october-2010

076
TRAVEL REPORT: NORTH CAROLINA
BATTLING BIFFLE
FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A WRITER CHALLENGES A
PROFESSIONAL RACER TO COMPETE AT THE NASCAR HALL
OF FAME IN CHARLOTTE. DRIVERS, START YOUR ENGINES!
BY MARK YOST
PHOTOGRAPH BY MIKE CARROLL
FOR MOST NASCAR
drivers, Wednesday
is a day of rest. It’s the
day when they turn off
their cell phones, don’t
schedule any appearances
and have a few peaceful
hours to themselves.
I’m sure driver Greg
Biffle was expecting that
kind of day when he
walked into the NASCAR
Hall of Fame in Charlotte.
Little did he know that
he would need every ounce of his well-honed driving
skills to keep his good name.
That was the fantasy that went through my head,
anyway. Biffle, the 40-year-old driver of the Ford
Fusion for Roush Fenway Racing, was coming to the
Hall of Fame to compete against me on the interactive
exhibits and see who—for this day, at least—was the
real NASCAR champion.
OUR FIRST STOP, AS IT
is for most visitors, was a
kiosk where you can get
a “Hard Card,” a memory
card that is inserted into
competitive interactive
displays throughout the
museum to keep track of
the points earned as you
take quizzes, tweak your
GO MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2010
NASCAR HALL OF FAME
Within weeks of its May opening, Charlotte’s newest
attraction already had people racing to get
inside—and the crowds haven’t slowed down. In
addition to interactive exhibits, visitors can check
out Dale Earnhardt’s No. 3 Goodwrench Chevrolet
Monte Carlo, hubcaps from 1906, fireproof
socks from 1975 and other historic artifacts from
NASCAR’s 60-plus-year history. 400 E Martin
Luther King Jr. Blvd, Charlotte; 704-654-4400;
nascarhall.com
car’s setup for an upcoming race, pump the jack and
eventually, compete in a simulated race.
The first contest—a simple-enough quiz—took
place in the atrium, which features a curving ramp
that ranges from 0 to 33 degrees like NASCAR’s short
tracks and super-speedways. As we stood in front of
the interactive screen, surrounded by cars from each
era—from Red Byron’s 1939 Ford Coupe that he drove
to the first-ever NASCAR championship in 1948 to the
Chevrolet Impala that four-time defending champion
Jimmie Johnson drives today—the nerves started to set
in. Did I really just challenge a professional driver to
put his NASCAR skills to the test?
But there was no time to turn back—the first
question was before us: “How hot does it get inside a
NASCAR racecar?” Biffle was surprised that I knew
the answer: 130 degrees. Score one for me.
Unfortunately, my response that Bill France
invented the NASCAR Rookie Stripe was incorrect.
Biffle knew better. (The answer is Wilbur Shaw.)
Advantage Biffle.
We both got the next two questions right, so the
last question was my only
chance to take the lead:
“Who made his 1976
Winston Cup debut driving
a car for his father?”
I guessed Kyle Petty.
Wrong again. Biffle knew
it was Sterling Marlin,
who drove for his father,
NASCAR legend Coo
Coo Marlin.