Dirt MotorSports, an auto racing promotion company and sanctioning body, will move its corporate headquarters to Cabarrus County, creating 52 jobs and investing $1.26 million during the next three years. The announcement was accompanied by a $20,000 One North Carolina Fund grant.

Dirt MotorSports organizes and promotes more than 16 national and regional dirt track auto racing series and sanctions more than 2,000 races in the United State and Canada. The company will move its headquarters from Norman, Okla., to Concord. While wages will vary by job function, the average weekly wage of the new jobs will be $1,140 plus benefits, which is significantly higher than the Cabarrus County average weekly wage of $626 not including benefits.

"Gov. Easley and the state of North Carolina have demonstrated the importance of economic development for the state and have made our decision to locate in North Carolina very easy," said Tom Deery, president and CEO of DIRT MotorSports. "The entire staff, as well as the regional partnership and the local economic development commissions, have gone out of their way to attract leading motorsports organizations."

The One North Carolina Fund assists the state in industry recruitment and expansion by providing financial assistance through local governments to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in the state. One North Carolina Fund grants require and are contingent upon a local match. Through the use of this Fund, more than 20,000 jobs and $3 billion in investment have been created since 2001.

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