This collection is not currently on view.
Stock car racing has been an integral part of our region’s culture for decades. A number of area dirt tracks draw hundreds of fans every Saturday night during the racing season. With the growth and evolution of the Bristol Motor Speedway, automobile racing has developed into a major attraction and a tremendous economic asset. In fact, the “world’s fastest half mile” has fostered enthusiasm across myriad demographic lines.
Because of William King Museum of Art’s interest and commitment to exploring and celebrating the culture of our region, we chose to pursue a unique investigation of the stock car racing scene. For our purposes, we were not so much interested in the cars and drivers as in the entire cosmos of the NASCAR circuit; the fans and the industry that willingly and enthusiastically follow the cars and drivers from track to track, from town to town. Of all sports enthusiasts, stock car racing fans are by far the most nomadic.
After seeing David Alan Harvey’s stunning photographs of stock car events in the June 1998 issue of National Geographic Magazine, we knew we had found the best artist for our project. Harvey embraced our concept with great gusto and zeal. William King Museum of Art brought Harvey to Bristol, Tenn., for the March 2000 Food City 500. This NASCAR-sanctioned race provided the perfect setting for Harvey’s exploration of “NASCAR: A Driving Culture.”
This exhibit is a Permanent Collection of the William King Museum of Art.
