On a visit to the Charlotte/Kannapolis/Concord area to visit all of the NASCAR Team…read moreGarages/Headquarters, Hendricks Motorsports was our third stop. We visited the Hendrick campus this past summer, on a Thursday afternoon in July. It was not super busy, but there were a few other groups in the museum and store while we were there. The campus is located in Concord, and there is plenty of private parking just steps away from the front doors of the museum and gift shop. It was easy to figure out we were in the right spot with the ample signage around the property. The museum and gift shop are essentially one and the same - you walk into the lobby of the building, and the museum is mostly around the perimeter of the space, while the gift shop area is in the center. The team garages are located in another building on the property. We had positive interactions with all of the staff, and especially with the woman who works reception at in the building with the team garages (her name escapes me, but she was so wonderful!). The review is further broken down into categories below: Displays/Museums/Historical Items - 4/5 Rating The downright history, and all of the cars to see at Hendrick is unmatched. There is a lot to take in regarding the history and variety. Also, the amount of cars to see is impressive. All or the cars are behind ropes, so you cannot touch them or get very close. As stated above, the museum is located in one large space, so the cars are just what can fit along the perimeter of the room. There are also large displays discussing the history of Hendrick, along with various trophies. Team Store - 5/5 Rating Hendrick has the largest selection of merchandise for any of the racing teams, by far. There is plenty of selection for each current cup series driver, along with a diverse selection for past drivers. There was a clearance rack of items, and they were also running a promotion of a free item if you spent so much in the shop. You got to pick the item from a select area in the shop. The die cast selection left something to be desired. However, there are plenty of knickknack-type items to choose from. Garage Access - 2/5 Rating In terms of garage access, there is not a ton for this team. As stated above, the garage is located in a separate building on the property from the museum and gift shop. But, this access of this area is limited. The viewing area is only one smaller window. They were working on an Xfinity car at the time we were there, and you were asked not to take pictures of the garage area. Overall Access - 5/5 Rating The access here is rather vast when comparing to other teams. You are able to drive around the entire campus, and see a lot while doing so due to the size. Additionally, there is access for fans to the pit practice area. This is a unique aspect of Hendrick that we did not see from other teams. There is also access to the team lobby, specifically the 5 and the 9 who share a building. This is where the garage viewing area is located. It also had multiple trophies on display, historical items and past cars. Extras - 5/5 Rating Being able to see live pit practice for the team is rather insane. This is not happening at all hours the shop and museum are open, but when the crew is conducting practice, fans are invited to view the sessions. We witnessed this on a previous trip to Hendrick, and watched the practice for an extended period. The pit practices are held in the designated area behind the museum and gift shop. There were even bleachers for fans to sit on for the practice. The Hero Cards are also located in the lobby/entrance of the museum, and the selection was good! In the 5 and 9 team buildings is where the public access to the garages are located. There are a few more race cars to see in there, but the highlight of this part of Hendrick is the receptionist for the building. She was so friendly, and let us hold the sword trophy from Jimmie Johnson's last Bristol win. It is right on the desk, so you will not miss it. This was a major highlight for my fiancé! If you can only make one racing team stop while in the area, Hendrick is the place to stop. There is a lot to look at in the museum, as well as one of the most diverse gift shops of all the teams. It is nice to be able to get merchandise from current drivers, as well as retired Hendrick legends. The extras here are top-notch. If you are able to visit during the pit practice, that would make the whole trip worth it. This absolutely is a must-stop for any racing fan while in the area.

Was lucky enough to come here for a speaking engagement with SAE. Hendrick was so hospitable,…read moreoffered private tours of their facility for our group, and some cool interactions with their employees. I've been here before as a NASCAR fan and this just heightened my opinion of the company and their workforce.

I've been so busy that I haven't had time to post our awesome experience at the Christmas lights at…read moreCharlotte motor Speedway, last month. Even though it was after Christmas, it was still an awesome experience. I truly wish more people knew about because it is so worth the time the money. It's the largest Christmas expedition on the East Coast and we've had great memories both times. This is our second year going and we enjoyed our time this year more than the first. The first part is you driving in your car as you see all of the super cool light fixtures while listening to Christmas music that corresponds to the lights. The kids (and us), we're in love with the different themes that we saw along the way. Very vibrant and bold colors that really don't do it justice through a camera lens. It's something you truly do have to see in person to get the full picture. There's also a movie playing on the Jumbotron that you can listen to while you're riding around or you can park and watch the movie with your family. This year we did the VIP skip line for $96. I will say that it seems as if in the VIP there wasn't as many light fixtures while riding in the car as there was in previous years. I'm not sure if we seen less exhibits because our route was shorter. That would be our only complaint. You do pay by a car/ van so I would say if you could take as many people with you in one vehicle. Once you get to the halfway point there, there's an area where you can park and then you can get out. Here is part two where you go to all of the different vendors that are inside the heated area. There's so much to do. You can take pictures with Santa. You can get your character made until cartoon portrait . There's free events where kids can make Christmas ornaments win prizes color take pictures with the themed Christmas tree trees (that were so so cute by the way.) They had a bar for the adults and hot chocolate and popcorn for the kids. When you go outside of the tent, there's part 3, a world with outdoor activities. There is an area for Christmas carols tubing that had artificial snow. Theres bonfires with s'mores. Ann area with a bunch of food trucks to choose from. There's hundreds of photo opportunities where there are huge, beautiful light fixtures that you can walk and see along the track. It's literally something for the entire family to enjoy or even a date night if there's something that you would like to do. This is something that my family will continue to do in the years to come.

Great experience at one of the Nation's more challenging racetracks, we were fortunate to be able…read moreto feel what NASCAR pilots of course at much slower speeds yet a little faster than you would anticipate if you were driving a truck. Hesitant the first time around but I bet if I had the opportunity of doing it for a whole week I would apply the pedal to the metal, maybe next time for 199 a bucket list item Thank you Charlotte Motor Speedway for a well organized event

This is the best dirt track in the south east. People of all…read moreages go there and lots of children always playing and having fun. Also videos of the race from BSIGMOND videos on you tube, but nothing like being there in person. Best food and cleanest bathrooms I ever saw at a race track.

Is the BEST dirt track in the Gaston county/Lincoln county areas. They always put on a great show…read morefor the kids and the adults as well. I love the fact that they have sections marked for families, so basically the people who drink beer etc.. Have a section of their own and normally you won't see a lot of people drinking in the family section.. A few people do get a little rowdy when it comes to one of their favorite drivers wrecking or getting knocked out place but its actually funny to watch sometimes.

You cannot beat the Friday night dirt track racing at Carolina Speedway! My son and I have been…read morecoming to Carolina Speedway for the past few years and I'd highly recommend this track to any racing fan! This dirt track has similar racing to the dirt tracks you might have seen other areas of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. You will find this track very well managed and operated. Things that stand out for me include: - There is plenty of free parking and it's easy to get in and out. - Tickets are not that expensive (~$20) and kids 11 and under get in free! - There is plenty of seating and you are not tightly packed in. Bring your blanket, cooler, and spread out! - The Concession Stand and "Sugar Shack" both have great food at good prices. I've found the food at this track to be the best of many of the other tracks in the area! - The prayer and invocation at the start of the race is authentic and caring. - The announcing is on point, informative, and loud enough to hear. - You feel safe as there are many friendly fans. You also see friendly police officers stationed nearby in case there is ever an issue. Paramedics are also staffed to handle any issues on the track. - About an hour into racing they have an event called "Kids Meeting Time" where the kids in attendance are asked to gather near the concession stand. They then get free candy thrown out from the track mascots: Mudwagon the Dragon or Captain Carolina. My son loves this!!! - The track is well maintained, safe for drivers and fans, and seems great to race on. - And, most importantly, the racing is excellent, fast paced, and exciting! We enjoy all the divisions and there always seem to be a lot of cars in each division. I've referred to Carolina Speedway as a "gem" in Gaston County and every time I come out with my family we have a blast!!!

This track is awesome! Great racing , people and awesome concession stand. You can get real close…read moreto the cars../ great stands and fans ... parking free. It's a place you wanna go to over and over if you like dirt track racing..

As a first time visitor to Charlotte, this is 1 of 2 places that often gets recommended a must-see…read moreattraction. Other than watching Pixar's Cars, I have zero exposure to NASCAR, so I wasn't sure if it was worth visiting, but decided to visit anyways because it's popularity in the region. I bought my Starting Grid tickets online, so check-in was pretty easy. One of the first things you do is register your card with your name, and pick some identifying images and favourite drivers/teams. As you turn the corner, you'll see an huge welcome screen welcoming you by name. The first thing I did was go to High Octane Theatre, which gave me an intro to NASCAR, which was good, since I knew nothing about it. The next area was the Glory Road area, which is a neat layout of cars from the past, but is probably more interesting to NASCAR fans. It's the the next part containing the immersive experiences - specifically the race simulators and pit crew challenge that were really fun. The extra few dollars to get the Starting Grid simulator day pass was worth it. I went on the simulator multiple times and made the visit completely worth it. The next floor contains more historical artifacts and history of NASCAR. Again, as not a follower, this part was mildly interesting, but probably way more interesting for fans. Overall, I enjoyed my visit way more than I expected. The building and the exhibits are high-quality, well-designed and well laid-out. Even as someone who doesn't follow NASCAR, I appreciated the exhibits. But it's the simulators that made it really fun for me.

So I'm not the biggest NASCAR fan, I've watched a couple of them and my husband has been once. Buy…read morewe do love cars and my toddler loves cars and driving. We went on a Friday morning at 10am and there were lots of kids as summer camps were all there visiting. While they have a ton of memorabilia and they tried to make the museum interactive with your own profile card that you can program, it definitely could have more exhibits geared towards children. I would highly recommend that they create a young drivers play area with some small size NASCAR like cars for kids to sit in and pretend play. It's just such a missed opportunity. Is nice my husband was able to bring my toddler on his lap in the simulator which seemed fun. But all the no touch cars on display is like a child's worst nightmare. They just want to touch all the cars. This museum is so clean though and plenty of space and bathrooms! They had this changing out crew simulations for older kids and adults which is cool but a bit loud. There was a kids make your own car table with creations and a ramp, my toddler enjoyed that a lot. It's nice the museum also has a small cafe and a nice gift shop with die cast models of the race cars. I wish they had toddler size race jackets!

On a visit to the Charlotte/Kannapolis/Concord area to visit all of the NASCAR Team…read moreGarages/Headquarters, Penske Racing was our fifth stop of day two, and our eighth team overall. We visited Penske this past summer, on a Friday afternoon in July. It is located in Mooresville on its own campus. The garage is situated fairly close to the other racing teams in Mooresville, so you will be able to visit all of them without much travel. It is quite a large facility, and has a dedicated parking lot with lots of space. The entrance for visitors is clearly marked with "Guest Entrance" above the doors. At the time of our visit, there were several other racing fans both in the team store and on the "Fan Walk," but it was not crowded. Penske has two levels. The entrance takes you right into the team store on the first level. Both within and behind the team store is an area with race win trophies and other historical items. The garage is located behind this area, but the viewing for the garage is above, on the second floor "Fan Walk." The review is further broken down into categories below: Displays/Museums/Historical Items - 5/5 Rating There are a plethora of displays, trophies, banners, and other race memorabilia throughout the Penske facility. The race win trophies are located within the team store, and into a hallway-type area in the rear. They are placed around the perimeter, and are out in the open for fans to get close looks and even touch. Additionally, there are die casts and other historical items behind glass to take a look at. Around the "Fan Walk" on the second level, there are banners from team Cup, Indy, and IMSA race wins hung around the perimeter. They are organized chronologically. I personally enjoyed looking at all of the pictures that are incorporated into these banners. Within the actual garage, they have current and legacy cars to see, as well as the original enclosed transporter that the team used in the 1970s, which was recovered and restored after originally being sold by the team. Out of all of the teams we visited, this collection is by far the most curated. Team Store - 4/5 Rating As stated, you will walk right into the team store when you enter the facility. It is a larger store, and there is an overall good amount of merchandise. All of their drivers were represented in the items for sale, including Indy and IMSA. They had more expensive items, as well as smaller items that only cost a few dollars. Some items for sale included t-shirts, magnets, cups, die casts, hats, and sponsor-specific items. Also, there were some items on sale. For die casts, there were both 1:64 and 1:24 sizes of various cars. Overall, the store is larger than most team shops, and there is a decent selection. Garage Access - 5/5 Rating Penske truly gives the most unique and all-inclusive access to their garage and facilities. From the team store, there are stairs/an elevator up to the "Fan Walk," where guests can walk the entire length of their garage from above. There is an area in the rear that is somewhat blocked from view, but you are still able to see 20+ cars that are either displays, physically being worked on, or are used for hauling/haulers. There are even offices, conference rooms, and other facilities in the middle of the garage to take a look at. Even with our visit falling on the Friday of a race weekend, there were still several cars being worked on for us to see. This is one of, if not the best garage access of all of the teams we visited. Overall Access - 4/5 Rating The overall access at Penske is very good. The garage access is at about 90%. Not only that, but just the variety of vehicles and items that guests have access to viewing is impressive. This is only rated 4/5 due to there being parts that are blocked from public view. However, this is above average access when compared to other teams. Extras - 5/5 Rating Something that sets Penske apart, and therefore is an "extra," is that they include their Indy Car and IMSA in all aspects of the facility - from the banners, to the displays, and even in the team store. Since they are the only NASCAR team that has Indy and IMSA teams, they are the only ones who have the ability to offer this extra. Additionally, they had Hero Cards in an organizer by the team store entrance that were free to take. The selection was diverse, especially since they include all drivers from NASCAR, Indy, and IMSA. Penske is a must-visit if you are planning to stop at the NASCAR team garages. The facilities are some of the best we saw, the garage access is top-notch, and you could spend a significant amount of time looking at all of the banners, trophies, and other items. Plus, you will be able to see all of the drivers under the Penske umbrella in the different racing series. We very much enjoyed the visit here, and recommend stopping if you find yourself near Mooresville.

As a NASCAR fan I have been to many of the race shops. Penske has done an excellent job of making…read moreit easy for fans to get a great view of the preparation of NASCAR race cars. They have a catwalk running the length of the facility that allows you to unobstructed view of the cars - not a behind glass view as happens at many other shops. As others have mentioned the staff is helpful and friendly.

On a visit to the Charlotte/Kannapolis/Concord area to visit all of the NASCAR Team…read moreGarages/Headquarters, Trackhouse Racing was our first stop. We visited the site this past summer, on a Thursday afternoon in July. It was not busy, and I believe we were the only people there during our visit. The building is located in a quiet area in Concord, and there is plenty of private parking just steps away from the front doors. It was easy to figure out we were in the right spot with the signage on the building. Everything to see here is located in the lobby of the building. There is no access to anywhere else besides the lobby, nor were there public restrooms. In the rear, there were a few couches to sit and view the garage area. The review is further broken down into categories below: Displays/Museums/Historical Items - 3/5 Rating Overall, the amount of displays and historical items here was not overwhelming, nor very plentiful. There were a few exciting items, such as the Hail Melon Car and Wall from Martinsville, along with several race win trophies. The graphics of the drivers along the walls were interesting and modern, but since this area is confined to just the lobby, you will be able to see everything in a short amount of time. Team Store - 4/5 Rating This store was not the largest you will see at a NASCAR Headquarters. There were just a couple of racks and a wall full of merchandise in the back right corner. There were also select sale items. The selection was good - plenty of options for each Cup Driver, in addition to Moto GP Team items. There was a limited stock of sheet metal as well. Garage Access - 2/5 Rating In the back of the lobby, there is a large viewing window to look into the garage area. As stated previously, there is no access to the facility beyond the lobby area. So, though the garage is visible with a large area to view, it is all at the ground level. It seemed like the crews had already left for the race that weekend when we were there, but it was cool to at least see this area. Overall Access - 2/5 Rating Everything that is at Trackhouse is nice and new. There is a good selection of museum-type items and a viewing area for the garage. However, it is extremely limited to the lobby. There is no overhead viewing like with other teams. It almost seems like the fan experience here was a slight afterthought, as opposed to having a fan experience that gives access to different aspects of the team. It would be nice if they could open up more of the facility in the future. Extras - 1/5 Rating A large part of the experience in visiting these teams is collecting the Hero Cards for different drivers. A lot of times, these cards are just on a magazine rack-type storage and they are free to take. You have to specifically ask for them from the receptionist in the lobby here. There are also a very limited selection die casts at this spot. They only had 1:24 size, and the selection of those was extremely limited. Beyond what was discussed above, there were not any "extras" that would enhance the fan experience, compared to other teams' headquarters. Overall, Trackhouse was not a bad spot to start our multi-day tour of all of the NASCAR Garages. The fan experience here is limited, and it will not take you more than 15 minutes to see all there is to offer. However, it is a modern building with nice displays of both the race trophies and graphics for the drivers. Hope that they expand and build on the fan experience as time goes on.

2018 was my first time doing this race. I completed the 5k and half marathon challenge. Thoroughly…read moreenjoyed this race. The hills arent too terrible. The race is put on by the runner for the runner. This is obvious because the medals, the shirts and experience are all awesome. Highly recommend this race!

Ran this half marathon in December 2013 and my son ran the 5K. It was a well run race and things…read morecould not really have gone any smoother. Great location and plenty placeS to stay and eat the night before the race. The race course was good - but this is coming from a guys who prefers running trails. The race is not on my race schedule this year - but only because I have some trail half's lined up. If you've never run this Half before I'd highly recommend it if your close and can fit it into your schedule - it was a good group of runners, very well organized, and I had fun!