NASCAR Hall of Fame

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With the Grand Opening scheduled for May 11, 2010, this state-of-the-art facility will honor NASCAR icons and create an enduring tribute to the drivers, crew members, team owners and others that have impacted the sport in the past, present and future.

Groundbreaking ceremonies were held in January 2007 and construction began in May 2007. Building design concepts have been completed and exhibit themes and interior layouts are nearing completion. Among the elements being considered for the NASCAR Hall of Fame are:

* Approximately 40,000 square feet of exhibit space showcasing the history and heritage of the sport.
* Ceremonial Plaza: Exterior site for induction ceremonies.
* Full Throttle Theater: A 270-seat state-of-the-art theatre featuring informational film about the history of NASCAR. Available for after hours group rentals.
* The Great Hall: Large, open, greeting area just inside the facility which will include rotating displays and lively video scenes and graphics.
* Glory Road: Banked ramp leading to the second floor of the facility featuring 15-18 historic cars and highlighting 40 current and historic tracks.
* Hall of Honor: Space where NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees will be honored.
* NASCAR Vault: Glass-enclosed section of the facility housing historic artifacts from NASCAR's past.
* A Week in the Life: A behind-the-scenes look of what a NASCAR team and the NASCAR industry goes through to prepare a car for raceday.
* Transporter Simulator: A full-size transporter, giving visitors a first-hand look at the team's nerve-center at the track.
* Racing Simulator: A state-of-the-art attraction giving visitors a driver's experience and perspective on raceday.
* Heritage Speedway: Individual galleries telling the story of NASCAR's exciting 60+ year history.
* Tribute Space: A memorial area where visitors can honor and reflect on heroes no longer with us.
* Restaurant and Retail Outlets.
* TV & Radio Studios and NASCAR Newsroom

Additional details of these proposed components can be found in the FAQS page of the website.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame is one component of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Complex, located in uptown Charlotte, adjacent to the Charlotte Convention Center. The Complex will include:

* The NASCAR Hall of Fame: A 130,000 square foot state-of-the-art hall of fame, entertainment attraction, and museum.
* Convention Center Expansion/New Ballroom: 102,000 square foot expansion to the Convention Center including a new 40,000 square foot ballroom with seating capacity of 2,400 banquet style and over 4,200 theater style.
* NASCAR Plaza Office Tower: A 390,000 square foot, 19 story Class A office building being developed by Lauth Properties and NASCAR. NASCAR and NASCAR Images will be primary tenants and include full scale studios to be operated by NASCAR Images.
* Parking garage for over 1,000 vehicles.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame will be owned by the City of Charlotte and operated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.
A World Class Team

Award winning expertise from two of the world's leading design firms has been secured to develop plans for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Pei, Cobb & Freed Partners, responsible for more than 100 high profile projects around the world, has been secured to develop the external design plan. Some of their best known works include the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH, the John Hancock Tower in Boston, MA, modernization and expansion of The Louvre in Paris, the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, NY, the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, PA, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. This firm has received more than 150 major design awards, including 23 National Honor Awards from the American Institute of Architects.

Ralph Appelbaum and Associates is serving as the exhibit design firm. RAA is currently the largest interpretive museum design firm in the world and have won over 100 major design awards since being founded in 1978. Among the Appelbaum team’s most notable works include the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, TN, the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, FL, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, PA.

The Construction Team
The construction of the NASCAR Hall of Fame is a joint venture between BE&K, Turner Construction and the Walter B. Davis Company. The three firms will be responsible for all of the construction aspects of the project including: cost estimating services, developing the construction schedule, assisting in the packaging for permits, overseeing the bid phase, awarding sub-contractors and managing all sub-contractors during construction.

The City of Charlotte
The City of Charlotte provides services to enhance the livability and quality of life for more than 650,000 residents each year with a focus on Housing & Neighborhood Development, Community Safety, Transportation, Economic Development and the Environment. In addition to encouraging people and businesses to live, work and locate within Charlotte, the City also engages in partnerships that contribute to the local economy and bolster tourism by creating unique experiences that support our Economic Development focus area, such as the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The NHOF project team includes many City departments, including Engineering & Property Management, Charlotte Department of Transportation, Economic Development, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities, Planning, Charlotte Fire Department, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department , City Attorney’s Office and the City Manager’s Office.
North Carolina & NASCAR:
Racing Was Built Here
1970s Car

Charlotte 's connection with fast cars goes back to the early 20th century. As early as 1924, the Charlotte Speedway, a plank-surfaced half-mile oval track, was drawing an estimated 50,000 people to watch open wheel cars.

On June 19, 1949 Charlotte played host to NASCAR’s first race in the Strictly Stock division, predecessor to today's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. On that day, a group of 33 scrappy drivers with names like Baker, Flock and Petty gathered with an array of full-sized "stock" family sedans for a 200-lap, 150-mile race on a dusty, three-quarter-mile red clay oval on Wilkinson Boulevard. Gastonia, North Carolina’s Glenn Dunaway was flagged the winner. Later disqualified for having enhanced the suspension of his Ford, Kansas’ Jim Roper was declared the winner.

Stemming from this rich heritage, the Charlotte region literally has emerged as stock car racing's home. Currently, over 80 percent of NASCAR Sprint Cup teams, over 70 percent of NASCAR Nationwide teams and over 50 percent of Craftsman Truck teams are based in the region. Motorsports is now a $6 billion a year industry and employs over 27,000 people in North Carolina with over $4.5 billion of that annual economic impact being in the Charlotte region.
1950s Car

The synergy of the teams and competitors, both current and past is among the key reasons NASCAR chose to partner with the City of Charlotte and the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority to develop this incredible facility to honor the history and heritage of NASCAR. This was evident with the participation of 40 NASCAR competitors, heroes and pioneers participating in the groundbreaking ceremony in January of 2007.

The breadth and depth of motorsports-related attractions also make Charlotte especially fitting for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Many NASCAR fans already travel to Charlotte for its unique combination and concentration of race teams, racing exhibits, high-octane live events and hands-on opportunities like the Lowes Motor Speedway, North Carolina Motorsports Hall of Fame, the Richard Petty Driving Experience, Andretti/Gordon Driving School, Fast Track High Performance Driving School; museums of Richard Childress Racing, Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Petty, and Roush Racing to name a few. Simply put, racing is in the air 365 days a year in the Charlotte region. That's why this area is the ideal location for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

In Charlotte, the NASCAR Hall of Fame will not simply be just another tourist attraction. It will be the centerpiece - well maintained, well operated and truly appreciated. Perhaps most importantly, the people of Charlotte understand the business of NASCAR and fully embrace it. For some it represents their family history. For many it's their livelihood. For nearly all, it's their passion.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame will be owned by the City of Charlotte and operated by The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA). The CRVA combines Visit Charlotte (the Convention & Visitors Bureau) with facilities management of Charlotte’s publicly owned meeting facilities which include the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the Charlotte Convention Center, Ovens Auditorium, Bojangles’ Coliseum and specific operational components of the Time Warner Cable Arena.