Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet - Newton, NC

In 1987, Dale took his relationship with Chevrolet to another level by clinching his third championship and becoming the nation's newest Chevrolet dealer. This was his first off-track business venture and it fulfilled a long-standing desire of his to become a Chevrolet dealer.
It was worth the drive to Newton, North Carolina to see the dealership. At the dealership Rachel got to sit in her first real stock car that Dale himself once drove (not in a race). Rachel with her newly aquired pink hat (with Dale's dealership's logo on it) may just be considering a NASCAR career in the future, she looks pretty good behind the wheel.

Shaun really wanted to hop in too but the steering wheel was fastened in tight and of course they wouldn't let him if he didn't put the pink hat on.....
The people here were some of the friendliest that we encountered.

The Dale Trail - Kannapolis, NC

Since Dale's tragic death at the Daytona 500 in 2001, thousands of fans continue to come here to remember him and to learn about his life.
The Dale Trail has been developed to help visitors find their way around Kannapolis and to show how Dale and his family's lives are imprinted on these streets and in surrounding areas.
Here are a few pictures of the tribute to Dale in the Cannon Village Visitors Center.




Incase you were wondering, we had just been caught in a rain storm so we are soaked and not looking very happy so we were trying to get the picture before it started raining again.

Hendrick Motorsports - Charlotte, NC

Here are the Hendrick race shop pictures, they have quite a few cars on display to see and have 2 glassed in garage areas where you can see them working on the cars.











I just love this picture, there is Shaun lookin under the car... yup Shaun it is real! Rachel joined in to check it out too!

Roush Racing - Concord, NC

The cool part of the Roush shop was that they didn't have the cars ropped off so you could get close to them and see the inside with notes for the drivers and how they start the cars. But I think the best part was when Matt Kenseth (driver of the Dewalt #17) showed up and posed for a quick picture with me.

Lowes Motor Speedway - Concord, NC

With dozens of NASCAR race shops in the region, Lowe's Motor Speedway is truly at the heart of stock car country, and there is no better way to take the pulse than with a tour of the speedway most drivers call home.
The Feel The Thrill Tour includes a close-up look at areas that are off-limits on race days. Visit the NEXTEL Cup garage, travel down pit road and take a picture in Victory Circle. The highlight of this half-hour tour is a comfortable van ride around the superspeedway where you will feel the full-tilt force of the 24-degree banking. and we did it all.

This track is most fan friendly, with tours set up and access to the track. On the day we were here they had the Richard Petty Driving School, which I tried to book for Shaun and I to race so I could finally prove to him that I am the better driver but it was booked for more then a year in advance, so unfortunately we didn't get to race! We did get to watch the driving school drivers practice, the cars you see on the track are not Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Tony Stewart unfortunately.




In the winners circle at Lowes Motor Speedway

Darlington Raceway & Stock Car Museum

Darlington Raceway was a short visit to the track, a gift shop and the stock car museum. Access to the track is very limited and they do not offer a tour. But still worth the stop.