Lowe's Motor Speedway
(formerly Charlotte Motor Speedway
) is a speedway in Concord, North Carolina, north of Charlotte. It features a 1.5 mile long quad-oval track that seats 167,000 people, with room for 50,000 more spectators in the infield. Constructed in 1959, it was the first speedway to host nighttime superspeedway racing (in 1992) in the "modern era," the first being the now defunct Raleigh, N.C. Speedway in 1958, and to offer year-round residences (in 1984) with 52 condominiums available over turn one. It is owned by Speedway Motorsports, which has its corporate headquarters on the same property. The speedway is considered the home base of NASCAR, with 90% of NASCAR teams being based within 50 miles. In February 1999, Lowe's bought the naming rights to the speedway, making it the first race track in the country with a corporate sponsor.
Along with the main oval, the speedway also has a 2.25 mile road course in the infield, a 0.6 mile kart course in the infield, a quarter-mile oval using part of the front stretch and pit road, and an 0.2 mile oval outside turn three. Also, across U.S. Highway 29 from the speedway, is a 0.4 mile dirt track that opened in May 2000. The 0.6 mile oval located between the frontstretch and pit road was constructed in 1991 for a legends race which was part of the Winston weekend. It was designed after Bowman-Gray Stadium.
In 2005, the surface of the circuit had started to wear from its last paving in mid-1994, resulting in the track's treatment in a diamond-grinding process to smooth out bumps. This process, known as levigation, caused major tire problems during both NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series (now Sprint Cup Series) events there, with a record 22 cautions at the showcase Coca-Cola 600, which is considered one of the top five annual NASCAR races. [1] It was the first Sprint Cup Series event to go more than five hours (excluding red flags) in 25 years. Speed increases were also a result of the levigation. After the problem with the tires, the speedway was repaved in 2006. On May 21,2008 it was announced that long-time Speeedway President H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler will retire following the Coca-Cola 600 on May 25,2008.
See also: List of NASCAR race tracks
|
CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY TICKETS
| EVENT | DATE | AVAILABILITY |
|---|
| Foodieland Tickets 9/18 | Sep 18, 2026
Fri, 3:00 PM |  | | Foodieland Tickets 9/19 | Sep 19, 2026
Sat, 1:00 PM | | | Foodieland Tickets 9/20 | Sep 20, 2026
Sun, 1:00 PM | | | NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Ecosave 250 Tickets 10/9 | Oct 09, 2026
Fri, 5:00 PM | | | NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series: Blue Cross NC 250 Tickets 10/10 | Oct 10, 2026
Sat, 4:00 PM | |
|
Events
ARCA
The
ARCA RE/MAX Series raced there until 2004. In 2001 and 2002,
Blaise Alexander and
Eric Martin were killed in accidents.
NASCAR Cup Series stats
NASCAR records
As of 5/26/08
- Most Wins
- (6) - Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip
- Most Top 5's
- (23) - Bobby Allison, Richard Petty
- Most Top 10's
- (31) - Richard Petty
- Starts
- (64) - Richard Petty
- Poles
- (14) - David Pearson
- Laps Led
- (2339) - Bobby Allison
- Avg Start (Minimum 10 starts)
- (5.2) - Fireball Roberts
- Avg Finish (Minimum 10 starts)
- (9.0) - Rex White
NASCAR Cup Series race winners
*Rain Shortened
| Season
| Date
| Winning Driver
| Car #
| Sponsor
| Make
| Distance
| Avg Speed
| Margin of Victory
|
| 1960
| June 19
| Joe Lee Johnson
| 89
|
| Chevrolet
| 600 mi
|
| 4 laps
|
| 1960
| October 16
| Speedy Thompson
| 21
| Wood Brothers
| Ford
| 401 mi
|
| 1 lap
|
| 1961
| May 21
| Richard Petty
| 43
| Petty Enterprises
| Plymouth
| 101 mi
|
| 8 sec
|
| 1961
| May 21
| Joe Weatherly
| 8
| Bud Moore
| Pontiac
| 101 mi
|
| 6 cl
|
| 1961
| May 28
| David Pearson
| 3
| Daytona Kennel
| Pontiac
| 600 mi
|
| 2 laps
|
| 1961
| October 15
| Joe Weatherly
| 8
| Bud Moore
| Pontiac
| 401 mi
|
| 1.5 cl
|
| 1962
| May 27
| Nelson Stacy
| 29
| Holman-Moody
| Ford
| 600 mi
|
| 32.35 sec
|
| 1962
| October 14
| Junior Johnson
| 3
| Ray Fox
| Pontiac
| 401 mi
|
| 2 laps
|
| 1963
| June 2
| Fred Lorenzen
| 28
| LaFayette
| Ford
| 600 mi
|
| 35 sec
|
| 1963
| October 13
| Junior Johnson
| 3
| Holly Farms
| Chevrolet
| 401 mi
|
| 12 sec
|
| 1964
| May 24
| Jim Paschal
| 41
| Petty Enterprises
| Plymouth
| 600 mi
|
| 4 laps
|
| 1964
| October 18
| Fred Lorenzen
| 28
| LaFayette
| Ford
| 401 mi
|
| 1 lap
|
| 1965
| May 23
| Fred Lorenzen
| 28
| Holman-Moody
| Ford
| 600 mi
|
| 6.4 sec
|
| 1965
| October 17
| Fred Lorenzen
| 28
| Holman-Moody
| Ford
| 401 mi
|
| 3 cl
|
| 1966
| May 22
| Marvin Panch
| 42
| Petty Enterprises
| Plymouth
| 600 mi
|
| 2 laps
|
| 1966
| October 16
| LeeRoy Yarbrough
| 12
| Jon Thorne
| Dodge
| 501 mi
|
| 18 sec
|
| 1967
| May 28
| Jim Paschal
| 14
| Friedkin Enterprises
| Plymouth
| 600 mi
|
| 5 sec
|
| 1967
| October 15
| Buddy Baker
| 3
| Ray Fox
| Dodge
| 501 mi
|
| 1 lap
|
| 1968
| May 26
| Buddy Baker
| 3
| Ray Fox
| Dodge
| 382.5* mi
|
| UC
|
| 1968
| October 20
| Charlie Glotzbach
| 6
| Cotton Owens
| Dodge
| 501 mi
|
| 7 sec
|
| 1969
| May 25
| LeeRoy Yarbrough
| 98
| Junior Johnson
| Mercury
| 600 mi
|
| 2 laps
|
| 1969
| October 12
| Donnie Allison
| 27
| Banjo Matthews
| Ford
| 501 mi
|
| 16 sec
|
| 1970
| May 24
| Donnie Allison
| 27
| Banjo Matthews
| Ford
| 600 mi
|
| 2 laps
|
| 1970
| October 11
| Lee Roy Yarbrough
| 98
| Junior Johnson
| Mercury
| 501 mi
|
| UC
|
| 1971
| May 30
| Bobby Allison
| 12
| Holman-Moody
| Mercury
| 600 mi
|
| 33.9 sec
|
| 1971
| October 10
| Bobby Allison
| 12
| Holman-Moody
| Mercury
| 501 mi
|
| 5 sec
|
| 1972
| May 28
| Buddy Baker
| 11
| Petty Enterprises
| Dodge
| 600 mi
|
| 23.7 sec
|
| 1972
| October 8
| Bobby Allison
| 12
| Richard Howard
| Chevrolet
| 501 mi
|
| 2 cl
|
| 1973
| May 27
| Buddy Baker
| 71
| K&K Ins
| Dodge
| 600 mi
|
| 1.8 sec
|
| 1973
| October 7
| Cale Yarborough
| 11
| Kar-Kare
| Chevrolet
| 501 mi
|
| 1.4 sec
|
| 1974
| May 26
| David Pearson
| 21
| Purolator
| Mercury
| 600 mi
|
| 0.6 sec
|
| 1974
| October 11
| David Pearson
| 21
| Purolator
| Mercury
| 501 mi
|
| 1.4 sec
|
| 1975
| May 25
| Richard Petty
| 43
| STP
| Dodge
| 600 mi
|
| 1 lap
|
| 1975
| October 5
| Richard Petty
| 43
| STP
| Dodge
| 501 mi
|
| 0.26 sec
|
| 1976
| May 30
| David Pearson
| 21
| Purolator
| Mercury
| 600 mi
|
| UC
|
| 1976
| October 10
| Donnie Allison
| 1
| Ellington Insulation
| Chevrolet
| 501 mi
|
| 12.2 sec
|
| 1977
| May 29
| Richard Petty
| 43
| STP
| Dodge
| 600 mi
|
| 30.8 sec
|
| 1977
| October 9
| Benny Parsons
| 72
| 1st National City
| Chevrolet
| 501 mi
|
| 19.2 sec
|
| 1978
| May 28
| Darrell Waltrip
| 88
| Gatorade
| Chevrolet
| 600 mi
|
| 2 sec
|
| 1978
| October 8
| Bobby Allison
| 15
| Norris Industries
| Ford
| 501 mi
|
| 30.2 sec
|
| 1979
| May 27
| Darrell Waltrip
| 88
| Gatorade
| Chevrolet
| 600 mi
|
| 5.6 sec
|
| 1979
| October 7
| Cale Yarborough
| 11
| Busch
| Chevrolet
| 501 mi
|
| 1 lap
|
| 1980
| May 25
| Benny Parsons
| 27
| Melling Tool
| Chevrolet
| 600 mi
|
| 0.5 cl
|
| 1980
| October 5
| Dale Earnhardt
| 2
| Mike Curb
| Chevrolet
| 501 mi
|
| 1.83 sec
|
| 1981
| May 24
| Bobby Allison
| 28
| Hardees
| Buick
| 600 mi
|
| 8.2 sec
|
| 1981
| October 11
| Darrell Waltrip
| 11
| Mountain Dew
| Buick
| 501 mi
|
| 31.8 sec
|
| 1982
| May 30
| Neil Bonnett
| 21
| Warner Hodgdon
| Ford
| 600 mi
|
| 2 cl
|
| 1982
| October 10
| Harry Gant
| 33
| 7-Eleven/Skoal Bandit
| Buick
| 501 mi
|
| 2.93 sec
|
| 1983
| May 29
| Neil Bonnett
| 75
| Hodgdon
| Chevrolet
| 600 mi
|
| 0.8 sec
|
| 1983
| October 9
| Richard Petty
| 43
| STP
| Pontiac
| 501 mi
|
| 3.1 sec
|
| 1984
| May 27
| Bobby Allison
| 22
| Miller High Life
| Buick
| 600 mi
|
| 17 sec
|
| 1984
| October 7
| Bill Elliott
| 9
| Coors
| Ford Thunderbird
| 501 mi
|
| 14.5 sec
|
| 1985
| May 26
| Darrell Waltrip
| 11
| Budweiser
| Chevrolet Monte Carlo
| 600 mi
|
| 14.64 sec
|
| 1985
| October 6
| Cale Yarborough
| 28
| Hardees
| Ford Thunderbird
| 501 mi
|
| 1 sec
|
| 1986
| May 25
| Dale Earnhardt
| 3
| Wrangler Jeans
| Chevrolet Monte Carlo
| 600 mi
|
| 1.59 sec
|
| 1986
| October 5
| Dale Earnhardt
| 3
| Wrangler Jeans
| Chevrolet Monte Carlo
| 501 mi
|
| 1.9 sec
|
| 1987
| May 24
| Kyle Petty
| 21
| Citgo
| Ford Thunderbird
| 600 mi
|
| 1 lap
|
| 1987
| October 11
| Bill Elliott
| 9
| Coors
| Ford Thunderbird
| 501 mi
|
| 2.22 sec
|
| 1988
| May 29
| Darrell Waltrip
| 17
| Tide
| Chevrolet Monte Carlo
| 600 mi
|
| 0.24 sec
|
| 1988
| October 9
| Rusty Wallace
| 27
| Kodiak
| Pontiac Grand Prix
| 501 mi
|
| 1 cl
|
| 1989
| May 28
| Darrell Waltrip
| 17
| Tide
| Chevrolet Lumina
| 600 mi
|
| 0.99 sec
|
| 1989
| October 8
| Ken Schrader
| 25
| Folgers
| Chevrolet Lumina
| 501 mi
|
| 3.75 sec
|
| 1990
| May 27
| Rusty Wallace
| 27
| Miller Genuine Draft
| Pontiac Grand Prix
| 600 mi
|
| 0.17 sec
|
| 1990
| October 7
| Davey Allison
| 28
| Havoline
| Ford Thunderbird
| 501 mi
|
| 2.59 sec
|
| 1991
| May 26
| Davey Allison
| 28
| Havoline
| Ford Thunderbird
| 600 mi
|
| 1.28 sec
|
| 1991
| October 6
| Geoffrey Bodine
| 11
| Budweiser
| Ford Thunderbird
| 501 mi
|
| 1 cl
|
| 1992
| May 24
| Dale Earnhardt
| 3
| Goodwrench
| Chevrolet Lumina
| 600 mi
|
| 0.41 sec
|
| 1992
| October 11
| Mark Martin
| 6
| Valvoline
| Ford Thunderbird
| 501 mi
|
| 1.88 sec
|
| 1993
| May 30
| Dale Earnhardt
| 3
| Goodwrench
| Chevrolet Lumina
| 600 mi
|
| 3.73 sec
|
| 1993
| October 10
| Ernie Irvan
| 28
| Havoline
| Ford Thunderbird
| 501 mi
|
| 1.83 sec
|
| 1994
| May 29
| Jeff Gordon
| 24
| DuPont
| Chevrolet Lumina
| 600 mi
|
| 3.91 sec
|
| 1994
| October 9
| Dale Jarrett
| 18
| Interstate Batteries
| Chevrolet Lumina
| 501 mi
|
| UC
|
| 1995
| May 28
| Bobby Labonte
| 18
| Interstate Batteries
| Chevrolet Monte Carlo
| 600 mi
|
| 6.28 sec
|
| 1995
| October 8
| Mark Martin
| 6
| Valvoline
| Ford Thunderbird
| 501 mi
|
| 0.97 sec
|
| 1996
| May 26
| Dale Jarrett
| 88
| Quality Care/Ford Credit
| Ford Thunderbird
| 600 mi
|
| 11.982 sec
|
| 1996
| October 6
| Terry Labonte
| 5
| Kellogg's Corn Flakes
| Chevrolet Monte Carlo
| 501 mi
|
| 3.84 sec
|
| 1997
| May 25
| Jeff Gordon
| 24
| DuPont
| Chevrolet Monte Carlo
| 499.5* mi
|
| 0.468 sec
|
| 1997
| October 5
| Dale Jarrett
| 88
| Quality Care/Ford Credit
| Ford Thunderbird
| 501 mi
|
| 4.142 sec
|
| 1998
| May 24
| Jeff Gordon
| 24
| DuPont
| Chevrolet Monte Carlo
| 600 mi
|
| 0.41 sec
|
| 1998
| October 4
| Mark Martin
| 6
| Valvoline/Cummins
| Ford Taurus
| 501 mi
|
| 1.11 sec
|
| 1999
| May 30
| Jeff Burton
| 99
| Exide Batteries
| Ford Taurus
| 600 mi
|
| 0.574 sec
|
| 1999
| October 11
| Jeff Gordon
| 24
| DuPont
| Chevrolet Monte Carlo
| 501 mi
|
| 0.851 sec
|
| 2000
| May 28
| Matt Kenseth
| 17
| DeWalt Tools
| Ford Taurus
| 600 mi
|
| 0.573 sec
|
| 2000
| October 8
| Bobby Labonte
| 18
| Interstate Batteries
| Pontiac Grand Prix
| 501 mi
|
| 1.166 sec
|
| 2001
| May 27
| Jeff Burton
| 99
| Citgo
| Ford Taurus
| 600 mi
|
| 3.190 sec
|
| 2001
| October 7
| Sterling Marlin
| 40
| Coors Light
| Dodge Intrepid
| 501 mi
|
| 6.002 sec
|
| 2002
| May 26
| Mark Martin
| 6
| Viagra
| Ford Taurus
| 600 mi
|
| 0.468 sec
|
| 2002
| October 13
| Jamie McMurray
| 40
| Coors Light
| Dodge Intrepid
| 501 mi
|
| 0.350 sec
|
| 2003
| May 25
| Jimmie Johnson
| 48
| Lowe's
| Chevrolet Monte Carlo
| 414* mi
|
| UC
|
| 2003
| October 11
| Tony Stewart
| 20
| Home Depot
| Chevrolet Monte Carlo
| 501 mi
|
| 0.608 sec
|
| 2004
| May 30
| Jimmie Johnson
| 48
| Lowe's
| Chevrolet Monte Carlo
| 600 mi
|
| UC
|
| 2004
| October 16
| Jimmie Johnson
| 48
| Lowe's
| Chevrolet Monte Carlo
| 501 mi
|
| 1.727 sec
|
| 2006
| May 28
| Kasey Kahne
| 9
| Dodge Dealers
| Dodge Charger
| 600 mi
|
| 2.114 sec
|
| 2006
| October 14
| Kasey Kahne
| 9
| Dodge Dealers
| Dodge Charger
| 501 mi
|
| 1.624 sec
|
| 2007
| May 27
| Casey Mears
| 25
| National Guard/GMAC
| Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS
| 600 mi
|
| 9.561 sec
|
| 2007
| October 13
| Jeff Gordon
| 24
| DuPont
| Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS
| 505.5* mi
|
| 0.597 sec
|
| 2008
| May 17
| Kasey Kahne
| 9
| Budweiser
| Dodge Charger R/T
| 600 mi
|
| 1.2 sec
|
Indy Racing League history
Indy Racing League races were held at the circuit in
1997 and
1998, with
Buddy Lazier and
Kenny Bräck winning the mid-summer Saturday night 500k (208 lap) races on the circuit. In
1999, the race was moved to the first weekend in May, the last race before the
Indianapolis 500. On the 61st lap, a crash led to a car losing a tire, which was then propelled into the stands by another car. Three spectators were killed and eight others were injured in the incident.
As reported by IRL announcer Mike King, grandstands in the apex of Turn 1 was closed, but seats in Turns 1 and 2 past the apex were open. Seats outside of Turn 4 were also closed. When attendance grew beyond the 50,000 expected for the race, extra sections of stands were opened, and one of them was the section of track where the debris flew in Turn 4.
Buddy Lazier was leading the race at the time of the caution for the Lap 62 crash. After pit stops,
Greg Ray was leading the race when the race was abandoned. The race was cancelled after 79 laps, and the IRL did not return.
That incident, and a previous incident in July 1998 in a
Champ Car race at
Michigan which also killed three spectators (that race was run to its finish), led to new rules requiring cars to have tethers attached to wheel hubs in an effort to prevent such incidents from happening again. New catch fencing was also invented, curved so debris could not sail as easily into the grandstands.
Following the accident, a short series of bombings took place in
Lowe's stores in North Carolina, injuring three, and prompting some to think there may be a link with a relative of one of the victims. When George Rocha was arrested for the bombings, he claimed that he was angry about the crash at the speedway, but he later confessed that it was retribution for being caught shoplifting and an attempt at extortion.
Results
| Season
| Date
| Race Name
| Winning Driver
| Chassis
| Engine
| Team
|
| 1997
| July 26
| VisionAire 500k
| Buddy Lazier
| Dallara
| Oldsmobile
| Hemelgarn Racing
|
| 1998
| July 25
| VisionAire 500k
| Kenny Bräck
| Dallara
| Oldsmobile
| A.J. Foyt Enterprises
|
| 1999
| May 1
| VisionAire 500k
| Race abandoned after 79 laps (spectators killed)
|
Additional uses
The facility is considered one of the busiest sports venues in the country, with typically over 380 events a year. Along with many races, the speedway also hosts the
Food Lion Auto Fair twice a year, one of the nation's largest
car shows. Movies and commercials have been filmed there, notably
Days of Thunder
, and it is a popular
tourist stop and testing grounds.
On
May 26 2006, the
Pixar movie
Cars
premiered at the speedway, on several monster screens.
The feature of the April 2005 Spring Food Lion Auto Fair at the speedway was a popular sculpture exhibition,
Jim Gary's Twentieth Century Dinosaurs
. It is a menagerie of
Garysauruses
, all life-sized, and constructed of automobile parts. A special tent housed the heavily attended exhibition and a huge Gary sculpture, over forty feet long, was displayed at the entrance to the raceway during the entire fair. H. A. "Hummpy" Wheeler and the speedway then sponsored the funding for the traveling sculpture exhibition to be featured by
Belk College of Business on the campus of the
University of North Carolina at Charlotte where a self-guided tour of the campus-wide display was extended to the end of July.
During a typical race week,
Concord can balloon by over 200,000 people, temporarily making it the third largest city in
North Carolina as fans and tourists visit the events at the speedway.
The speedway became home to the first season of
Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race in 2007.
Image:LMSpeedwayNextelAllStar2007Pano.jpg
|thumb|center|700px|A Panoramic view of Lowes Motor Speedway, taken from the 2nd Turn Tower before the
2007 Nextel All Star Race.
Closure threat controversy
In October 2007 a controversy erupted following a Concord city council decision to rezone Speedway land to prevent a
drag strip from being built. Track owner Bruton Smith had already begun grading land for the drag strip prior to the ruling. The decision came in large part because of concerns from people living in a recently built subdivision that sits around 1-mile from where the strip would be built.
Threat
Following the decision Bruton Smith threatened to close Lowe's Motor Speedway and build a track elsewhere in
Metrolina. When asked if he would go through with the threat Smith replied "I'm deadly serious".
On November 21, 2007, a Speedway spokesperson announced that Smith would not close Lowe's Motor Speedway.
A new drag strip
In late December Bruton Smith announced plans for a new drag stip to be built near the speedway. The construction is taking place and is set to host its 1st NHRA event in September 2008.
Current race records (all series)
| Record
| Year
| Date
| Driver
| Car Make
| Time
| Average Speed
(mph)
|
| NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
|
| Qualifying
| 2005
| October 13
| Elliott Sadler
| Ford
| 27.948
| 193.216
|
| Race (600 miles)
| 1995
| May 29
| Bobby Labonte
| Chevrolet
| 3:56:55
| 151.952
|
| Race (500 miles)
| 1999
| October 10
| Jeff Gordon
| Chevrolet
| 3:07:31
| 160.306
|
| NASCAR Nationwide Series
|
| Qualifying
| 2005
|
| Jimmie Johnson
| Chevrolet
| 29.277
|
|
| Race (300 miles)
| 1996
| May 25
| Mark Martin
| Ford
| 1:55:23
| 155.996
|
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
|
| Qualifying
| 2005
|
| Mike Skinner
| Toyota
| 29.500
| 183.051
|
| Race (200 miles)
| 2003
| May 16
| Ted Musgrave
| Dodge
| 1:45:05
| 114.768
|
References
- NASCAR's Best Races