Tailgating: What You Need to Know About Lowe's Motor Speedway
Tailgating
Laidbackracing.com
Tailgatin’: What You Need to Know About Lowe’s Motor Speedway
Race fans, May is my favorite month because Laidback Racing chases races for three straight weeks. We begin where it all began, at Darlington Raceway. Then it is on to Lowe’s Motor Speedway for Speedweeks. First the All-Star race that has a couple of heat races and then a final sprint for all the money – no points involved just flat out racing! The next week it is the endurance race known as the Coca Cola 600. For 10 straight days starting with the All-Star race there is something to do race related near the speedway. It’s a ton of fun but there are a few things you need to know before you go:
General Directions
Lowe’s Motor Speedway is located north of Charlotte in Concord N.C. It can be reached via I-85, I-77, Hwy. 29/Concord Parkway and Hwy 49. The Track has a new traffic plan which is colored coded so please go and check it out as you may not be able to get to it the same way you have in the past. Please do yourself a favor and go look at http://www.lowesmotorspeedway.com/visitors_guide/parking/
How you come in will determine where you are made to park!
Parking Tips:
- It is so much better to get there early and park on private property. The track’s fields are just that, big open fields with no shade. The private parking will have shade and port o potties. Probably most importantly, the track holds up their parking after the race for as much as three hours and the private parking doesn’t. It is worth the $10 or $15, trust me!
- Pay attention to where you are parked. I know this seems simple BUT if you are attending a night race but get to the track during the day everything will look different when you leave the race at night. I can not tell you how many people have stumbled by our camping sites over the years trying to find their car.
- Plan your route and where you will park! You want to park where you can get to go back to your hotel room without having to double back thru speedway traffic and where you will be as close to your seats as you can (or a shuttle stop). For instance, if you are staying south of the track do not pass the track and park north of it. You will have to backtrack thru all that speedway traffic. Park south of the track! We hunted until we found a campground that was on our route in and as close to our seats as we could get.
TRAFFIC TIPS:
• GET THERE EARLY!!!! It can be a nightmare if you even try to get there in the mid afternoon.
• I-85 and exit 49 (Speedway Blvd.) is usually the most congested on event days. If possible, try to avoid exit 49 and Speedway Blvd. Good alternates are Hwy 29 from both the North and the South and Hwy 49 to Morehead Road.
• The North Carolina Department of Transportation and will have various traffic patterns in place for incoming and outgoing traffic. Please follow their directions. Sometimes you'll have to "turn right to go left!" All traffic patterns will eventually lead you back to I-85, I-77 and other major highways. USE MAPS TO MAKE YOURSELF FAMILIAR WITH LOCAL ROADS AND ALTERNATE ROUTES.
Traffic Report on Radio: 540 AM or 103.7 FM
Traffic cameras/alerts for Charlotte area: www.traffic.com/Charlotte-Traffic
WHAT YOU CAN BRING INTO THE SPEEDWAY:
- A cooler can be no larger than 14 x 14 x 14, soft and hard coolers acceptable. This also includes soft-sided, collapsible coolers. You may also bring alcoholic beverages into the Speedway in CANS ONLY. No glass bottles are allowed. You may also bring your own food. (No food or drink is allowed up to Speedway Club and Suite levels.)
- Fans can bring a carry-in bag such as a camera bag, duffle bag, back pack etc. All carry-in items will be searched prior to entry into Speedway grandstands.
- Seat cushions, scanners, binoculars permitted.
STUFF TO DO
SPEED STREETS 600 Festival May 21-23, 2009 - A Coca Cola 600 tradition from the city of Charlotte & The Speedway. If you don't mind crowds there's plenty of free music, goodies, interactive games, driver appearances, bands & more.
The three-day event will begin at Third and Graham streets, move up Third and then make a left turn onto Tryon Street. The Tryon portion of the festival will stretch from Second to Fifth streets, instead of Stonewall to Seventh.
Using Third Street also means that two of the three main stages will be in large parking lots, providing more room for crowds and exhibitors. For bands and drivers appearances visit: http://www.600festival.com/
The North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame http://www.ncarhof.com/ 704-663-5331 for more information The museum, dedicated to all types of racing, features over 35+ race cars on display. You can relive racing's greatest moments in the Goodyear Mini-Theater now featuring "NASCAR's Greatest Drivers". The North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame has driver uniforms and helmet displays and exhibits of unique racing engines. Also located there is the T. Wayne Robertson Electronic Library. It is located off Interstate 77 on Knob Hill Road, just a short distance north of the Charlotte Speedway.
Sam Bass Gallery 6104 Performance Drive SW, Concord, NC 28027 Located across the street from turn 2. (704) 455-6915 or (800) 556-5464 - Open to the public - Admission is Free
Artist Sam Bass is always scheduled to sign autographs at the Gallery – check Laidbackracing.com closer to race week for details.
Race shops addresses http://www.raceshops.com/raceshops.php?s=d Almost all race teams are located in this area. Most have open houses during May’s Speedweeks with driver appearances and tours – check Laidbackracing.com closer to race week for details.
Drivers Appearances – Since Charlotte is home to so many of the drivers there are always a ton of appearances around the area. - check Laidbackracing.com closer to race week for details.
OTHER STUFF TO DO:
The Charlotte Nature Museum is an urban science center that exhibits the animals and plants of the Piedmont including an ever-changing Butterfly Garden. The Nature Museum is located adjacent to Freedom Park, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Mint Museum of Art and the Mint Museum of Craft and Design, Afro-American Cultural Center, Charlotte Museum of History and Levine Museum of the New South are all located in Charlotte.
Discovery Place, located in the heart of Charlotte, is a cutting edge science center featuring interactive displays from the frontiers of space to the depths of the sea. Some of the exhibits include:
PuppetPlace - A professional theatre offers an opportunity for children to learn about a variety of topics during fun musical shows.
Our Living Planet – Reach out and touch a simulated tornado, check out the weather or view our gem collection while exploring video presentations and hands-on exhibits.
Also features an Aquarium, a Rain Forest and much more.
