Visit to NASCAR Hall of Fame

While in Charlotte to visit the JGRMX Toyota/Muscle Milk/Yamaha gang, I stopped by the brand spanking new NASCAR Hall of Fame in downtown Charlotte, NC. You won't miss the disctinctive building







The initial hall features cars from throughout NASCAR's history, from oldest to newest.







There are descriptions of the track, and for those who can't get enough, samples of the track surface to feel.







Here's one of Lee Petty's car. At this point, there was plenty of "stock" left in stock cars, including what looked like some original upholstery, rear windows that cranked down, and the stock dash.







Of course, like any museum, there's plenty of info on the history and background of the items displayed. Did you catch the Pixar movie "Cars"? Here's the Hudson Hornet that was featured in the movie.







As you move around the hall, the cars get newer, and the banking gets steeper. At the upper end, it's 33°, the same as at Talladega. There's a spot where you can walk onto banking, and it's really steep.







Here's an overhead view from the second floor.







Up on the second floor, there are tons of displays of the various technologies on the cars, from shocks to engines and brakes, and also plenty of interactive displays where you can try your hand at wheel changes, driving demos, and more.







One of my favorite areas was where they showed how the cars were inspected, and displays of a bunch of the cheater parts that their inspectors have found over the years. The structure on the top of the car? That's the template that the NASCAR inspectors use to check that the teams are staying within the rules on the shape of their cars.







The upper floor is devoted to memorabilia, and everything from the very old to ultra-modern. That helmet on the left? Yep, that was standard equipment in the early days. I wouldn't even ride a moped wearing one of those. Oh, and yeah, they did used to drive in wingtips. One driver who retired a few years ago (Dave Marcus) even wore them until very recently.







This cutaway car showcased the latest in safety technology, including the foam along the side of the car that runs between the roll cage and the body.







I remember the era, but one clothing item you won't find me wearing are these Coca-Cola pants.







Oops, almost forgot. Admission is right at $20 per person.