Richmond Raceway (Richmond) have honored three individuals who have had a long-term impact on motorsports in the RVA region with room dedications in the new Virginia Business Systems Media Center. Veteran Richmond Times-Dispatch motorsports journalist Randy Hallman was honored with the Randy Hallman Deadline Room, long-time award-winning track photographer John Harrelson was recognized with the John Harrelson Photo Room, and former Richmond PR Director Kenneth Campbell was remembered with the dedication of the Kenneth Campbell PR Office.
“Randy (Hallman), John (Harrelson), and Kenneth (Campbell) have been committed to motorsports from reporting to photographing to promoting the past, present, and future of Richmond Raceway,” said Richmond President Dennis Bickmeier. “Each of them represent what is good about the greater Richmond region and motorsports in the Commonwealth. They have had an indelible impact on Richmond Raceway, so it is our honor to recognize their commitment to excellence.”
Hallman has been a Richmond sports writer for 46 years. He began his journalism career in 1972 with the Richmond News Leader, then joined the Richmond Times-Dispatch in 1992 when the papers merged. Hallman retired from the RTD in 2016, but still pens the weekly NASCAR column in the newspaper on Thursday’s. He also writes a weekly column for RacingVirginia.com, which is an unprecedented collaboration among Virginia motorsports venues providing news and information about racing action throughout the Commonwealth. Hallman continues to be one of the preeminent voices on motorsports in the greater Richmond region.
Harrelson’s love of motorsports began as a child in the grandstands at Southside Speedway and Richmond Raceway in his hometown of Richmond, Va. In 1982, he took a photography class at Freeman High School, and soon after he combined his love for motorsports with a new passion for photography to build a successful career. Harrelson is the founder of Harrelson Photography and joined forces with Nigel Kinrade to form NKP in 2014. He has been named the Howard O’Reilly Photographer of the Year by the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) in 2010, 2013, 2014, and 2017. Harrelson has been the track photographer at Richmond since 1985, and is integral to capturing the track’s history to share for generations to come.
Campbell spent nearly 60 years promoting motorsports, alongside Richmond Raceway founder Paul Sawyer. He was a graduate of Manchester High School in Chesterfield, Va. in 1941 and served in World War II with the U.S. Marine Corps. Following the war, he completed his degree from the Richmond Professional Institute, which is now Virginia Commonwealth University. Campbell began his career promoting races at what is now Southside Speedway. During his five decades with Sawyer, he was part of taking a track that began as a half-mile at the Virginia State Fairgrounds to its current ¾-mile D-shaped oval. Campbell retired in 2001 from Richmond. He died in 2006 at the age of 83.
The DC Solar FanGrounds will debut, along with the Virginia Business Systems Media Center, over Richmond’s first-ever NASCAR Playoff Race Weekend, presented by Who’s Your Driver, on Sept. 21-22. Fans can purchase tickets to be in the new infield and become a part of history with one-day ($70) and two-day ($125) tickets available for purchase online at richmondraceway.com, by calling 866-455-7223 or visiting the Richmond Ticket Office.
For more information on the DC Solar FanGrounds, visit richmondraceway.com/fangrounds
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