Off Duty, Automotive - Army Times

Race City, USA

Mooresville, N.C., doesn’t call itself “Race City, USA,” for nothing. This small town is home to big business — the racing business — and the community rolls out the red carpet with discounts and friendly faces for military motorsports fans. This is the place where NASCAR legends are made, and it’s within a six-hour drive for more than 260,000 people in uniform at bases such as Fort Benning, Ga.; Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.; Camp Lejeune, N.C.; and Naval Station Norfolk, Va.

Dale Earnhardt Inc. is here, along with Dale Jr.’s company, JR Motorsports. Petty Enterprises calls Mooresville home, too. And there’s plenty of good beer, barbecue and automotive hall of fame history. Take a dip at Lake Norman State Park, sign the veterans’ guest book at Pat’s Coffee Shop or test your own car’s mettle at Mooresville Dragway.

We talked to Race City insiders and picked out a dozen can’t-miss sights. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Click here to see all the racing sites

(For free beer while you’re in Mooresville, stop by the Carolina Beer Co. brewery, 110 Barley Park Lane, Mooresville, from noon to 2 p.m. on a Saturday. The tour costs $5 and includes free samples of the company’s craft brews. You must be at least 21 years old to taste the beer.)