NASCAR is a driving force

The Charlotte area has become a mecca for NASCAR fans from all over the country, and with good reason.

For one, there are plenty of opportunities to see racing up close and in person here.

Hundreds of thousands of race fans come to Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord for the track's three major NASCAR events each year: the Sprint All-Star race and Coca-Cola 600 on successive weekends each May, and October's 500-mile race.

Most NASCAR teams - including Hendrick Motorsports, the home of five-time Cup championship driver Jimmie Johnson - are based in the area.

There are also opportunities to get behind the wheel of a race car yourself. Charlotte Motor Speedway is used by several driving schools where you can drive or just ride along in full-fledged race cars. For an overview of the track, go to .

But you can also connect with NASCAR's rich history right here in Charlotte.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame, opened in May 2010, consists of more than 40,000 square feet of exhibits including Glory Road, which features 18 cars and highlights 46 tracks; the Hall of Honor where honorees are enshrined; and other interactive exhibits.

This past May, the Hall inducted five members: drivers David Pearson, Bobby Allison, Lee Petty, Ned Jarrett and car owner Bud Moore. Next year, induction ceremonies will be moved to January, where the Hall's third class will be introduced: drivers Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Richie Evans, crew chief Dale Inman and owner Glen Wood.

Adult tickets are for the Hall are $19.95, military members and seniors are $17.95, and children are $12.95. For more information, visit www. nascarhall.com.

There's a reason Charlotte is home to the NASCAR Hall of Fame: the sport's deep Carolinas roots.

Charlotte and NASCAR have been intertwined since the stock car racing sanctioning body's inception in 1948. The first race in the "Strictly Stock Series," the precursor to what is today the Sprint Cup Series, was held at the old Charlotte Speedway, a 3/4-mile dirt oval, in 1949.

The track was built just off Little Rock Road south of the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport. Races were held at the track through 1956. The current 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord opened in 1960.

Even before NASCAR made its mark in Charlotte, the area was a brief home to Indy-style open-wheel racing. A Charlotte Speedway was built in Pineville in 1924. The 1-mile track was made of green pine two-by-fours so that the wood would cure and shrink, allowing ventilation between the boards and preventing the tires from burning during races.

Many of the same drivers who competed in the Indianapolis 500 at the time also competed at Charlotte. The Charlotte track closed in 1927.