One of the most beautiful halls of fame of any sport in the world opens tomorrow (May 13). It cost $195 million to bring this building to life so NASCAR fans have a place to go to pay tribute to their idols. Dozens of touch screens and interactive installations are in place to welcome fans to Charlotte, North Carolina.
NASCAR is as serious a religion in the States as hockey is in Canada. Junior Johnson, one of the legends of the sport, was in charge of putting the project together. Museum director Winston Kelley explained the importance of his involvement by saying: "That’s like Babe Ruth designing, building and installing one of the first exhibits in Cooperstown."
People can see the Ford 1939 in which Red Byron won the first race in NASCAR history. There are a total of 154 video screens in the museum which covers 150,000 square feet. There’s also a circular, 64-foot, high definition screen that broadcasts a 12-minute film on the history of this popular sport.
The city of Charlotte, North Carolina, is home to 90% of NASCAR teams and the Charlotte Motor Speedway is a race that annually attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators. This year the race will be held May 23, the same weekend as the induction ceremony at the Hall of Fame.