A Fan's Look at Roush-Fenway Racing in Concord, North Carolina

The Roush-Fenway race shop in Concord, North Carolina is more than just a regular race shop. When visitors factor in the museum and gift shop, it's a must see for any fan of the team. As of 2009 Roush-Fenway is home to five different drivers: David Ragan, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and Cup Champion Matt Kenseth. We've had the chance to stop by twice now and each year we leave feeling impressed.

The highlight of the Roush-Fenway racing facility is the large museum. Inside they have a number of different things on display relating to their drivers. Visitors will find a torn up race car once driven by Edwards, championship trophies from Biffle and Kenseth and photographs detailing the team and how it's looked over the years.

Inside the museum they also run a movie in a special screening room. Running on a continuous loop, it details the major moments and best races in Roush-Fenway history. Right outside the room they have Kurt Busch's car from the 2004 season when he won the second championship Cup title for owner Jack Roush.

Visitors will also find a nice gift shop that's fully stocked with merchandise from all their drivers. Last year they had stalls outside from local stores selling race used sheet metal, but this year they sold those pieces themselves. If you're looking for a $300 bumper or a $500 hood, this is the place to go! They also sell less expensive pieces such as hats, shirts, window stickers and license plates. Additionally in the two years that we were there, they sold marked down 1/24 scale diecast cars from the previous season.

Located right in the heart of the Roush-Fenway complex is Yates Racing. They offer free hero cards from their drivers as well as different merchandise from their drivers. The advantage to stopping by is that most of their merchandise is free and autographed by the drivers, not to mention reasonably priced.

Further down the road is the rest of the Roush-Fenway racing complex, including their race shop. Inside you have the chance to see the team working on the cars and get an insider's look at the work they do. All of the work takes place behind a large glass window, but you can see all of the work. When we were there last time, the David Ragan and Matt Kenseth teams were close to the front and it was hard to see the other teams in the back. They change this around frequently so if you're a fan, you should stop by.

The Roush-Fenway racing complex is very impressive and very big. They have ample parking and during race week they have security on hand to help people find a parking spot on the road. Even if you're not a fan of the team, it's worth a stop by just to check out the great free museum.