FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, May 11, 2010

New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner David J. Swarts today announced the availability of a special license plate commemorating the selection of Dale Earnhardt as one of five inaugural inductees to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

"Dale Earnhardt had an incredible 26-year career that included a record seven NASCAR Sprint Cup titles and 76 NASCAR victories, so it is fitting that he would be among the very first inductees to the NASCAR Hall of Fame," Commissioner Swarts said. "We at DMV are very pleased and honored to be able to offer this commemorative plate to fans statewide."

Earnhardt's selection, which was voted on by NASCAR track and team owners, series officials, drivers and media members, was based on the achievements of his career and many contributions to the sport, both on and off the track. The four other inaugural inductees are Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., Richard Petty and Junior Johnson. The group will be recognized at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on May 23, 2010.

The new plate features a black background with Earnhardt's Hall of Fame logo, his signature and the NASCAR Hall of Fame logo on the bottom. Similar to nearly all New York NASCAR plates, the remainder of the plate on the right side features a yellow tint gradation behind the plate numbers and letters. The two sides of the plate are separated by a checkered flag graphic.

In addition to the Dale Earnhardt NASCAR Hall of Fame plate, two other NASCAR plates are now available. The Mark Martin plate is a new offering featuring a black background with a large red #5 on the left side linked to Martin's signature, with the NASCAR logo on the bottom.

The Denny Hamlin plate returns to the line-up for the first time since February of 2009. It features a black background with a large red #11 on the left side linked to Hamlin's signature, with the NASCAR logo on the bottom.

New York race fans have been passionate for NASCAR plates since 1999. Currently, there are more than 5,500 vehicles with NASCAR plates issued to motorists in the state. The top two most popular NASCAR plates include #3 Dale Earnhardt and the generic NASCAR Fan plate both with more than 1,000 issued. The number three spot is held by the Dale Earnhardt Legacy plate with over 500 sold.

There are three easy ways to order your favorite of the 24 NASCAR plates New York offers for passenger or commercial vehicles: on-line 24-hours a day at www.dmv.ny.gov, by phone through the DMV Custom Plates Unit at (518) 402-4838, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. or in any DMV issuing office. The initial cost with a number assigned by the DMV is $60 with an annual renewal fee of $31.25. A personalized version with the motorist's choice of two to six characters, including spaces, is available for $91.25, with an annual renewal fee of $62.50. The annual renewal fee is in addition to the regular registration fee, which is billed every two years.

To view New York State's complete gallery of nearly 300 custom plate choices and how to order each, go to www.dmv.ny.gov. Individuals who qualify for the International Symbol of Access must order through DMV's Custom Plates office.