Race Shop Reviews

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UPDATE: New reviews and new website coming in November 2024!

When I first decided to visit the race shops of NASCAR, I was surprised that there wasn't a comprehensive source for all the information I needed. Well, I've made my own right here. I've tried to give you a preview of each major shop, let you know the smaller ones worth visiting, and a few other tips as well. Most importantly, you'll know what must be seen and what can be skipped--saves travel time AND gas! Well, lets go!

GENERAL ADVICE:

I was able to talk to some employees at the race shops and picked up some "Insider Tips" that are NOT (to my knowledge) available anywhere else online! Look for the Insider Tips!

Every big shop has a gift-shop, and
most of them sell race-used sheet-
metal. This was the selection at
Chip Ganassi Racing.

The best days of the week to visit are (usually) Tuesday and Wednesday. Mondays can work if the previous race was nearby. Thursdays are a "getaway day" so there isn't nearly as much activity. Fridays are almost always dead.

All hours listed are Monday through Friday unless otherwise noted.

The best general area to stay, hotel-wise, is in either North-Charlotte (typically referred to as the University area) or one of the northern-suburbs such as Concord. This will put you in close proximity to the Charlotte AND Mooresville shops, although you can deal with some major traffic in the afternoons!

Every race shop has free admission. The various Halls of Fame have admission, but are in most cases well worth them.

All race teams listed here are located in North Carolina. The vast majority of them are located in one of two locations: Greater Charlotte or Greater Mooresville. There are a few exceptions--a handful of shops are located in Statesville (GMS and a few other small Truck Series teams), while RCR and its affiliated teams are located outside Winston-Salem. The Petty Museum is also relatively out of the way in Level Cross, while the Wood Brothers Museum is in Stuart, Virginia (although with free admission).

Hero card example

If you're in town for a race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, check with the various teams' websites to see if they're doing any special events or having extended hours.

Obviously the any race team logos are the properties of those race teams. All of the pictures, however, (unless noted) are my own.

A note on "Hero Cards"--these are the (usually) 8.5"x11" heavy-stock cards that have lots of information on the teams, drivers, and sponsors. They're a nice cheap way to get souvenirs, since you can usually only get them from the teams themselves. Most everyone had them available when I was there.

The Ratings are on a 1-5 scale. Thankfully I had virtually no negative experiences there, so the lowest scores mostly reflect shops that aren't set up for fans (most of the smaller teams). I also tried to sum it up with a final "See it" or "Skip it" rating.

JOE GIBBS RACING

Website

FREE ADMISSION!

13415 Reese Blvd. West, Huntersville (go around the "circle", eventually you'll see signs for JGR)

Visited in 2023 (coming soon)

Previously visited: 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019

Hours--8am-5pm

Wi-Fi? No

Hero Cards? Yes, the receptionist has them

Video: https://youtu.be/mnHLsJs0Svg

Overview--A great shop--really one of the standard bearers. Obviously a shop owned by Joe Gibbs has some things to offer that other places can't--namely, plenty of football memorabilia. In addition to the current JGR roster, there's also some nice exhibits on previous drivers, as well as the late JD Gibbs.

Ratings--

To See and Do: 4 there's cars out front, trophies in the viewing area, and lots and LOTS of memorabilia. About the only downside is that there's less than in years past.

Accessibility: 4 A glass-enclosed viewing area gives a nice overview of the garage. The viewing area is above the garage itself, so you'll be able to see a decent amount. A nice touch--there's rocking chairs there as well.

Gift Shop: 5 lots and LOTS of stuff here, from the expensive to the free. You can probably spend about half-an-hour just wandering the gift shop (and no, you don't have to spend anything to enjoy it).

Friendliness of Staff: 5 everyone was very polite and let me wander around.

Insider Tip: Look to the right in the viewing area to see the most work being done.

Insider Tip: Most of the shop crew goes on break from 11:30am-12:30pm, so avoid going during that time (especially if you want to see work being done). Also, the best day to come, by far, is Tuesday.

Insider Tip: The gift shop opens at 10am, but they let me in early.

Final Verdict--See it, this shop is not to be missed.

Additional pics--

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS

Website

FREE ADMISSION!

4400 Papa Joe Hendrick Blvd, Concord--easiest entrance is from Bruton Smith Blvd.

Visited in 2023

Previously visited: 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019

Hours-10am-5pm

Wi-Fi? Yes

Hero Cards? No

Videos: https://youtu.be/YdIldloSUDA https://youtu.be/smVWr5iwYUQ

Overview--The Hendrick Motorsports Museum (which also houses the gift shop) is one of the best you can visit--there is just so much to see! The entire history of the team is covered, sharing the building with a VERY comprehensive gift shop. About the only downside is the lack of hero cards (at least when I was there). The actual race shops themselves, however, leave a lot to be desired. There's very little in the 48/24 building to see, and the 5/9 building isn't even open to the public. On the plus side, you can see pit stop practice for free!

Ratings--

To See and Do: 4 so much to do and see here, particularly in the museum. The race shops themselves, however, are pretty bare-bones.

Accessibility: 2 with the race shops no longer open to the public there's very little to see as far as how cars are put together.

Gift Shop: 4 so much to buy, so much to see, and so much variety.

Friendliness of Staff: 5 every visit here as been delightful--the receptionist even apologized for the lack of hero cards.

Insider Tip: You can watch pit stop practice here! They practice between the Museum/Gift Shop and the Team Center. This is NOT promoted to the public, so you have to know to look for it. Note that there's no seating or protection from the sun, so be prepared.

Insider Tip: Tuesdays are the best time to go--in fact, there is a team-wide meeting Tuesday mornings, so that's the best time to go if you want to try and meet drivers.

Final Verdict--See it, this is one of the best (but you can skip the race shops themselves).

Additional Pics--

STEWART-HAAS RACING

Website

FREE ADMISSION!

6001 Haas Way (Kannapolis Gateway Business Park) Kannapolis

Visited in 2023

Visited 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019

Hours--10am-2pm

Wi-Fi? No

Hero Cards? Yes

Video: https://youtu.be/KOWjJzBu4HI

Overview--This shop offers a LOT to see--when you walk in, you'll immediately see show cars in front of you. To the left is the CNC room, where parts are milled. Directly behind the cars is the viewing area, where you can see work being done on cars. To the right is the very large gift shop, as well as the receptionist and the hero card stands. Even better, the glass partition between you and the shop has explanations of what you are seeing, something that really enhances the experience.

Ratings--

To See and Do: 5 one of the best for what you can see and explaining what you are seeing. This shop is great both for novice fans and hardcore gear heads.

Accessibility: 5 there's a huge glass window separating the lobby from the garage, which lets you see all the way to the back. There were plenty of cars being worked on here the days I visited. Also, a bonus--the fabrication of the metal parts of the car is on display (thanks to co-owner Carl Haas' ownership of Haas CNC, a major machine tool manufacturer).

Gift Shop: 5 lots and lots to buy here for all drivers. The back walls of the gift-shop are lined with various trophies, pictures, and souvenirs, mostly from Tony Stewart's career.

Friendliness of Staff: 4 The staff was happy to answer my questions, and otherwise left me alone.