Nascar and IndyCar really is a tale of two cities; Charlotte and Indianapolis.
It's not just coincidence - it's actually a pretty fascinating story about how the two most popular series in America ended up with their own distinct home bases.
NASCAR's Southern Stronghold: Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte has basically become NASCAR central these days but that didn't happen overnight. There's some cool history behind why all these teams call North Carolina home.
Those Bootlegger Beginnings
NASCAR's roots are pretty wild - they actually trace back to Prohibition-era bootleggers in the Appalachian mountains. These guys were souping up their cars to outrun the cops while hauling moonshine. Talk about pressure training! Dodging police on winding mountain roads turns out to be excellent practice for racing.
North Carolina's red clay soil also played a part - turns out it makes for great dirt tracks when prepared right. Those early dirt tracks popped up all over the region and local fans couldn't get enough of the action.
Why Charlotte Became the Hub
As NASCAR got bigger, Charlotte just made sense as a home base. It's smack in the middle of the Southeast, where most of the early races happened. When Charlotte Motor Speedway opened in 1960, that pretty much sealed the deal.
Bruton Smith, the guy behind Charlotte Motor Speedway, deserves a lot of credit here. He went all-in on creating modern, fan-friendly facilities and helped take NASCAR nationwide.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame in Uptown Charlotte is like the cherry on top - a shrine to everything stock car racing. If you're ever in town, it's worth checking out all the cool interactive exhibits and historic race cars.
IndyCar's Heartland: Indianapolis, Indiana
While NASCAR made its home in the South, IndyCar settled into America's heartland, with Indianapolis as its epicenter. And it all revolves around one legendary track.
The Indy 500: Racing's Holy Grail
"The Brickyard" is basically sacred ground for racing fans. Since 1911, the Indianapolis 500 has been drawing teams and drivers to the city like a magnet. It's packed with quirky traditions - from that strip of original bricks at the start/finish line to the winner chugging milk (yeah, milk!) in victory lane.
Why Indy Works for IndyCar Teams
Being based in Indianapolis comes with some solid perks:
- You're right next to the most famous track in the series
- There's a ready-made pool of skilled workers who know open-wheel racing
- Indiana actually offers tax breaks to racing teams
The Rebels: Teams Bucking the Trend
Nascar really is a closed shop, with all teams located within 60 miles to the north of downtown Charlotte. The distance is only this far due to Richard Childress Racing and Kaulig Racing being out towards Greensboro in a place called Welcome!
IndyCar's Outliers
A few of the IndyCar teams have resisted the gravitational pull of Indianapolis:
- Dale Coyne Racing operates out of the Chicago area
- A.J. Foyt Enterprises was based in Texas for years (though they recently caved and moved to Indiana)
- Meyer Shank racing is located nearly 200 miles to the east near Columbus, Ohio
- Team Penske runs both its Indycar and Nascar outfits from the same location in Charlotte, NC
Driving Innovation: NASCAR's R&D Center
NASCAR's Research and Development Center in Concord, North Carolina, is where a lot of the cool tech innovations happen. Having this brain trust near all those Charlotte-based teams means ideas spread fast.
Image: Nascar R&D centre
We recently interviewed Rob Carmen, Nascar's senior director of learning and development. You can check out that interview below!
Two Different Worlds, One Shared Passion
The geographic split between NASCAR and IndyCar really comes down to their unique histories and cultures - Charlotte and Indianapolis remain the big hubs.
Despite their geographic differences, both racing series run on the same high-octane mix of speed, competition, and innovation. No matter where they call home, it's that shared love of racing that keeps these series alive and kicking.
On Fluid Jobs we have lots of jobs working in both Nascar and Indycar.
Check out Indycar jobs here
Check out Nascar job here
