There are 23 different tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit. Throughout a 36 race season, most fans watch the races at different tracks on their televisions. Many dreaming of going to the track and seeing the monstrous venue for themselves. Certain tracks have a uniqueness that makes fans want to go take in the sights that particular track beholds. For me, that track has always been Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Ever since I began watching NASCAR in 2005, Charlotte (then called Lowes) Motor Speedway had some awesome shows. The 2005 All-Star Race made me a lifetime fan of the sport after leaning that way in several races before my visit to this special track. That race had fights, action, and a deserving winner. What’s better than that? Very little, and it was unique to this track so it made the Charlotte venue always come up as one of my favorites.
While in Charlotte, I knew there would be a stop at the speedway. I went the year before, but there was a strong desire to go again, because it is indeed that amazing. The best way to get a look at the whole motorsports complex is by taking a tour. The tour takes fans everywhere including inside and on and around the track. All, while checking out the neatest views the speedway has to offer.
While at the track, I couldn’t think of half the amazing experiences. I was wide-eyed throughout the tour, soaking in as much as possible. What I didn’t realize in my previous visits, was the tradition and history that I was seeing first-hand. The track has its fair share of magical moments, from One Hot Night in 1992 to the infamous cable incident during this year’s Coca Cola 600. All that has happened has shaped Charlotte Motor Speedway into truly one of the best.
Tradition runs deep with the Coca Cola 600, one of the longest running events in NASCAR. Year-after-year, fans pour into the speedway for arguably one of the richest (history-wise) races on the circuit. Drivers find it grueling, tough, and difficult to be successful in this endurance race. Those are the same elements that drive fans into the track year-after-year. That’s how the tradition has survived and it’s likely how it will continue for many more years into the future.
A nickname of the track is ‘The Beast of the Southeast’ and I can attest that it is, in fact, a beast. Everything is huge and demands a personal visit to the facility for that to truly sink in as reality. Though the track looks much different than forty-plus years ago, the history is still apparent. The pass in the grass, One Hot Night, and all the exciting races are prime examples of the past times that have shaped the speedway, making it very historic.
Charlotte Motor Speedway is in the heart of NASCAR country, and won’t be going anywhere, anytime soon and that means many magical moments are still to come. A facility that has it all, Charlotte Motor Speedway is truly one-of-a-kind. Race weekend or not, the place still gives the feeling of racing; and getting to check it all out was one of the best experiences I will forever remember fondly.
