Sneak Peeks showcase nine of the new exhibit’s 18 historic stock cars.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame is unveiling a complete makeover of one of its signature exhibits – Glory Road – in January. To mark the occasion, the Hall is providing exclusive sneak peeks of artifacts included in the newly revamped exhibit via in-person and social media unveils.
“Glory Road has consistently ranked as one of our guests’ favorite exhibits since opening three years ago,” says NASCAR Hall of Fame Executive Director Winston Kelley. “We find that our guests are in awe of the breadth and depth of the historic cars on display.”
Glory Road is one of the Hall’s most prominent focal points since opening, featuring 18 historic stock cars from the first 60 years of NASCAR that encircle the Great Hall. Speedways from across the country are illustrated as well, where guests can tough the texture of various tracks and feel the intense banking that drivers do week-to-week. Glory Road 2.0 revises all 18 cars to reflect the six generations of premier series race cars that have been driven and built by some of the sport’s most celebrated drivers, owners and mechanics. The new theme documents the six generations of cars that NASCAR has raced over the past 65 years.
Fans have already viewed five reveals in October/November and in December they will see four more via nascarhall.com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In-person photo opportunities coincide with the sneak peeks at NASCAR’s Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC.
These are the first five cars unveiled in October November:
Buck Baker’s “Black Widow” 1957 Chevrolet (Generation 1)
Photo – ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images
Buck Baker, a 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, drove Chryslers to his first NASCAR championship in 1956 but switched to Chevrolets the following season in support of a new, high-performance model known as the “Black Widow,” It was the first American manufactured car made with racing in mind. During the 1957 season, Baker made 40 starts and led all drivers in wins with ten and poles with six. He went on to take the championship title becoming the first driver to win back-to-back NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup) championships. Owners Fred and Dian Bowden of Monrovia, CA, first discovered the car at a show at Auto Club Speedway where they jokingly asked if it was for sale. Fred saw the car a few years later and asked again if it was for sale, which resulted in a deal that made him the proud owner of a piece of NASCAR history.
Jeff Gordon’s “First Win” 1994 Chevrolet Lumina (Generation 4)
Photo – Dozier Mobley/Getty Images
Gordon’s breakout season was 1994 when he captured the first victory of his NASCAR premier series career in the No. 24 Chevrolet Lumina. At age 22, he was on track to become a NASCAR superstar. His first win was the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the longest on the NASCAR schedule. Gordon started the race from the pole position and led the first lap but then sat back like a wily veteran. He bided his time and kept the leaders in sight realizing the length of the race would take a toll on his equipment. With nine laps remaining, Gordon passed Ricky Rudd for the lead and held on for his first of 88 victories. His margin of victory was nearly four seconds over Rusty Wallace. In Victory Lane, Gordon celebrated with his crew, his team owner Rick Hendrick and his crew chief, Ray Evernham.
Tony Stewart‘s 2011 Championship Chevrolet Impala (Generation 5)
Photo – Todd Warshaw/Getty Images
Tony Stewart drove the 2011 No. 14 Office Depot/Mobile 1 Chevrolet Impala to victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the final race of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. He came to the Ford 400 locked in a tight point battle with Carl Edwards, who was ahead by three points. Edwards won the pole and Stewart started at a distant 15th. During the high-stakes race, Edwards came to the front several times, but Stewart took the lead at lap 123 and then for good on lap 232 of the 267 lap event. Stewart beat Edwards to the line by 1.3 seconds for his 44th career victory. In an unprecedented event, both Stewart and Edwards tied with 2,403 points for the season. The tie was broken based on the number of wins each driver acquired during the year. Tony Stewart was awarded his third NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship with five wins for the 2011 while Edwards, with one win, came home second.
Ned Jarrett‘s 1966 Ford Fairlane (Generation 2)
Photo – Jimmy Huston
Ned Jarrett, a 2011 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, drove the 1966 No. 11 Ford Fairlane to nine events from July 10, 1966, to Oct 16, 1966, during the final season of his career. Because Ford race teams decided to run a limited schedule that season, Jarrett went in search of another team. He signed on with team owner Bernard Alvarez of Jacksonville, FL, who was supporting the new Ford Fairlane. Jarrett’s best finish in the car was third at Islip, NY. His final start in the Fairlane was at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where he finished 37th after engine problems knocked him out of the race. Jarrett launched his NASCAR career in 1953 and participated in 352 events with 50 wins. He also took the title at the 1961 and 1965 NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup) Series championships. Before coming to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the Fairlane could still be found competing in vintage events on road courses in California, where its owners Mark and Linda Mountanos reside.
Jimmie Johnson’s 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS (Generation 4)
Photo – ISC Archives via Getty Images
Jimmie Johnson drove the 2006 No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the final race of the season on Nov 19, 2006 capturing his first of six championship titles. During the 2006 season, Johnson picked up five wins and 24 top-ten finishes in his 36 starts. He came to the Ford 400 with a 63-point lead over Matt Kenseth. Johnson started the race in fifteenth and had a conservative run only leading for two laps of the race. He finished ninth and beat Kenseth for the championship title by 56 points. He was virtually unstoppable for the next four seasons racking up an amazing five consecutive championships. With the help of his crew chief Chad Knause and team owner Rick Hendrick, Johnson found Victory Lane a total of 66 times from his first win in 2002 through 2013. On Nov 17, 2013, Johnson won his sixth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship within eight years, an unprecedented achievement in the history of NASCAR.
Fans can see four more upcoming reveals in the coming weeks:
December 7 – Generation 2
December 10 – Generation 4
December 17 – Generation 1
December 26 – Generation 1
Please note, stock car generations and dates are subject to change.
Each of the debuts culminate with a behind-the-scenes media preview of all 18 cars in January. The new Glory Road exhibit opens to the public beginning Jan 11, 2014.
Tickets to the NASCAR Hall of Fame can be purchased by calling 877-231-2010 or at nascarhall.com. Admission is $19.95 for adults, $17.95 for seniors and military, $12.95 for children 5-12 and free for children younger than 5. Memberships are available starting at $25 for children and $50 for adults. The NASCAR Hall of Fame is open daily 10am to 6pm and is closed on Christmas Day. For more details, visit nascarhall.com. Up-to-the-minute updates are available at facebook.com/nascarhall or by following @NASCARHall on Twitter.
Buz McKim the NASCAR Hall of Fame historian, is our next guest on Fan4Racing Fan2Fan NASCAR-NHRA Talk, on Monday, December 2, 2013 at 8:35pm ET and the new Glory Road exhibit will be a topic of discussion. Call 347-996-5176 during the LIVE broadcast to interact with Buz McKim and our Fan4Racing panel.
