When my best friend and I decided to visit North Carolina for a week to see a NASCAR race, we knew that part of our trip had to be devoted to race shops. Among the many shops we planned to see was Penske Racing. Since she was a Rusty Wallace fan years ago and I’m a Kurt Busch fan, it seemed like a natural fit. On a Wednesday morning we left our hotel room and headed to Mooresville, North Carolina.
Our first impression was that Penske Racing is huge. The main building was far larger than we ever expected and the parking lot was fairly large too. We actually ended up driving around the parking lot in circles for several minutes, trying to find a place to park. They have signs up saying guest parking is to one side, but there weren’t any spots marked for guests or visitors. Finally we ended up parking in a spot and hoping that we didn’t pick a reserved spot. Then it was a long hike up to the main building because the lot was so far from the building.
Once we were inside Penske Racing, one of the woman working there immediately asked us if we needed any help. When we admitted that we had never been there before, she kindly pointed out the viewing area and told us how to get there. While they do have a viewing area on the first floor, it’s far better to head upstairs where you can get a whole eagle eye view of their operations.
The viewing area upstairs was enormous and the biggest of any race shop we saw on our entire trip and we saw quite a few. The area was completely open so you could stand on the balcony type area and look down on the crews as they worked on the cars. We started out seeing the haulers, which were being loaded up for the Coca-Cola 600 race. Further down we could see the men working on Ryan Newman’s Car, Kurt Busch’s car, and Sam Hornish Jr.’s car.
Seeing the viewing area at Penske Racing, we were pretty impressed. Each driver had their own area and we loved seeing the different tools and things that were emblazoned with their number such as tool boxes. If you’ve never had the chance to see how they work on a race car firsthand, you should make some time to stop by Penske Racing.
On the upper floor they also had banners hanging on the walls, showing their drivers and their wins over the last few years. They already had Ryan Newman’s banner from the Daytona 500 in place as well as several wins from Kurt Busch since joining Penske. They also had wins from other series on display such as Indy cars.
Downstairs you can look into the viewing area, though downstairs you’re blocked by a fairly thick level of glass. The downstairs is also home to a large gift shop with nearly every type of souvenir imaginable. We saw everything from cardboard stands ups and tee shirts to hats and shot glasses. They also sell race used sheet metal and their prices are far less than those you might find online or from other retailers. You’ll also find several show cars on display as well as trophies that their drivers have won over the years.
We enjoyed our trip to Penske Racing and their race shop, and we can’t wait until we have the chance to go back. This is easily the best race shop in the area.
