Artist picked to create Earnhardt memorial

KANNAPOLIS— Area residents and NASCAR fans are one step closer to having a permanent memorial for Dale Earnhardt.

Earnhardt was killed on the last lap of this year’s Daytona 500 in February. Not long after his death, Kannapolis city officials began brainstorming ideas about how to memorialize the Kannapolis native, and on Tuesday, they took another step forward with the project.

The artist selection committee chose Clyde “Ross” Morgan from a narrow list of candidates to sculpt the monument that committee members hope will capture Earnhardt’s passion and the twinkle in his eye.

In his presentation to the committee, Morgan, an Arizona native and not an avid follower of the sport, said he envisioned a tribute that closely resembled Earnhardt’s reaction to winning the Daytona 500 just a few years ago.

A rendering showed Earnhardt standing on the roof of his car, one hand in the air waving his hat and the other giving a thumbs-up.

A brick courtyard and oval bench would encircle the 9-foot-tall statue, Morgan said, with the the ends of the bench banked like a racetrack.

The final design may be quite different, however. It must pass muster with several groups.

The committee invited three artist to make presentations but did not require them to bring any models, renderings or formal concepts. But NASCAR artist Sam Bass, one of the committee members, said he was impressed that Morgan went that extra mile, showing his level of commitment to the project.

Morgan learned of the Earnhardt memorial from a friend and later mentioned it to a research source he was using for a project in Wickenburg, Ariz. That person’s daughter had worked for Earnhardt as public relations secretary for several years and the two were able to connect.

It was that “divine intervention” that compelled him to pursue the Earnhardt tribute, Morgan said.

Morgan is a nationally recognized artist with a bronze casting degree from North Arizona University. One of his most famous works is a Utah Vietnam Era Veterans Memorial at the Utah State Capitol Building, which went on display in 1989. He is a veteran himself of the U.S. Marine Corps.

In his letter to the committee, Morgan said the family’s wishes and suggestions were “absolutely essential,” and he intended to spend a great deal of time researching Earnhardt as both a family man and driver. In addition, he would sculpt the majority of the monument in Kannapolis, using an empty downtown storefront so residents could be involved as work progressed.

“I want the committee to review my work as often as they want,”Morgan said. “I insist on approvals from the family and the committee, and I will keep working until I have it.”

The Dale Earnhardt Memorial Steering Committee is overseeing the entire project. The committee still must discuss making arrangements for the artist as well as the costs of converting a business into a temporary art studio.

Even so, that was the selling point for Mayor Ray Moss and many of the other committee members. They wanted the community to have the chance to give feedback and follow the work.

“It will be good for the community to see what is going on,”Moss said.

But Bass cautioned them about making the artist an attraction, saying quality and the “pizzazz factor” associated with the unveiling could suffer as a result. He conceded that having the public involved was definitely a bonus for the area, however.

In a preliminary vote, the artist selection committee, a subcommittee of the larger group, voted unanimously for Morgan, and then a formal motion was made to accept the recommendation.

Bass said that all three had a similar weakness in their presentations:their lack of knowledge about the sport and the Kannapolis community.

Now, Morgan must follow through on his promise to learn about Earnhardt and stock car racing. The committee will present Morgan’s credentials and qualifications to Teresa Earnhardt, the driver’s widow, and officials at Dale Earnhardt Inc. for their approval. Then, the City Council must enter into contract negotiations with Morgan and hammer out the details.

Once that has been completed, fund-raising efforts will kick into high gear for the October race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Moss said.

The cost is estimated at $10,000, up from an initial $7,000, but the committee expects donations to pour in once they start the national campaign.

Morgan said he is familiar with fund-raising for artistic works and had some ideas for how to proceed. One, he mentioned, would be to allow citizens to buy bricks that would be engraved with their names and placed in the courtyard.

The other two presenters were Omri Amrany of Chicago and Richard Hallier of Boone.

Members of the Dale Earnhardt Memorial steering committee:

Troy Day

Jimmie Melton

Charles Mitchell

Roger Haas, city councilman

Paul Bessent

Wally Safrit, city attorney

Cathy Watkins, Action Sports Imaging

John Lequire, Jr.

Richard Anderson, city councilman

Bob Misenheimer, city councilman

Matthew Baker

Ray Moss, mayor

Sam Bass, NASCAR artist

Joe Hedrick, director of licensing for Dale Earnhardt, Inc.

Douglas Swanson, chief operating officer for Dale Earnhardt, Inc.

Artist Selection Committee

Paul Bessent

Jimmie Melton

John Lequire, Jr.

Cathy Watkins

Contact Michael Bostian at 704-797-4280 or mbostian@salisburypost.com .