DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Other than the inconspicuous signage, which is not at all an indication of what resides beyond the tinted glass doors, you’d have no idea that the orange building tucked off a side street houses an incredible treasure trove of racing artifacts.

The Daytona International Speedway Archive and Research Center’s low profile is by design, as the de facto museum is not open to the public. But those who are permitted to step through its doors are inundated with a collection of artifacts ranging from the eye-popping (more on this below) to the, “well, that’s strange” (more on this below too), but all of which combine to provide an in-depth experience that comprehensively lays out the rich history of racing at Daytona International Speedway and the surrounding area.

While the official NASCAR Hall of Fame is in downtown Charlotte, N.C., near where every major team is based, the DIS Archive and Research Center in many respects serves as a second hall of fame. The difference is that this one focuses on Daytona Beach’s long association with racing that predates NASCAR’s arrival. It’s the city where Bill France Sr. founded NASCAR in December 1947, where NASCAR remains headquartered, and where France built Daytona International Speedway in 1959. In the years since, the track has risen to become one of the most iconic venues in all of motorsports.

Inside the archives center are 4-5 million photo negatives, shelves stacked with thousands of books, programs, magazines and rulebooks, file cabinets filled with newspaper clippings, registration cards, business documents and race records, trophies that line the shelves around the building, an innumerable amount of memorabilia, a garage area that houses historic cars that are regularly rotated in and out — one of which on display during our visit is the car Richard Petty drove to victory in the 1981 Daytona 500 — and so much more.

Last week, The Athletic spent an afternoon touring the archives to get an up-close look at the incredible artifacts collected over the years representing not just NASCAR, but also IndyCar, Formula One, sports cars and the land speed racing that used to take place on Daytona’s beaches. Here is what most stood out.

Bill France Sr.’s office

To the left when you walk into the center is a near-exact recreation of what France’s workspace looked like when he ran NASCAR out of an office situated inside DIS.

Hanging on the wood-paneled walls are photos of France with his family and various dignitaries, numerous awards, a collection of ballcaps and a stuffed snook he had caught. The desk, chair and couch are authentic. On the desk is a turquoise rotary phone, an ashtray and pens and pencils, all of which he used.

Elsewhere within the office is a black-and-white television, a tape recorder, a walkie-talkie and other knickknacks, including a construction helmet France wore while building what is now known as Talladega Superspeedway.

Next to the right of where France sat at his desk is a free-standing globe that has an additional purpose. The globe opens, and inside is a liquor cabinet that holds three bottles and an ice tumbler.

The office recreation is so precise, a longtime DIS employee was brought to tears upon seeing it. And France’s son and current NASCAR CEO, Jim France, described it as “perfect.”

The vault

Walk from the entrance down the main hall and on the other end is a double-doored vault. Behind these doors is a climate-controlled walk-in vault — kept at 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 40 percent humidity and equipped with a fire suppressant system — where much of the center’s film archives and photo negatives are stored.

From canisters of reels to VHS and Beta tapes to DVDs, if a NASCAR national series race was televised prior to 2003, there is a very good chance a copy of it can be found in this room. (Races since 2003 are now stored on digital servers.)

It’s an impressive collection. The scope is so immense that the exact value is indeterminable, according to those in charge of the collection.

Rows of old race tapes line the shelves inside the Daytona International Speedway Archive and Research Center’s vault. (Jordan Bianchi / The Athletic)

Rule books

Just how far has NASCAR come in its 76 years of existence? Take a look at one of the yearly rulebooks on display in one of two spots inside the center, with at least one copy of every rulebook produced from 1949-2014, when NASCAR shifted to making its rulebook available solely online.

When France first formed NASCAR, he and his associates created a rather sparse rulebook with few regulations, affording cagey mechanics plenty of interpretation in what they could and could not do as they sought a performance advantage. The first rulebook was rather thin, essentially a two-page pamphlet, covering the mere basics. Only 35 rules were specified.

Over the years, though, the rulebooks have greatly expanded. Each year’s book is a little thicker than the previous edition, accounting for technological advances and any loopholes that were discovered. The last rulebook published in 2014 totaled 208 pages.

Pages from the 1948 NASCAR rulebook found at the Daytona International Speedway Archive and Research Center. (Jordan Bianchi / The Athletic)

Workbench

Only three original workbenches exist that were built inside the first garages at DIS. One is in the possession of Jim France, another is at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and the third is at the archive center. The remainder of the workbenches were unfortunately disassembled and discarded when removed in 2004.

There is no way of knowing who used the workbench over the years, but considering the legends that have spent time in DIS’ garage, it’s likely some notable names have placed their equipment on it.

One of the three remaining original workbenches from Daytona International Speedway, on display at the DIS Archive and Research Center. (Jordan Bianchi / The Athletic)

Romance novels

The best museums don’t focus solely on the positives, ignoring embarrassing faux pas that have transpired over the years. And to its credit, the DIS Archive and Research Center doesn’t skirt (pun intended) one such instance.

Amid its vast compilation of periodicals written on various forms of motorsports by an array of esteemed authors is a series of romance novels released in the mid-2000s, a time frame that suggests the publisher was seeking to capitalize on NASCAR’s robust popularity during that period. And like any cliche romance novel, the titles are double entendres such as “Peak Performance,” “Miles Apart,” “In High Gear,” “Speed Bumps,” “Full Throttle,” “Old Flame, New Sparks,” “Hearts Under Caution,” “Ladies, Start Your Engines.”

The DIS Archive and Research Center is a history lesson unlike any other. And that even extends to including a genre of books that have long been forgotten.

Just about every kind of artifact really can be found inside.

NASCAR-themed romance novels take the checkered flag at the Daytona International Speedway Archive and Research Center. (Jordan Bianchi / The Athletic)

(Top photo of Bill France Sr.’s replica office at the DIS Archive and Research Center: Jordan Bianchi / The Athletic)