Charlotte Motor Speedway – Coca-Cola 600 & NASCAR Home Track Guide
Originally published April 2016. Last updated September 2026: added labelled tri-oval circuit map (Wikimedia Commons, with attribution in caption)
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a 1.5-mile quad-oval in Concord, North Carolina, and the corporate heart of Speedway Motorsports’ NASCAR portfolio. Opened in 1960 by Bruton Smith and Curtis Turner, it hosts the Coca-Cola 600, the Bank of America Roval 400, and the NASCAR All-Star Race while dozens of Cup Series teams operate shops minutes from the paddock.
The track earned its “home of NASCAR” reputation because team headquarters, broadcast infrastructure, and fan camping culture all orbit Concord. Permanent lighting from 1992, a giant infield video board, and the first US trackside condominiums made Charlotte a template for modern superspeedway business.
Charlotte sits in the same Carolinas cluster as Darlington Raceway, the short-track theatre of Bristol Motor Speedway, and the season-opening hub at Daytona International Speedway — four venues that define how Americans experience stock-car racing on television and in person.
Contents
Charlotte Motor Speedway facts
| Location | Concord, North Carolina, United States (Charlotte metro) |
|---|---|
| Circuit type | 1.5-mile paved quad-oval superspeedway (plus infield road course “roval”) |
| Opened | 1960 (construction cost about $1.25 million) |
| Layout length | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) on the main oval |
| Corner banking | 24 degrees in turns; 5 degrees on straights |
| Seating capacity | About 94,000 |
| Owner | Speedway Motorsports (headquarters on site) |
| Main events | NASCAR Cup Coca-Cola 600; Bank of America Roval 400; NASCAR All-Star Race; Xfinity and Truck races |
| Other facilities | zMax Dragway (2008); dirt track (2000); infield road course |
| Former name | Lowe’s Motor Speedway (1999–2009 naming rights) |
Lap record note: NASCAR publishes separate records for qualifying and race distance, and the roval uses a different layout entirely. Compare lap times only within the same configuration, tyre rules, and series.
Charlotte Motor Speedway — 1.5-mile quad-oval — Map: Odysseus1479 / CC0 via Wikimedia Commons
Speedway Motorsports headquarters
Concord sits about 20 km from downtown Charlotte. The Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend remains the signature 600-mile marathon, while Speedway Motorsports also owns Atlanta, Las Vegas, Sonoma, and other national tracks from offices beside the Turn 1 grandstands.
Coca-Cola 600 is the highlight of the year at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Difficult times after the first few races
Smith and Turner opened the speedway in 1960 after a year of construction, but financial trouble followed immediately. Major stakeholders secured loans, bankruptcy was avoided, and debts were cleared by 1967, allowing the grandstand expansions of the 1970s.
Constant track modernisation
New grandstands and hospitality areas arrived through the 1980s and 1990s. In 1992 Charlotte installed permanent lighting for night racing — among the first superspeedways designed for routine Cup events after dark. Lowe’s bought naming rights in 1999, the first modern NASCAR oval with a title sponsor in its official name.
The first homes overlooking the track
A 61 × 24 metre LED tower joined the infield in 2010 (later surpassed by Texas Motor Speedway’s board). In 1984 Charlotte became the first US sports facility to sell residential condominiums above Turn 1 — forty units with a view of the racing line.
A view from the condo at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Super-modern venue
Today Charlotte is a multi-surface complex: the 1.5-mile asphalt oval, the roval used for NASCAR’s road-course playoff race, the clay dirt track opened in 2000, and the four-lane zMax Dragway that opened in 2008.
NASCAR races and All-Star weekends
IndyCar once raced here under Smith’s promotion, but the modern calendar centres on NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series events. Hendrick Motorsports leads the all-time Cup win tally at Charlotte with 17 victories — six for Jimmie Johnson, five for Jeff Gordon, and the remainder spread across the team’s roster since the 1980s.
Racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway, North Carolina
The sprawling infield hosts car shows, fairs, concerts, and television production. Hollywood filmed Days of Thunder on the banking, cementing Charlotte’s place in pop culture beyond live attendance figures.
Safety incidents and infrastructure
Tragedy struck in 1995 when Russell Phillips died in a ARCA crash, and in 2000 a pedestrian bridge failure injured more than 100 spectators leaving an event. Lawsuits followed, but the speedway continued investing in infrastructure and crowd management.
Visiting Charlotte Motor Speedway
Concord Mills shopping and Charlotte Douglas International Airport sit within a short drive. Track tours, dragway events, and camping slots fill most spring and autumn weekends.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions about Charlotte Motor Speedway
Where is Charlotte Motor Speedway?
Charlotte Motor Speedway is in Concord, North Carolina, about 20 km north-east of Charlotte. Most NASCAR teams maintain shops in the surrounding corridor.
When did Charlotte Motor Speedway open?
Bruton Smith and Curtis Turner opened the track in 1960 after roughly a year of construction at a reported cost of $1.25 million. Early financial trouble gave way to stable operations by the late 1960s.
How long is Charlotte Motor Speedway?
The main asphalt oval is a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) quad-oval with 24-degree banking in the corners and 5-degree banking on the straights.
What is the main race at Charlotte Motor Speedway?
The Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend is the flagship event — 600 miles of NASCAR Cup Series racing that starts in daylight and finishes under the track’s permanent lights. The venue also hosts the Bank of America Roval 400 on the infield road course.
Why is Charlotte called the home of NASCAR?
Dozens of Cup Series teams base their race shops near Concord, and Speedway Motorsports keeps its corporate headquarters at the speedway. The track sits at the centre of stock-car manufacturing and media coverage.
Did Charlotte Motor Speedway have a different name?
Yes. Lowe’s bought naming rights in 1999, and the venue raced as Lowe’s Motor Speedway until the sponsorship ended. It returned to the Charlotte Motor Speedway name while retaining modern grandstands and lighting.
What else is at Charlotte Motor Speedway?
The complex includes the zMax Dragway (2008), a dirt track, and condominiums above Turn 1 — the first US sports facility to sell trackside residential units in 1984.
Who has won the most NASCAR Cup races at Charlotte?
Hendrick Motorsports leads the manufacturer tally with 17 Cup wins at Charlotte. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon account for much of that success across the 600 and fall oval races.
Was Charlotte the first track with NASCAR night racing?
Charlotte installed permanent lighting in 1992 and became one of the first modern superspeedways built for routine night Cup Series racing under the lights.
How do you visit Charlotte Motor Speedway?
Guided tours, dragway events, and the Concord Mills retail area sit minutes from the gates. Tickets and schedules are at charlottemotorspeedway.com.
Related reading
- Atlanta Motor Speedway — fast NASCAR oval in Georgia
- Phoenix Raceway — desert NASCAR venue
- Talladega Superspeedway — Alabama drafting track
- Kansas Speedway — Midwest intermediate oval
Address: 5555 Concord Pkwy S, Concord, NC 28027, United States
Phone: +1 704 455 3200
Official website: charlottemotorspeedway.com
