NASCAR HALL OF FAME

A Comprehensive Guide to the New NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina

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The NASCAR Hall of Fame will open its doors in Charlotte, North Carolina on June 7, 2016. The new Hall of Fame venue will be located only a few miles from the famed Speedway at Charlotte, where the new Hall of Fame will host an impressive list of star-studded events throughout its six-year run. With that in mind, it’s only natural that so much focus is being placed on the new Hall of Fame venue itself. The new museum will feature interactive exhibits, a driver academy, and a tribute stage. Even the interior and exterior design will be a step above other halls of fame or museums. The new Hall of Fame in Charlotte has been built with the future in mind and will be a prominent fixture in the city’s expanding cultural landscape. That being said, many race fans may not be familiar with the many changes that the new Hall of Fame will bring to the sport. Therefore, we’ve compiled a list of the most important things about the new Hall of Fame, along with a few myths that we hope you’ll take with you as you explore the site.

What is the NASCAR Hall of Fame?

The NASCAR Hall of Fame is a museum devoted to honoring the careers of the greatest drivers, builders, and owners in NASCAR history. Since its founding in 1953, the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) has been the governing body for motorsports history in the United States. The NMPA became the International Motorsports Hall of Fame (IMHOF) in 1989, and in 2012 the IMHOF merged with the Intimidators Cup to become the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The NASCAR Hall of Fame is located in the heart of Downtown Charlotte, North Carolina, only a few miles from the famed Charlotte Motor Speedway where it will host an impressive list of star-studded events throughout its six-year run.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame Opens June 7, 2016

The NMPA opened the first NASCAR Hall of Fame in Short Track City, Oklahoma, on June 7, 1961. The NMPA has been working to bring a new NASCAR Hall of Fame to Charlotte since 2007, when it announced plans for a $150 million facility that would be located in the center of the city’s largest development project, the American Dream. The new Hall of Fame will be located just a few miles from the famed Speedway at Charlotte, where the new Hall of Fame will host an impressive list of star-studded events throughout its six-year run. On June 7, 2016, the NMPA will open the doors to the new Hall of Fame for the first time at 1201 East Trade Street in downtown Charlotte.

The Entire Race Track will be at the NASCAR Hall of Fame

The NASCAR Hall of Fame will feature more than just a museum. The Hall of Fame grounds will include:  - A 50-acre state-of-the-art campus that will house the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the NASCAR Hall of Media, as well as other entertainment and retail venues. The campus will be designed to be an urban center that is open to the public 24 hours a day. - A 250-room hotel. - A retail shopping district. - A multimodal transportation center that is connected to the Central Station by a 9-acre outdoor plaza.

You can only visit the Hall of Fame if you’re a Race Fan or Driver

While you can visit the NASCAR Hall of Fame grounds, you can only visit the Hall of Fame if you’re a race fan or driver. This means you have to have been a fan of one of the following nine drivers in order to visit the Hall of Fame: Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Bill Elliott, Darrell Waltrip, Rex White, Bobby Allison, Neil Bonnett, or Ned Jarrett. This is known as the “Ten Million Dollar Fan” program. However, you can still apply for an invitation to the “Ten Million Dollar Fan” program to visit the Hall of Fame in the future.

You Can’t Vote for Who Stays at the NASCAR Hall of Fame

While being a fan of one of the nine drivers listed above will grant you access to the Hall of Fame grounds, you can’t vote for who stays at the Hall of Fame. The NMPA makes the final call on who stays at the Hall of Fame and who does not. All applications are reviewed by a selection committee and then voted upon by the NMPA Board of Directors. The NMPA Board then makes the final decision on who stays and who does not. If a driver is not selected for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, it does not mean that the driver will never be inducted. The selection process is incredibly difficult, and it may take many years for a driver to be selected for induction.

The New NASCAR Hall of Fame will have an Interactive Museum

The new Hall of Fame will not just be a museum to honor the greatest drivers and owners in NASCAR history. It will also feature a museum dedicated to acknowledging the role that women play in motorsports. This will be the first hall of fame to have a museum dedicated to women in motorsports. Additionally, the new Hall of Fame will include a tribute stage that will allow fans to witness the induction of their favorite inductees. The tribute stage will not be permanent, so it will be moved to various locations around the Charlotte area on a rotating basis. The tribute stage will include a video wall that will allow fans to watch their favorite drivers and owners receive the induction they deserve. A video wall will also be used to introduce new inductees and tribute honorees to fans.

There will be an educational academy at the NASCAR Hall of Fame

The new NASCAR Hall of Fame will also have an educational academy that will be open to the public. The educational academy will be housed at the downtown Charlotte campus and will provide hands-on activities to students of all ages. The educational academy is a new addition to the hall of fame that aims to provide students with the opportunity to learn about the history of motorsports while also immersing themselves in the day-to-day activities of NASCAR. The educational academy will be an interactive experience that will allow students to break down race cars, design their own race car, and even climb inside a race car as part of a driving simulation.

The Exterior Design of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Will Be Unique

The exterior design of the new NASCAR Hall of Fame will be a prominent change from other halls of fame or museums. The exterior design of the new NASCAR Hall of Fame will be a prominent change from other halls of fame or museums. The exterior of the new Hall of Fame will feature a large metal sculpture of a speedway that will be illuminated at night. The metal sculpture of the speedway will be located on the corner of Tryon and Trade Streets, directly across from the Charlotte Convention Center. The design of the new Hall of Fame is meant to create a memorable experience for visitors. It will be a landmark in Charlotte for years to come and will be a prominent fixture in the city’s expanding cultural landscape.

The Bottom Line

The new NASCAR Hall of Fame will be a prominent addition to the Charlotte area when it opens in June 2016. The grounds will be a destination for race fans, while the museum and educational academy will provide a high-quality experience for guests of all ages.

Written Driving Directions From This POI To The Next POI

Start: NASCAR Hall of Fame

400 E M.L.K. Jr Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28202, United States

Get on I-277 N/US-74 E from S Caldwell St

3 min (0.7 mi)

Head southeast on E M.L.K. Jr Blvd toward S Caldwell St

282 ft

Turn right onto S Caldwell St

0.2 mi

Continue onto South Blvd

0.2 mi

Turn left onto the I-277 Outer N/US-74 E ramp

0.3 mi

Follow US-74 E and E Independence Blvd/E Independence Expy to Sardis Rd N

11 min (9.3 mi)

Merge onto I-277 N/US-74 E

1.0 mi

Keep right at the fork to continue on US-74 E, follow signs for NC-27 E/Independence Expy

2.9 mi

Keep left to continue on E Independence Blvd/E Independence Expy

3.3 mi

Continue straight to stay on E Independence Blvd/E Independence Expy

1.9 mi

Continue straight to stay on E Independence Blvd/E Independence Expy

0.2 mi

Continue on Sardis Rd N to your destination

3 min (0.4 mi)

Turn right onto Sardis Rd N

0.1 mi

Turn left onto Crown Point Dr

0.1 mi

Turn right

407 ft

Slight left

108 ft

Turn right

 Destination will be on the left

92 ft

 End: Big Air Trampoline Park

2408 Sardis Rd N, Charlotte, NC 28227, United States

Written Driving Directions From The Mold Girl of Charlotte To This POI

Start: The Mold Girl of Charlotte

4614 Wilgrove Mint Hill Rd Suite C9, Mint Hill, NC 28227, United States

Head southwest toward Wilgrove Mint Hill Rd

3 s (72 ft)

Turn right onto Wilgrove Mint Hill Rd

34 s (315 ft)

Turn left onto Nelson Rd

2 min (0.9 mi)

Continue on Lawyers Rd. Take Idlewild Rd and US-74 W/E Independence Expy to E M.L.K. Jr Blvd in Charlotte

21 min (13.2 mi)

Turn right onto Lawyers Rd

3.8 mi

Turn left onto Idlewild Rd N

0.5 mi

Use the left 2 lanes to turn left onto E W.T. Harris Blvd

0.6 mi

Turn right onto Idlewild Rd

1.4 mi

Turn right to merge onto US-74 W/E Independence Blvd/E Independence Expy

 Continue to follow US-74 W/E Independence Expy

5.0 mi

Take the exit on the left onto I-277 S/US-74 W toward U.S. 74

1.3 mi

Take exit 1 E for South Blvd

0.3 mi

Turn right onto S Caldwell St/South Blvd

 Continue to follow S Caldwell St

0.2 mi

Turn left onto E M.L.K. Jr Blvd

32 s (325 ft)

End: NASCAR Hall of Fame

400 E M.L.K. Jr Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28202, United States