The prevalence of NASCAR in Mooresville—race shops [1] clustered in industrial parks, race teams descending on local restaurants [2] for lunch, and decades worth of memorabilia housed in racing-themed museums like the Memory Lane Motorsports Museum [3] and the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame [4]—has earned the town the moniker Race City USA.
Racing is the predominant industry here, but there are other reasons to visit the small town, including great parks and attractions and a vibrant downtown.
The Mooresville Convention and Visitors Bureau (265 N. Main St., 704/799-2400, www.racecityusa.org [5]) is a good starting point for visitors. A multimedia gallery on the website has short, narrated videos of some of the area attractions.
Mooresville is located in Iredell County, just 25 miles north of Charlotte [6] on I-77. Public transportation is nonexistent, so a car is a must.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/charlotte/nascar-country/mooresville/race-shops
[2] http://www.moon.com/destinations/charlotte/nascar-country/mooresville/restaurants
[3] http://www.moon.com/destinations/charlotte/nascar-country/mooresville/sights/memory-lane-motorsports-museum
[4] http://www.moon.com/destinations/charlotte/nascar-country/mooresville/sights/north-carolina-auto-racing-hall-fame
[5] http://www.racecityusa.org
[6] http://www.moon.com/destinations/charlotte