Race shop tours highlight first two days of All-Star Week
CONCORD, N.C. - This week marks the first time I’ve ever been in Charlotte, having arrived on Tuesday via the Megabus. I’m in town throughout the week, leading up to my coverage of this Saturday’s All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
I’m absolutely tired, not that anyone should feel sympathy towards me. Race City USA has everything that a NASCAR fan wants in a tourist destination. Mecklenburg County is quite possibly the coolest locale I’ve ever been too - even Daytona, a city that expanded on the heels of NASCAR’s popularity.
With Charlotte Motor Speedway located at the epicenter, every shop and establishment was built with NASCAR in mind. Every citizen and tourist has at least one connection to the cities’ host sport. Like the speedway itself, Charlotte was built for racing.
Just three days after winning career race no. 200, it was only appropriate that my first visit was to Hendrick Motorsports, where I checked-out the museum and race shops of all four superstar race teams.
The first thing you notice after turning onto Stowe Lane is just how modest and unassuming the entrance to Hendrick Motorsports really is. The facility is located on a country road only two miles away from the Speedway, nestled within a thick forest and the remnants of textile mills - the source of Concord’s previous identity.
But once you enter the neatly trimmed grounds and arrive at Papa Joe Blvd., the majesty of their multi-building operation comes crashing upon you.
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Geoff Bodine won three races and placed ninth in the standings in 1984 for first-year owner Rick Hendrick. (Matt Weaver/NASCAR Ranting and Raving)
My first stop was the museum, which is filled with mementos from the team’s most-historic moments. The first car you see upon walking in the door is Geoff Bodine’s All-Star Racing No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick’s first NASCAR Winston Cup Series entry. That car competed in 1984, won three races, and finished ninth in the season standings.
Further down the aisle are cars (and Craftsman Trucks) driven by Jack Sprague, Ricky Hendrick, Tim Richmond and Ken Schrader, of which the latter was completely destroyed at Talladega in 1995.
Ken Schrader was involved in a multi-car accident at Talladega in 1995 that sent this car spinning and rolling through the infield grass. It was completely destroyed and now rests at the Hendrick Motorsports museum in Concord, NC. (Matt Weaver/NASCAR Ranting and Raving)
The opposite wall is lined with each of the team’s recent Daytona 500-winning cars, beginning with Jeff Gordon’s 1997, 1999, and 2005-winning cars, concluding with Jimmie Johnson’s 2006 winner. Matched in its prestige are the cars that both Gordon and Johnson drove to championships in 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Noticeably absent is Terry Labonte’s 1995 championship-winning Chevrolet. That can be found somewhere in the museum’s massive back wall, which is impressively adorned with every die-cast from Hendrick Motorsport’s rich 28-year history.
The amount of history represented in the Hendrick Museum has to at least rival the NASCAR Hall of Fame itself. There are a ton of race wins and championships represented at Hendrick Motorsports. You could almost call the museum the NASCAR Modern Era Hall of Fame, especially when you consider that the organization is partially responsible for the last six championships, counting Tony Stewart’s HMS-backed title.
Hendrick Motorsports race shop
If the museum is fun, the race shop is all about business, especially in the the 48/88 camp.
The race shop is left mostly blocked, especially in comparison to the exposed workspaces controlled by Alan Gustafson and Kenny Francis. The 24/5 shop offers a splendid view of the work being done to a fleet of about 10 race cars.
In comparison, you can only see one car in the 48/88 shop - currently a relatively-naked no. 48.
Hendrick Motorsports is the closest thing to a dynasty that NASCAR has to offer. And after Saturday’s historic Southern 500, visiting their home was a fantastic start to All-Star Week.
JR Motorsports
A wax statue of Dale Earnhardt Jr. stands in front of the car his real-life counterpart drove to an emotional victory in the 2010 July Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway. It was a replica of the car his father drove in the mid-1980s. (Matt Weaver/NASCAR Ranting and Raving)
Wednesday began with a visit to Mooresville and JR Motorsports, the Nationwide Series operation started by Dale Earnhardt Jr. The team currently fields cars for Danica Patrick, Cole Whitt, and occasionally Earnhardt himself.
For a Nationwide-only competitor, JR Motorsports is surprisingly Cup-level in regards to the amount of content and access they choose to provide. The merchandise is fairly priced, with change amounts typically ending in $0.88 (i.e. $5.88, $7.88, etc.). The race shop can be viewed from the store’s back wall, providing an excellent view of ongoing adjustments to the team’s fleet.
But the highlight of any visit to JR Motorsports can be found just outside of the shop’s window, where Earnhardt Jr.‘s Wrangler Nationwide Series winning-car is plainly visible for everyone to see. It rests virtually untouched, still featuring the dirt and debris acquired from bump-drafting around the 2.5-mile Florida Superspeedway.
JR Motorsports is a must-see destination for any Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan.
Penske Championship Racing
Crew members at Penske Championship Racing work on their cars leading up to a race weekend. (Matt Weaver/NASCAR Ranting and Raving)
Our last visit took us across the street from JR Motorsports to Penske Championship Racing, home of Roger Penske’s NASCAR and IndyCar operations.
A shiny facility built on Mooresville’s rolling hills, Penske headquarters serves as both a testament to the team’s 50-year success and to the competitive standards required to keep it that way.
The walls of the Fan Walk are lined with images from every race victory spanning NASCAR, IndyCar and the American Le Mans Series. The shop floors are kept meticulously clean, evidenced by the reflection of employees clinging to its owners.
Once called Penske Racing South, the facility changed its name to Penske Championship Racing in 2009, an ambitious claim for a NASCAR operation still seeking its first Sprint Cup title. And yet, judging from their workspace, a championship is just around the corner.
I’ll return tomorrow night with live coverage, pictures and video of the Sprint Pit Crew Challenge. In the meantime, follow me on Twitter @MattWeaverSBN. I’ll be in Charlotte through Sunday, covering every event leading up to Saturday night’s 28th Sprint All Star Race.
Special shoutout to the ladies of Skirts and Scuffs and editor/founder Katy Lindamood. This trip wouldn’t have been possible without their help.
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