Glory Road: 75 Years
by Tom Jensen January 13, 2023
Latest edition of Glory Road brings 75 years of NASCAR history to life.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame’s newest exhibit, “Glory Road: 75 Years,” opens to the public January 14.
The fifth iteration of Glory Road recounts 75 years of NASCAR’s rich history with the most eclectic selection of vehicles ever to grace the 33-degree banked exhibit space. Each of the cars and trucks on “Glory Road: 75 Years” was chosen to tell its own unique story about the sport’s heroes, history and heritage.
The launch of the exhibit recognizes NASCAR’s 75-year history, which traces its roots back to the sanctioning body’s first season of 1948.
The launch of the exhibit recognizes NASCAR’s 75-year history.
— Tom Jensen
The first car on “Glory Road: 75 Years” is a replica of the first entry in the inaugural 1950 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Photo courtesy of Tom Jensen
For the first time, the new Glory Road exhibit will feature 19 cars, 18 at opening with the 19th, Austin Cindric’s 2022 Daytona 500-winning Ford Mustang Next Gen car, slated to arrive in mid-March, after it completes its traditional year on display at Daytona Beach.
The 19 vehicles featured in “Glory Road: 75 Years” span eight decades, from 1950 to 2022, and six manufacturers. Collectively, the 19 drivers represented in the new exhibit have won 55 NASCAR championships in seven divisions, along with an amazing 729 premier series races, the equivalent of more than 20 years in today’s schedule of 36 points races per year.
Richard Petty won the 1972 NASCAR premier series championship in this Petty Blue and STP Day-Glo Red Dodge Charger. Photo courtesy of Tom Jensen
All told, eight different NASCAR series past and present are represented by the 19 vehicles: Premier series, Xfinity Series, Craftsman Truck Series, Whelen Modified Tour, Convertible Division, Goody’s Dash Series, Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series and Pinty’s Series. This is the most series ever represented on Glory Road.
“Glory Road: 75 Years” is the first edition of this exhibit to feature a NASCAR Next Gen car and the first to include a car from a non-U.S. NASCAR series. In addition, 10 of the 19 drivers represented are making their first appearance on Glory Road with this new exhibit.
“Glory Road: 75 Years” features an extremely wide-ranging assortment of cars and trucks from many different NASCAR series. Photo courtesy of Tom Jensen
For each car, there is a detailed panel explaining the car’s theme and historical significance. In addition, our digital kiosk provides a wealth of information, including photographs and historical documents.
Wood Brothers Racing driver Curtis Turner won a record 38 NASCAR Convertible Division races. Photo courtesy of Tom Jensen
“Glory Road: 75 Years” will be on display at the NASCAR Hall of Fame for the next three years.
The full list of themes and cars for “Glory Road: 75 Years” now is as follows:
- Car Innovation: Austin Cindric’s 2022 Cup Series Ford
- Track Advancement: Buck Baker’s 1950 Cup Series Oldsmobile
- Diverse Divisions: Curtis Turner’s 1961 Ford Convertible
- NASCAR’s King: Richard Petty’s 1972 Cup Series Dodge
- NASCAR’s Roots: Jerry Cook’s 1977 Modified Division Ford
- Successful Transition: Richard Childress’ 1976 Cup Series Chevrolet
- Brand Connections: Dale Earnhardt’s 1981 Cup Series Pontiac
- Through the Ranks: Bobby Labonte’s 1991 Busch Series Oldsmobile
- Youth Movement: Jeff Gordon’s 1995 Cup Series Chevrolet
- The NASCAR Family: Darrell Waltrip’s 1998 Cup Series Chevrolet
- Family Traditions: Adam Petty’s 2000 Busch Series Chevrolet
- Driver Development: Greg Biffle’s 2000 Truck Series Ford
- Skill and Strategy: Jimmie Johnson’s 2003 Cup Series Chevrolet
- Manufacturer Growth: Robert Huffman’s 2003 Goody’s Dash Toyota
- Trailblazers: Bubba Wallace’s 2014 Truck Series Toyota
- Multifaceted Career: Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s 2013 Cup Series Chevrolet
- “It’s About the People”: Kyle Busch’s 2019 Cup Series Toyota
- Perseverance Pays Off: Josh Berry’s 2020 Late Model Chevrolet
- International Stage: L.P. Dumoulin’s 2021 Pinty’s Series Dodge
Plan your visit to the NASCAR Hall of Fame and purchase tickets by visiting nascarhall.com/tickets.
