NASCAR central: Your guide to auto racing venues around Charlotte

Welcome to the NASCAR capital of America.

Charlotte is the epicenter of stock car auto racing. The operational and cultural hub of NASCAR, this is where teams build their race cars, the sport’s history is preserved, and fans come together for two prominent Cup Series races.

There’s no better time to dive in than May.

Motorsports shifts into high gear throughout this month, which culminates with the Coca-Cola 600 over Memorial Day weekend. The 600-mile event at the famed race track in Concord is the longest race of the NASCAR season, marking the only one that goes from daytime into night.

So, where are the premier NASCAR venues in the Charlotte area? Here’s your roadmap to the area’s top racing spots:

NASCAR Hall of Fame

The sport’s Hall of Fame opened 15 years ago in uptown.

One pioneer gets inducted alongside two modern legends of stock car racing each year, and that ceremony has been held before every Cup Series season since 2010.

The interactive museum at 400 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. is filled with immersive exhibits. Hall of Famers have old-school phone booths that bring their stories to life, along with iconic race cars, personal memorabilia, pit crew simulators and much more.

Parking is available in the garage connected to Charlotte Convention Center at 500 S. Brevard St. The Hall of Fame is open six days a week to the public — it’s closed on Tuesdays — with adult tickets at $27, seniors for $24, military members with valid ID and youth between ages 4 and 12 get in for $20, while admission for children under 4 is free.

Charlotte Motor Speedway

This is home to two annual Cup Series races.

Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 1.5-mile oval track, lays out a road course and hosts a playoff elimination race during the fall. Road racing has been becoming more prominent as NASCAR varies the types of tracks on which it competes, and the hybrid “Roval” made its debut in 2018.

The Coke 600 is one of three crown jewel races on the Cup Series’ annual circuit, and the advent of the Roval has increased the competitiveness of the postseason. This year’s Coke 600 begins the weekend of May 23, and tickets are available at CharlotteMotorSpeedway.com.

Roughly 15 miles from uptown, the track’s address is 5555 Concord Parkway South. There’s also a dragstrip that hosts national NHRA events and a dirt track on the grounds, off Interstate 85 and Burton Smith Boulevard near Concord Mills.

Mooresville: Race City USA

Nearly 30 miles north of Charlotte, this fast-growing suburb is best known as home to several NASCAR teams.

Mooresville blends small-town charm with high-speed innovation. Team Penske, whose drivers have won the past three Cup Series championships, and the Dale Earnhardt Jr.-owned JR Motorsports are among the teams based in the Iredell County town known as “Race City USA.”

These shops are where each team builds their race cars throughout the week, and pit crews run through their daily practices.

The North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame is a small museum in Mooresville devoted to motorsports history, from drag racing to stock cars, at 119 Knob Hill Road off Interstate 77 at Exit 36.

Downtown Mooresville is also home to the state’s auto racing “walk of fame,” where sidewalk markers along Main Street honor greats like Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Junior Johnson.

More NASCAR teams’ headquarters

Race shops are more than just garages.

These professional facilities are filled with technology, engineers — and championships. Most teams’ shops have museums, retail stores and visitor centers for fans to explore.

Hendrick Motorsports, the biggest and winningest team in NASCAR, has a team store and museum open Monday to Friday on its campus near Charlotte Motor Speedway. Joe Gibbs Racing has a gift shop at its headquarters in Huntersville, and the lobby of the Michael Jordan-owned 23XI Racing’s shop called “Airspeed” is open throughout the week as well.

This story was originally published May 20, 2025 at 6:00 AM with the headline "NASCAR central: Your guide to auto racing venues around Charlotte."

Shane Connuck

The Charlotte Observer

Shane Connuck is a former journalist for The Charlotte Observer