On a visit to the Charlotte/Kannapolis/Concord area to visit all of the NASCAR Team…read moreGarages/Headquarters, Penske Racing was our fifth stop of day two, and our eighth team overall.
We visited Penske this past summer, on a Friday afternoon in July. It is located in Mooresville on its own campus. The garage is situated fairly close to the other racing teams in Mooresville, so you will be able to visit all of them without much travel. It is quite a large facility, and has a dedicated parking lot with lots of space. The entrance for visitors is clearly marked with "Guest Entrance" above the doors. At the time of our visit, there were several other racing fans both in the team store and on the "Fan Walk," but it was not crowded.
Penske has two levels. The entrance takes you right into the team store on the first level. Both within and behind the team store is an area with race win trophies and other historical items. The garage is located behind this area, but the viewing for the garage is above, on the second floor "Fan Walk."
The review is further broken down into categories below:
Displays/Museums/Historical Items - 5/5 Rating
There are a plethora of displays, trophies, banners, and other race memorabilia throughout the Penske facility. The race win trophies are located within the team store, and into a hallway-type area in the rear. They are placed around the perimeter, and are out in the open for fans to get close looks and even touch. Additionally, there are die casts and other historical items behind glass to take a look at. Around the "Fan Walk" on the second level, there are banners from team Cup, Indy, and IMSA race wins hung around the perimeter. They are organized chronologically. I personally enjoyed looking at all of the pictures that are incorporated into these banners. Within the actual garage, they have current and legacy cars to see, as well as the original enclosed transporter that the team used in the 1970s, which was recovered and restored after originally being sold by the team. Out of all of the teams we visited, this collection is by far the most curated.
Team Store - 4/5 Rating
As stated, you will walk right into the team store when you enter the facility. It is a larger store, and there is an overall good amount of merchandise. All of their drivers were represented in the items for sale, including Indy and IMSA. They had more expensive items, as well as smaller items that only cost a few dollars. Some items for sale included t-shirts, magnets, cups, die casts, hats, and sponsor-specific items. Also, there were some items on sale. For die casts, there were both 1:64 and 1:24 sizes of various cars. Overall, the store is larger than most team shops, and there is a decent selection.
Garage Access - 5/5 Rating
Penske truly gives the most unique and all-inclusive access to their garage and facilities. From the team store, there are stairs/an elevator up to the "Fan Walk," where guests can walk the entire length of their garage from above. There is an area in the rear that is somewhat blocked from view, but you are still able to see 20+ cars that are either displays, physically being worked on, or are used for hauling/haulers. There are even offices, conference rooms, and other facilities in the middle of the garage to take a look at. Even with our visit falling on the Friday of a race weekend, there were still several cars being worked on for us to see. This is one of, if not the best garage access of all of the teams we visited.
Overall Access - 4/5 Rating
The overall access at Penske is very good. The garage access is at about 90%. Not only that, but just the variety of vehicles and items that guests have access to viewing is impressive. This is only rated 4/5 due to there being parts that are blocked from public view. However, this is above average access when compared to other teams.
Extras - 5/5 Rating
Something that sets Penske apart, and therefore is an "extra," is that they include their Indy Car and IMSA in all aspects of the facility - from the banners, to the displays, and even in the team store. Since they are the only NASCAR team that has Indy and IMSA teams, they are the only ones who have the ability to offer this extra. Additionally, they had Hero Cards in an organizer by the team store entrance that were free to take. The selection was diverse, especially since they include all drivers from NASCAR, Indy, and IMSA.
Penske is a must-visit if you are planning to stop at the NASCAR team garages. The facilities are some of the best we saw, the garage access is top-notch, and you could spend a significant amount of time looking at all of the banners, trophies, and other items. Plus, you will be able to see all of the drivers under the Penske umbrella in the different racing series. We very much enjoyed the visit here, and recommend stopping if you find yourself near Mooresville.