Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway (formerly known as Lowe's Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009 due to sponsorship reasons) is a 1.500-mile (2.414 km) quad-oval intermediate speedway in Concord, North Carolina. It has hosted various major races since its inaugural season of racing in 1960, including NASCAR, IndyCar, and IMSA SportsCar Championship races. The track is currently owned by Speedway Motorsports, LLC (SMI), with Greg Walter serving as the track's general manager. Charlotte Motor Speedway is served by U.S. Route 29.
| America's Home for Racing | |
|---|---|
Quad-oval (1960–present) | |
| Location | 5555 Concord Parkway South, Concord, North Carolina, 28027 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (UTC−4 DST) |
| Coordinates | 35°21′09″N 80°40′57″W |
| Owner | Speedway Motorsports & the Smith family (1974, 1976–present) Richard Howard (April 1964–1974, 1975–1976) A. C. Goines (April 1963–April 1964) United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina (November 1961–April 1963) Duke Ellington (June–November 1961) Bruton Smith and Curtis Turner (1959–1961) |
| Broke ground | 28 July 1959 |
| Opened | 15 June 1960 |
| Construction cost | $2 million USD |
| Former names | Lowe's Motor Speedway (1999–2009) |
| Major events | Current: NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 (1960–present) Bank of America Roval 400 (1960–present) NASCAR All-Star Race (1985, 1987–2019) Former: IMSA SportsCar Championship Grand Prix of Charlotte (1971, 1974, 1982–1986, 2000, 2020) Pirelli World Challenge (2000, 2007) Indy Racing League VisionAire 500K (1997–1999) Can-Am (1978–1979) |
| Website | charlottemotorspeedway |
| Quad Oval (1960–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 1.500 miles (2.414 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Banking | Turns: 24° Straights: 5° |
| Race lap record | 0:24.735 ( Kenny Bräck, Dallara IR-7, 1998, IndyCar) |
| NASCAR Road Course "Roval" (2019–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 2.280 miles (3.669 km) |
| Turns | 17 |
| Banking | Oval turns: 24° Oval straights: 5° |
| Race lap record | 1:18.188 ( Paul Menard, Chevrolet Camaro Trans-Am, 2022, Trans-Am) |
| NASCAR Road Course "Roval" (2018) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 2.280 miles (3.669 km) |
| Turns | 17 |
| Banking | Oval turns: 24° Oval straights: 5° |
| Race lap record | 1:18.078 ( Kyle Larson, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, 2018, NASCAR Cup) |
| Roval (1971–2014) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 2.250 miles (3.621 km) |
| Turns | 18 |
| Banking | Oval turns: 24° Oval straights: 5° |
| Race lap record | 1:05.524 ( Jan Magnussen, Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S, 2000, LMP900) |
The speedway has a capacity of 95,000 as of 2021, down from its peak of over 170,000 in the 1990s and 2000s. The track features numerous amenities, including a Speedway Club, condos, and a seven-story tower located on the complex for office space and souvenirs. In addition, the Charlotte Motor Speedway complex features numerous adjacent tracks, including a 1⁄5 mile (0.32 km) clay short track, a 2⁄5 mile (0.64 km) dirt track, and a 1⁄4 mile (0.40 km) long drag strip. The main track also features an infield road course that is used with the oval to make a "roval".
With the rise of popularity in stock car racing in the American Southeast that began in the late 1940s and stretched into the 1950s, racing promoter Bruton Smith sought to build a state-of-the-art facility. At the same time, driver and businessman Curtis Turner sought to do the same. After initially refusing, Turner eventually partnered with Smith after Smith agreed to sell shares needed for the track's construction. Construction of the track was completed in less than 11 months. The track immediately faced a litany of issues, particularly financial woes. Within the track's first decade of existence, ownership changed hands numerous times, with Smith and Turner both leaving. After a period of stability under the ownership of Richard Howard from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s, Smith and his new partner, racing promoter and eventual longtime track general manager Humpy Wheeler, completed a takeover of the track in 1976. Since then, the Smith family and their company, SMI, have directed the track's expansion and growth into becoming one of the largest sports facilities in the United States.