When Bill France Sr. convened a meeting at the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach just before the Christmas of 1947, little could he have imagined that what was about to be created would deliver 75 — and counting — amazing years of epic action, unforgettable events, legendary race cars, and an unforgettable cast of larger-than-life heroes and even the occasional villain.
Luckily for us it has, and the NASCAR Hall of Fame in downtown Charlotte, N.C., currently has a special exhibit to celebrate the journey that brought stock car racing from the sands of Daytona Beach to primetime. “NASCAR 75: Moments and Memories” runs through November and showcases some of the stories of the sport from its earliest days to the present by highlighting 10 themes told through six historic race cars and four artifact cases.
Covering NASCAR’s history compellingly and succinctly in a way that appeals to the knowledgeable fan and casual follower alike was as much an exercise in restraint as it was a journey through time for the people who pulled it all together.
“We worked closely with NASCAR and their plans for the year to see how we could complement what they were doing,” explains Kevin Schlesier, Senior Director, Museum and Industry Affairs. “They came out with a list of themes about a year ago that they wanted to address, and we looked at the ones that we thought that we could highlight through artifacts and through cars in the Great Hall. The challenge in putting together any exhibit, especially one covering 75 years, is, what to leave out. It’s rarely, ‘What do we want to put in?’
“What’s great about this exhibit is that it’s complementary to our Glory Road exhibit that also has a NASCAR 75th theme to it (below). And that display stays up for three years. So, we had themes that we were already addressing on Glory Road, and now we could use the Great Hall exhibit to dive into some deeper themes.”
The 10 themes include topics such as racetracks vanquished by time, family, diversity, drivers, fans, and so much more. Each of the four artifact cases and six cars were selected because they are the basis for telling a broader story about not only the pivotal moments in NASCAR’s history, but also the personal connections that the NASCAR community has to the sport and beyond. There is no shortage of stories to tell, but Schlesier is satisfied that the mix his team settled on is just right.
“I think that given the constraints of time and space, I’m happy with what we were able to get in there,” he states. “But you know, there’s always, always something around the corner. And that’s what I love about the NASCAR Hall of Fame; we do enough exhibits, and enough change outs that there’s always going to be the next exhibit and the next project. If we couldn’t have fitted it in here, we’ll look for an opportunity to fit it in next time. So, I can’t think of something that we pursued that we didn’t get.”
HOME OF THE LEGENDS
The NASCAR Hall of Fame is situated in the heart of downtown Charlotte. It’s an interactive venue intended to educate and entertain NASCAR fans and newcomers alike while honoring the history of the sport through a wide array of displays, features and films.
Since it opened in 2010, the Hall of Fame has inducted more than 60 legends across all aspects of the sport who’ve played a role in making NASCAR what it is today.
Currently, the Hall is showcasing 11 different exhibitions, plus nearly a dozen interactive activities covering everything from broadcasting to engine building. There are also dining options and a store filled with a variety of memorabilia and souvenirs.
You can plan your visit by heading to nascarhall.com.