Showcasing The History Of NASCAR Along With Famous Cars From The Past, While Still Holding Races Today
The birth of the motorsports industry can be traced back to post-WWII Daytona Beach. “When Bill France, Sr. got the idea for NASCAR in December of 1947, he really started something,” Buz McKim, historian for the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC, tells The Buzz. “Up to then auto racing was chaotic, no rules, no guaranteed purses. Bill France united all the racing groups together. He brought order to chaos.”
As Buz tells the story, France ran races down the sand on Daytona Beach from 1948 to 1958. In the years since, what began as simple “my car’s faster than yours” competition, thanks to France and the speedway owners who joined his National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), has become a multi-billion dollar industry, with race series all over the world, including Europe, Mexico, Canada and the Far East. Buz estimates that one-third of all Fortune 500 companies sponsor a race car. Many drivers end up international celebrities. “It’s really a phenomenon,” he says.
The story of NASCAR is told from its earliest days to last weekend’s race results at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in downtown Charlotte. The magnificent oval shaped building, which mirrors the shape of a superspeedway, was designed by internationally renowned architect I.M. Pei, the man behind the glass pyramid outside the Louvre in Paris and Constitution Hall in Philadelphia. Pei is no stranger to museums either. “He designed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland,” McKim says.
The exhibits inside, designed by Ralph Appelbaum, the man responsible for the outstanding displays at Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame, tell the story of NASCAR from its earliest beginnings on the beaches and backroads of the South. “We’ve got Junior Johnson’s moonshine still and the first trophy ever awarded at a Winston Cup race,” Buz says. “Our Heritage Speedway up on the fourth floor is full of stories. We’ve got the coveralls worn by Sara Christian in 1949 when she finished fifth at Pittsburgh. She was NASCAR’s first female driver, and the only woman to finish in the Top 5 of a major series race… so far.”
One of Buz McKim’s favorite stories involves the career of Tim Flock and his copilot, Flocko Jocko, a rhesus monkey who rode with him in eight races in 1953, including his win in the Grand National race at Hickory Speedway. Flock went on to become one of NASCAR’s winningest drivers and still holds the record for most poles won in a single season (19 in 1955). But Flocko Jocko remains the first and only monkey to ever take a NASCAR checkered flag.
Tim Flock was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2014 and his career is commemorated in the circular Hall of Honor on the building’s third floor. A new class of NASCAR greats is inducted each January, with new exhibits in the Hall of Honor that often include seldom seen articles loaned by the drivers and their families. “We always have something new and surprising,” McKim says. “Even longtime racing fans leave here saying ‘I didn’t know that!’”
Like many fans, McKim’s favorite exhibits are the race cars themselves. Famous cars of the past roar into eternity along a banked track, called Glory Road, that encircles the museum’s Great Hall. The 1952 Hudson Hornet driven to victory on the beach at Daytona by Marshall Teague, Richard Petty’s No. 42 red-and-blue 1972 Oldsmobile, Chevrolets driven by Winston Cup champions Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon’s Rainbow Warrior Dupont ride, right up to the latest Toyota to win a Cup race, are just a few of the iconic cars that testify to America’s lasting devotion to the automobile.
“Bill France hit it on the head when he came up with the strictly stock concept,” McKim says. “Using cars that people see on the street, that they have driven themselves… it’s something fans can really relate to.”
Charlotte won the right to host the Hall of Fame after a hotly contested competition between cities that also included Atlanta, Kansas City, Richmond, and of course Daytona Beach. “Each location had its strengths,” says Winston Kelley, executive director of the Hall. “Ours was a central location in the industry. A majority of race teams are headquartered in the region, in addition to the Charlotte Motor Speedway, one of NASCAR’s largest tracks, one of the originals. The Hall of Fame has given the racing industry a common base. We have become the go-to spot for racing related announcements and activities.”
The Charlotte location turns out to have a silver lining for fans hoping to make a personal connection with their racing idols, many of whom live in the Charlotte area. “For our inductees, becoming a member of the Hall of Honor is the culmination of their careers. They come here with their families to meet and get the respect of fans and other members of the industry,” Winston says. “It’s like a family within a family.”
On any given day, it’s not unusual to run into Richard Petty at the Hall to accept an award, or Danica Patrick hosting a meeting of the Rookie Racers kids’ club, or last weekend’s Cup race winner holding a press conference. “You never know who you’re going to see,” Buz McKim says. “Former competitors and fans love this place for the same reason - because it brings back memories.”
Renee Wright
A graduate of Franconia College in Social Psychology, Renee has worked as Travel Editor for Charlotte Magazine and has written three travel guidebooks for Countryman Press among other writing assignments. She enjoys food and camping.
Make Sure To Stay At:
Charlotte/Fort Mill KOA, which is 1/4 mile off I-77 (only 10 minutes from uptown Charlotte) in a relaxing wooded atmosphere, free from the noise and bustle of the city. This KOA has all the amenities, including free cable, Wi-Fi, mini golf and a pool.