On a visit to the Charlotte/Kannapolis/Concord area to visit all of the NASCAR Team…read moreGarages/Headquarters, Jr Motorsports was our third stop of day two, and our sixth team overall.
We visited Jr Motorsports this past summer, on a Friday afternoon in July. It was not too crowded, but there were other groups looking around the place when we were there. The building is located in the back of an industrial park in Mooresville, and there is plenty of private parking located right near the front doors. The entrance is clearly marked where you will not miss it.
Everything to see here is located on the floor in which you enter the building. This includes the historical items, viewing area for the garage, and the team store.
The review is further broken down into categories below:
Displays/Museums/Historical Items - 2/5 Rating
In terms of access to the different items to look at here, they are all located within the team's garage. You are able to look at them in a small viewing area in one corner, but you cannot really browse them like you can at other racing team's headquarters. Most of what the display is includes flags from various race wins of the team. Other than that, there is not a lot to see regarding this category. If they were to improve this, they would likely have to add another area where fans can walk through and browse.
Team Store - 5/5 Rating
When you arrive at Jr Motorsports, the team store is the first area you enter, and the selection here is great. There are a variety of items, some of which we did not see at any other of the team stores. Plenty of variety in terms of t-shirts, jackets, sweatshirts, hats, and other novelty items. Additionally, there was a small sale rack. There were also die casts for sale in both 1:24 and 1:64 sizes. One aspect of the selection here that is favorable is that there are items that are less in terms of price. For example, they sell used lug nuts for less than $1, have a penny press machine, and sell smaller pieces of sheet metal for less than $20. This is a good team store to visit if you are looking for smaller trinkets that will not break the bank. There are some more expensive items, but there is still the option of the less expensive items as well.
Garage Access - 4/5 Rating
Located in the rear of the team store is the access into the garage. You are quite literally able to walk right onto the floor, within the confines of a viewing area that is clearly marked. It is neat to be able to see right into the floor and all that goes on in the space. Unfortunately, they do not permit photography in the garage area, so I have no pictures to include. There is also the option to take a tour of this space, and that can be purchased in the team store. We did not do the tour during this visit, but still enjoyed the "free" access that all are able to view.
Overall Access - 3/5 Rating
Overall, the access at Jr Motorsports is not bad. As stated, you are able to see right onto the floor of the team garage. You can gain additional access if you purchase a tour, but there is still not bad access if you choose not to do so. One of the Dirty Mo Media podcasting studio is located right off of the team store. We were able to see into it, and I have included a few photos of this area in my review. However, during our visit it seemed to be roped off from entering. Supposedly, at certain times this is open to look in and get closer, but it was not during our visit.
Extras - 4/5 Rating
Being able to get pieces of the cars in the form of the lug nuts and smaller pieces of sheet metal is something unique to Jr Motorsports. It allows for all kinds of fans to take home real pieces of the races without completely emptying their wallets. Beyond this, and what was already outlined throughout this review, there is not much else extra going on here. To our knowledge, there were no Hero Cards for the taking here, either.
There are several aspects of Jr Motorsports that make it unique, especially compared to other racing teams. The access to the garage, and the first-hand look into one of the Dirty Mo Media podcasting studios are included in that. Along with the ability to take home pieces of the cars for not that much money, this is an interesting stop to make on the tour of all of the team garages. This team is also a quicker stop, as it should take no more than 30 minutes to see everything there is to offer (unless you are taking a tour!). The fan experience at Jr Motorsports is a positive one overall.