$40 Million Wind Tunnel will be built near Concord Regional Airport

CONCORD, N.C. (May 29) – Gene Haas, owner of Haas CNC Racing, formally announced that he will locate a new $40 million wind tunnel project in Concord, N.C.

Speaking at a press conference at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord on Sunday, Haas confirmed the tunnel will be constructed on a five-acre parcel of land off of Ivy Cline Road, adjacent to the Concord Regional Airport in Cabarrus County.

“Concord, Cabarrus County and North Carolina are hotbeds of motorsports, so it made good business sense to locate the facility here,” Haas said. “Being at the airport will be very convenient for teams from other parts of the United States and the world. They can transport their vehicles by plane and access the wind tunnel without having to move off site. That is a tremendous added feature, over and above the uniqueness of the wind tunnel itself.”

Governor Mike Easley issued a statement celebrating the project and its location.

"North Carolina is known across the nation as the home of NASCAR and now we are proud to be the only place in the world with a public, full-scale rolling road wind tunnel to test these great racecars," Gov. Easley said. "Motorsports teams and car manufacturers from around the globe can now bring their vehicles and their business to our state for the most accurate aerodynamic road simulation possible in the industry today."

Haas evaluated sites in several states adjacent to North Carolina, but said the efforts of Cabarrus County and the city of Concord played a significant role in his location decision.

Cabarrus County recently provided a three-year economic incentive grant for the project, and the city of Concord intends to provide a significant investment in the form of electrical infrastructure at the site. The city already had plans in place to build an electrical substation at Ivy Cline Road, but the timeline for that project will be moved up to accommodate the wind tunnel’s construction schedule.

Scott Padgett, mayor of Concord, attended the announcement to offer his support.

“We are very pleased that a project of this magnitude and uniqueness will be headquartered here in Concord,” Padgett said. “This project will complement the other motorsports companies and their research and development facilities already located here. The tunnel will also serve as one of the anchors of the Concord Regional Airport industrial corridor.”

Representing the county at the press conference were the CEO of the Cabarrus Chamber and Economic Development, John Cox, and Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners Chairman, Bob Carruth.

“In light of Cabarrus County’s emerging economy in high-tech research, motorsports and tourism, this project will be a key piece of the puzzle as we form and expand this new economy,” Carruth said. “This one-of-a-kind wind tunnel will serve as magnet for new development of our motorsports and high-tech research capabilities in Cabarrus County.”

Haas CNC Racing General Manager, Joe Custer, shared details of the wind tunnel and its unique rolling road system.

“What makes this project so special is that there will be no other wind tunnel like this in the United States,” Custer said. “It features a Single Belt FlatTrac Rolling Road system, manufactured by a company called MTS. The system uses a continuous steel belt running under the vehicle to simulate the road beneath a race car traveling on a speedway. It’s the most accurate aerodynamic road simulation possible in the industry today. The system also offers repeatability, which is key to gathering valid, usable data.

“This will be the only wind tunnel in the world to feature this single belt rolling road system that will be available for teams and manufacturers to rent.”

Custer said the company constructing the wind tunnel, Jacobs Sverdrup, plans to break ground at the Ivy Cline Road site in January, 2007. Construction of the project is scheduled to be completed in late 2007.

Haas Wind Tunnel Project “Fast Facts”