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Queen city sports timing1/17/2024 ![]() In 2006, Charlotte Motor Speedway became the first motorsports facility to host the world premiere of a major motion picture. Motion pictures such as "Days of Thunder," "Speedway," "Stroker Ace" and "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," and even music videos like Tracy Lawrence's "If the Good Die Young" have been filmed at the speedway. ![]() The stadium-style facility has nearly 14,000 seats and plays host to Dirt Late Models, Modifieds, Sprint Cars, Monster Trucks and the prestigious World of Outlaws World Finals.Ĭorporations such as Lowe's Home Improvement, Coca-Cola, Sprint and Nationwide have rented the speedway to film television commercials or to entertain employees and clients with food, music and race car rides. In May 2000, The Dirt Track at Charlotte, a state-of-the-art, four-tenths-mile clay oval was completed across U.S. Other events on the various tracks include a summer short-track series for Legend Cars and Bandoleros and World Karting Association regional, national and international races. The Richard Petty Driving Experience and the NASCAR Racing Experience also use the track extensively throughout the year. Two NASCAR Cup Series races, two NASCAR Xfinity Series races and one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race are among the major events held at the speedway. In addition to the 1.5-mile quad oval, the Charlotte Motor Speedway complex includes a 2.25-mile road course and a six-tenths-mile karting layout in the speedway's infield a quarter-mile asphalt oval utilizing part of the speedway's frontstretch and pit road and a one-fifth-mile oval located outside Turn 3 of the superspeedway. In addition to the speedway, the property, some of which is leased, includes an industrial park that serves as home to several motorsports-related businesses, a modern landfill facility operated by BFI and a natural wildlife habitat. Other additions and improvements include the development of the speedway's 2,000-plus acres. ![]() The lighting system was installed in 1992, allowing Charlotte Motor Speedway to be the first modern superspeedway to host night auto racing.Įver cognizant of the competitors as well as the spectators, the speedway added a new $1 million, 20,000-square-foot NASCAR Cup Series garage area in 1994. The revolutionary lighting process uses mirrors to simulate daylight without glare, shadows or obtrusive light poles. Twelve additional condominium units were added in 1991.Īnother innovation was a $1.7 million, 1,200-fixture permanent lighting system developed by MUSCO Lighting of Oskaloosa, Iowa. In 1984, under the direction of Smith, Charlotte Motor Speedway became the only sports facility in America to offer year-round living accommodations when it built 40 condominiums high above turn one. The building houses the speedway's corporate offices, ticket office, souvenir gift shop, leased office space and The Speedway Club, an exclusive dining and entertainment facility. Smith Tower, a 135,000-square-foot, seven-story facility connected to the speedway's grandstands, was erected and opened in 1988. Food concessions and restroom facilities were added and modernized to increase the comfort of race fans. Thousands of grandstand seats and luxury suites were built. "Humpy" Wheeler as general manager and the two began to implement plans for needed improvements and expansion.ĭuring the ensuing years, Smith and Wheeler demonstrated a commitment to customer satisfaction, building a facility that continuously established new industry standards. ![]() By 1975 Smith had again become the majority stockholder in the speedway, regaining control of its day-to-day operations. Working within Ford Motor Company's dealership program, Smith became quite successful and began purchasing shares of stock in Charlotte Motor Speedway. After his departure from the speedway in 1962, Smith pursued other business interests in Texas and Illinois. In 1961, like many superspeedways of the era, the track fell into Chapter 11 reorganization from which it eventually emerged despite lagging ticket sales. Together, they built their dream of a 1.5-mile superspeedway on the outskirts of the Queen City and, on June 19, 1960, the first World 600 was contested at the new facility. Turner, a Virginian who amassed his money in the lumber industry, became one of the first drivers on the NASCAR circuit after the sanctioning body debuted in 1949. Smith, a native of Oakboro, N.C., was an automobile dealer and short-track stock car racing promoter at Concord Motor Speedway and the Charlotte Fairgrounds. The late Curtis Turner, one of stock car racing's earliest stars and another Hall of Fame inductee, served as Smith's primary business partner. Charlotte Motor Speedway was designed and built in 1959 by Chairman Emeritus and NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee O. ![]()
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