Everything You Should Know About Charlotte Motor Speedway

by Michael Satterfield

Recently I was invited out to check out Charlotte Motor Speedway, we had lunch in the club, toured the track, and even got to drive around the speedway in a NASCAR. If you are a fan of NASCAR you will enjoy these fun facts about Charlotte Motor Speedway you might not know.

Speedway was designed by Bruton Smith and Curtis Turner in 1959; the 1.5-mile superspeedway cost $1.25 million at the time of construction. Today Charlotte Motor Speedway plays host to three NASCAR Cup Series races each year.

The first race was held at Charlotte Motor Speedway on June 19, 1960; The World 600 (now called the Coca-Cola 600) was, and remains, the only 600-mile race sanctioned by NASCAR. The race even has its own beer, 600 Ale, brewed by a local Charlotte area brewery.

Today, 90 percent of NASCAR teams are based within a two-hour drive of the track, many of them located within 10-15 minutes; the NASCAR Hall of Fame is also a short drive (approximately 20 minutes) from the speedway, making Charlotte Motor Speedway the “home track” of NASCAR.

Several movies have been filmed at Charlotte Motor Speedway including these major films every racing fan has seen.

Logan Lucky with Channing Tatum (2017)
Talladega Nights with Will Farrell (2006)
Days of Thunder with Tom Cruise (1990)
Stroker Ace with Burt Reynolds (1983)
Speedway with Elvis Pressley (1968)

Also in 2006, Charlotte Motor Speedway became the first motorsports facility to host the world premiere of a major motion picture. More than 30,000 fans along with stars such as Paul Newman, Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt and Larry the Cable Guy were on hand for the debut of “CARS,” an animated hit from Disney/Pixar.

Starting in 1977, Charlotte Motor Speedway became the first race track to host elaborate pre-race shows. Through the years, fans have enjoyed a reenactment of the Battle of Grenada; a three-ring circus; boxing matches, numerous world-record automobile stunts; a 5,000-member marching band and an assemblage of 5,000 firefighters honoring the heroes of Sept. 11, 2001.

Besides the main track, the Charlotte Motor Speedway complex includes; a 0.4 mile The Dirt Track; .25 mile zMAX Dragway; 2.4-mile road course; fifth-mile paved oval. For die hard race fans the Speedway is also home to driving experiences, giving you the chance to ride and drive in actual race cars at one of the most famous race tracks in the world. This 2,000-acre property also includes year around camping, condos, gift shop, corporate offices, and The Speedway Club.

For more visit the official Charlotte Motor Speedway website HERE.

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