At age 6, Sam Bass got hooked on auto racing at a Richmond track. In college, he presented his hero Bobby Allison with an original painting. The subsequent pileup of team graphics commissions drove him to move to Charlotte, N.C. “I was the first officially licensed artist of NASCAR,” he said, pointing to car hoods, uniforms, posters and other art-covered artifacts in his gallery within roaring distance of Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Bass recently designed the official show car for the NASCAR Hall of Fame, scheduled to open May 11 just before the Spring All-Star and Coca-Cola 600 megaraces. Shops welcome fans to watch teams build cars; hotels citywide offer race weekend discounts.
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Charlotte’s thrills don’t all involve horsepower. Super-banks and philanthropists have rejuvenated Center City with architecture and public art, said Charlotte Crown guide Genie Hufham. Towers gleam with Art Deco accents by day and illuminated features by night. At EpiCentre, hipsters ride Whisky River’s mechanical bull, share saki at Enso and dine Mediterranean at Mez. New cultural venues include Bechtler Museum of Modern Art (get the backstory on Marino Marini’s amazing bronze horse); Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, a skinny showcase with a facade patterned like Jacob’s Ladder, and Knight Theater. These co-exist with classics reclaimed from flophouse status, such as the Dunhill Hotel on tulip-lined Tryon Street.
For gritty authenticity, visit NoDa (North Davidson) neighborhood clubs, canines-welcome Dog Bar, Smelly Cat Coffeehouse, Crepe Cellar (fine local wines) and Amelie’s 24-hour French bakery, distinguished by Victorian-funky furnishings and burly men nibbling dainty confections.
Charlotte’s clean and hip without the attitude. Push-panel musical art on the Seventh Street Station parking garage demonstrates Charlottean humor. “It’s my favorite city, with great people,” said Mark Orsini, a Columbia, Md., transplant conducting a wine tasting downtown.
Checkered flag-marked crosswalks remind you that racing rules. Intimidator — the new roller coaster at Carowinds that reaches 80 mph and packs seven big drops into three minutes — is named for the legendary Dale Earnhardt.
A “fans first” mantra has boosted the sport’s appeal in recent years, said Speedway staffer Scott Cooper. “Racing stars are down-to-earth, they talk to the fans.” Forget shade-tree mechanics; track tours reveal that modern racing’s about microengineering and 200 mph drivers whose cars are a second skin.
Fans even fill the new Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building-certified Ritz-Carlton downtown, which offers guests free bicycle use. It’s easy to get around on foot, light rail, trolley — and during race weeks, hotel-to-speedway shuttles.
The new NASCAR Hall of Fame will transfix even nonfans with spinout footage, a jukebox that lets you punch up photo finishes — including one decided by a 1,000th of a second — and simulations where you play pit crew members who must change four tires, make adjustments and refuel tanks in 13 seconds.
Among fascinating stories: Junior Johnson, a bootlegger who honed skills by outrunning police, became one of the world’s top racers and car engineers. When Hall of Fame staff struggled with a replica of his moonshine still, Johnson drove over with his tools to assemble it. Now that’s down-to-earth.
Reach Robin Tierney at [email protected].
