The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing LLC (NASCAR) has been operating as the epitome of American auto racing since 1948. Every year, they sanction more than 1,500 races across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and even as far away as Europe. With a lengthy history like that, of course, they were home to some amazing achievements.
Those achievements and the racers who made them are chronicled in the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina. Although NASCAR is headquartered in Florida, the bid for the building ultimately went to North Carolina after they had placed a winning proposal.
Rather than only focusing on drivers, the amazing collection also honors crew chiefs, owners, and other major contributions to the sport, all in a stunning $160 million facility.
For fans of the sport, and really any racing aficionados, the building was a long-awaited monument to current racing contributors as well as a memorial to those who had since passed away. It also became an expansive collection of many businesses that all contribute to building a strong sense of community there.
Let’s take a closer look at what you’ll find in the NASCAR Hall of Fame!
History Of The NASCAR Hall Of Fame
When NASCAR first determined that they would be building the Hall of Fame, there were several options for building sites. Alabama was considered but discarded because they already house the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, and there was a desire to prevent confusion as they are not affiliated in any way with NASCAR.
Michigan began to prepare to bid but never officially submitted its proposal. Other sites that made it to the final running included Richmond, Virginia, Kansas City, Kansas, Atlanta, Georgia, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Daytona Beach, Florida.
Ultimately, the city of Charlotte was chosen due to its rich history of racing as well as its proximity to other NASCAR offices. Several teams that participate actively in NASCAR, such as Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series, are located in Charlotte.
Ground was broken for the building in January 2007, and work was completed for a grand opening in May 2010. The complex includes an annexed 20-story office which opened in May 2009 to house many additional offices. The incredible endeavor completed by the City of Charlotte contains documentation of many amazing racing moments among offices, memorials, shops, food vendors, and even a theater.
What You'll Find At The NASCAR Hall Of Fame
The NASCAR Hall of Fame building is spread across four floors. On the first floor, there is a theater, the “High Octane Theater”, which seats 278. The theater has a 64-foot projection screen, surround sound, and plays videos documenting the history of NASCAR and hosting race-viewing parties each season.
Just outside the theater, there is a “Memorial Moments” display showing milestones from the most recent season of racing.
The second floor of the Hall of Fame contains a 19,000 square foot outdoor patio that is used for events called the “Ceremonial Plaza.” Additionally, the second floor is where you will find “Glory Road,” the main focal point of the Hall. It is here that the greats of NASCAR are documented in detail.
Champions and championship moments are displayed in showcased cars and snapshots. Eighteen premier series championship fan-favorite cars are on display to show some of the most significant racers in NASCAR history. Interactive textured displays allow guests to feel the track and visualize the banking that drivers experience on 46 different speedways.
Also on the second floor is “Studio 43,” one of NASCAR’s media production centers. The studio, which is named after racing legend Richard Petty’s car number, is 3,800 square feet with a seamless 40-foot cyclorama wall allowing productions in the studio to manipulate lighting and create illusions of open spaces beyond the camera focal points.
The third floor of the building hosts the “Hall of Honor,” where a 360-degree wall highlights contributors and legends of the sport. Currently, just 58 individuals have achieved the honor of induction into the hall and, of those, just 24 were drivers, while the others were owners, promoters, and/or crew chiefs.
To be inducted into the Hall of Fame is truly the pinnacle of honors in the NASCAR world. The requirements for drives to be inducted include having at least ten years of driving competitively and being at least 55 years old. Non-drivers must have ten years of involvement and/or have made incredible contributions to NASCAR.
Even once those eligibility requirements are met, only 15 nominees are named each year by a committee made up of 22 members. These members consist of NASCAR Hall of Fame representatives, media, and track owners. Another five nominees are added by the Honors Committee for a total of 27 nominees. Later, 65 votes are cast by a voting panel, including one ballot fan vote, and just three winners will be inducted each year.
The third floor also houses several simulators provided by iRacing.com, allowing guests to experience the thrill of racing in a safe environment.
There are eight NASCAR replicas, including one that is handicap/wheelchair accessible. Outside, other guests can view the races taking place on a 50-foot overhead screen.
These simulators are incredibly accurate, allowing races against up to 15 competitors on tracks that change weekly in correlation to the Monster Energy Cup Series schedule. Tracks for the simulators are laser-scanned, allowing for the utmost accuracy up to a millimeter of the original tracks.
The fourth floor features the “Heritage Speedway,” which showcases historical artifacts from NASCAR’s history. These amazing vestiges of the sport are protected behind glass and include such points of interest as a life-size whiskey still, photographs, news articles, and trophies from bygone eras.
Also spread throughout the impressive building are a gift shop, Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant, cafe, and ballroom. In the past year, two new exhibits have also been added, one of which documents the first ten classes inducted into the Hall of Fame and the other celebrates seven-time NASCAR premier series champion, Jimmie Johnson.