Even though the NASCAR Hall of Fame isn't scheduled to open until the beginning of 2010, they are already scrambling to get racing memorabilia to fill the 130,000-square-foot facility. They want and need help from race fans to do it.

They are already working with drivers, team owners, other race museums, NASCAR and racing families to get much of what will be on display. However, according to the Hall's historian, Buz McKim, it is individual fans who have some of the coolest and rarest items.

For example, looking around their storage warehouse you might see a "Days of Thunder Funmeal" box. For those of you not familiar with what that is, it's a race themed container a child's burger and fries came in from Hardee's a couple of decades ago. Little, unique things like this are what will add texture and context to the different display areas around the Hall.

If you have a signed jacket from an Earnhardt, a tire from a Petty's race car, or a ticket stub from a race your granddad attended in 1958 -- the NASCAR Hall of Fame would love to hear from you.

Here's the bad news. As with most museums and halls of fame, you aren't going to get rich by giving them your stuff. They do not pay for any of the items they display. Everything is either loaned, donated or rotated through. The best you can hope for is a little plaque with your name under the item that says, "donated by..."

McKim said what you will get is the joy of sharing you little bit of racing history with the world.

In the first year alone they expect more than 800,000 people to walk through the doors.

McKim was on the NASCAR committee that decided to give Charlotte the Hall of Fame. He said one of the reasons the city got the nod was all of the race history and artifacts that can be found right here in many of our own garages and junk rooms.

To donate or loan your racing treasures the Hall asks that you send them an e-mail and let them know what you've got. Send e-mails to Buz.McKim@NASCARHall.com

For a peek at some of the NASCAR memorabilia they've already collected, a video and a survey, check out the sidebar of this page.