlington [S.C.] Raceway, where he once served as president, also is named in Hunter’s honor.

A memorial service for Hunter will be held this week in Darlington.

Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 28 years. He has written several books on NASCAR, including "NASCAR: The Definitive History of America's Sport" and "Then Tony Said To Junior: The Best NASCAR Stories Ever Told". He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.

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