Maybe if it didn't cost so much for a spectator. I'd just as soon stay at the Auto Fair Swap Meet.
Photography by Tim Suddard
The only thing missing from this year’s Heritage Invitational event was you. This over-the-top new concours had star power plus a beautiful location at the new Ten Tenths Motor Club across the street from legendary Charlotte Motor Speedway. Sadly, what this event didn’t have was the number of spectators it deserves.
Three years ago, the speedway’s staff had a dream of expanding the already popular Charlotte AutoFair into a true concours event. Experts like Bill Warner of The Amelia fame, Wayne Carini, and NASCAR legends Rick Hendrick and Ray Evernham were brought in.
It quickly became obvious that a compelling and crowded swap meet and car show weren’t the same as a true, upscale concours event. Among other things, these experts suggested a better venue.
Rather than look around for a golf course, Speedway Motorsports President Marcus Smith decided to just build the correct setting for this event. And while he was at it, why not build a world-class club racing facility next to Charlotte’s speedway and four-lane drag strip?
Last year, I was taken to a tent on a newly cleared, multi-acre dirt lot and told this was where the dream would happen.
While skeptical, I knew the amount of clout the Smith family had in this area, especially when combined with the desire of NASCAR champion car owner and car dealer extraordinaire Rick Hendrick.
Fast-forward one year, and Classic Motorsports was invited to the grand opening of the Ten Tenths Motor Club. We were told that this would become the permanent home of the Heritage Invitational, a combination concours and vintage race weekend event.
So, will this event and idea succeed? Based on what I saw this past weekend, the only thing missing was spectators. While sparsely attended, every aspect of the event was world-class.
The cars, the judges, the clubhouse, the food and the Saturday event rivalled any top concours in the country. I was asked to judge a stunning class of Lamborghinis, which was won by a 100-point Miura.
Other standouts were Wayne Carini’s Louis River Special, a car that ran every one of the Pebble Beach sports car races in the ’50s. Nick Soprano brought a genuine 1966 Ford GT production road coupe. “Barn Find Hunter” Tom Cotter showed, arguably, the highest-mileage original 289 Cobra in the world.
Collector Rob Kauffman showed his 1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300. Scott and Fran Hughes won their class with a 1980 BMW M1, while Mark Rein brought his 1960 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL roadster. Other standouts were Frank Rubino’s 1950 Healey Silverstone and Scott and Natalie Bluestein’s 1968 AC 428 Frua Spyder.
The best of show winners were Frederick Fischer with his 1957 Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France and Bruce Meyer, who brought his Kremer Porsche 935 K3–first overall at Le Mans in 1979.
On Friday, to celebrate the opening of the new race facility, a display of vintage Trans Am cars was put on the track and broken into two heats. And that night, a charity Pro/Am event was staged pairing lucky enthusiasts with their heroes. This event was staged in new Porsches. Round 1 was won by Scott Speed and Jimmy Hague, and Round 2 was won by NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon and Ryan Wildrick.
Fantastic people, weather, food and cars will not soon be forgotten. The event is already scheduled again for the first weekend in April 2026. We highly recommend you attend.
And if all this isn’t enough to draw you in, right across the street is a Radwood show, an AACA show and one of the largest swap meets in the world. Mark Charlotte as your destination for next April. I will definitely be there.
Maybe if it didn't cost so much for a spectator. I'd just as soon stay at the Auto Fair Swap Meet.
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