Lowe's Motor Speedway
Information about Lowe's Motor Speedway
| The Beast of the Southeast | ||
|---|---|---|
) Satellite image | ||
| Location | 5555 Concord Parkway South Concord, North Carolina, 28027 | |
| Capacity | 167,000 | |
| Owner | Speedway Motorsports, Inc. | |
| Operator | Speedway Motorsports, Inc. | |
| Broke ground | 1959 | |
| Opened | 1960 | |
| Construction Cost | $1.25 million | |
| Architect | Bruton Smith and Curtis Turner | |
| Former Names | Charlotte Motor Speedway (1960-1998) | |
| Major events | NASCAR NEXTEL Cup NEXTEL Open NEXTEL All-Star Challenge Coca-Cola 600 Bank of America 500
NASCAR Busch Series | |
| Quad-oval | ||
| Surface | Paved | |
| Circuit Length | 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometres) | |
| Banking | Turns - 24 degrees Straightaways - 5 degrees | |
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.
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 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 NEXTEL 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.
See also: List of NASCAR race tracks
Events
ARCA
The ARCA RE/MAX Series races here, and for several years, an ARCA racer died in either a race or practice. The last person to die at Lowe's Motor Speedway was Eric Martin from Hixson, Tennessee, on October 9, 2002. Martin lost control of the car and Deborah Renshaw plowed into Martin's car at 160 MPH killing him instantly. As a result of this, spotters must be used in all practice sessions.NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Stats
NASCAR Records
- 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) - (4.0) - Ryan Newman
- Avg Finish (Minimum 10 starts) - (6.8) - Jimmie Johnson
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Race Winners
- Rain Shortened
Indy Racing League history
)
Pitroad
Indy Racing League races were held at the circuit in 1997 and 1998, with Buddy Lazier and Kenny Brack 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. [1]
Indy Racing League results
| Season | Date | Race Name | Winning Driver | Chassis | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | July 26 | VisionAire 500k | Buddy Lazier | Dallara | Oldsmobile |
| 1998 | July 25 | VisionAire 500k | Kenny Bräck | Dallara | Oldsmobile |
| 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.[2]
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 in 2007.
)
A Panoramic view of Lowes Motor Speedway, taken from the 2nd Turn Tower during the 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".Smith has started searching the region for suitable land. [3]
Current Race Records (All Series)
| Record | Year | Date | Driver | Car Make | Time | Average Speed (mph) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series | ||||||
| Qualifying | 2005 | October 13 | ){kind=small} 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 Busch 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
External links
)
Lowe's Motor Speedway as viewed form the adjacent road.
- Lowe's Motor Speedway Official Site
- Lowe's Motor Speedway Page on NASCAR.com
- GNEXTINC.com: Lowe's Motor Speedway Page - Local area information, track specs, mapping, news and more.
- Jayski's Lowe's Motor Speedway Page - Current and Past Lowe's Motor Speedway Speedway News
- NASCAR's Best Races
| Current NASCAR Nextel Cup Series racetracks |
|---|
|
ISC Tracks Chicagoland - Darlington - Daytona - Fontana - Homestead - Kansas City - Martinsville - Michigan - Phoenix - Richmond - Talladega - Watkins Glen SMI Tracks Atlanta - Bristol - Charlotte - Fort Worth - Las Vegas - Sonoma Other tracks Dover - Indianapolis - Loudon - Pocono |
Current NASCAR Busch Series racetracks |
|---|
| Atlanta, Bristol, Brooklyn, Michigan, Charlotte, Darlington, Daytona, Dover, Fontana, California, Fort Worth, Indianapolis (ORP), Joliet, Illinois, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Loudon, Madison, Illinois, Martinsville (1982–1994, 2006), Memphis, Mexico City, Miami, Milwaukee, Montreal (2007), Nashville, Phoenix, Richmond, Sparta, Kentucky, Talladega, Watkins Glen |
| Current NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series racetracks |
|---|
| Atlanta - Bristol - Brooklyn, Michigan - Charlotte - Daytona - Dover - Fontana, California - Fort Worth - Indianapolis (ORP) - Kansas City - Las Vegas - Loudon - Madison, Illinois - Mansfield - Martinsville - Memphis - Miami - Milwaukee - Nashville - Phoenix - Talladega - Sparta, Kentucky |
Tracks of IROC |
|---|
Ovals Atlanta • California • Charlotte • ChicagoLand • Darlington • Daytona • Indianapolis • Michigan • Nazareth • Richmond • Talladega • Texas'''
Road Courses |
Tracks of the Indy Racing League |
|---|
Ovals Indianapolis Motor Speedway Chicagoland • Homestead • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Michigan • Milwaukee • Motegi • Nashville • Richmond • Texas
Road/Street Courses
Former Tracks |
Circuits of the American Le Mans Series |
|---|
Current Circuits (2007) Sebring St. Petersburg Long Beach Houston Miller Lime Rock Mid-Ohio Road America Mosport Detroit Road Atlanta Laguna Seca Former Circuits: Adelaide Charlotte Infineon (Sears Point) Las Vegas Miami Nrburgring Portland Silverstone Texas Trois-Rivires Washington, D.C. Former European Le Mans Series Circuits (2001 only) Sebring Donington Jarama Estoril Most Vallelunga Road Atlanta |
City of Concord
Downtown Concord as it appeared during the 1930s
Location of Concord within North Carolina
Coordinates:
Country United States
State North Carolina
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Downtown Concord as it appeared during the 1930s
Location of Concord within North Carolina
Coordinates:
Country United States
State North Carolina
..... Click the link for more information.
Speedway Motorsports
Public (NYSE: TRK )
Founded 1959
Headquarters Concord, North Carolina (at Lowe's Motor Speedway)
Key people Bruton Smith, founder and CEO
Industry Motorsports
Products Motorsport venues
Revenue $570 million USD
..... Click the link for more information.
Public (NYSE: TRK )
Founded 1959
Headquarters Concord, North Carolina (at Lowe's Motor Speedway)
Key people Bruton Smith, founder and CEO
Industry Motorsports
Products Motorsport venues
Revenue $570 million USD
..... Click the link for more information.
20th century - 21st century
1920s 1930s 1940s - 1950s - 1960s 1970s 1980s
1956 1957 1958 - 1959 - 1960 1961 1962
Year 1959 (MCMLIX
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1920s 1930s 1940s - 1950s - 1960s 1970s 1980s
1956 1957 1958 - 1959 - 1960 1961 1962
Year 1959 (MCMLIX
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19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1930s 1940s 1950s - 1960s - 1970s 1980s 1990s
1957 1958 1959 - 1960 - 1961 1962 1963
Year 1960 (MCMLX
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1930s 1940s 1950s - 1960s - 1970s 1980s 1990s
1957 1958 1959 - 1960 - 1961 1962 1963
Year 1960 (MCMLX
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United States dollar
dólar estadounidense (Spanish)
dólar amerikanu (Tetum)
dólar americano
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dólar estadounidense (Spanish)
dólar amerikanu (Tetum)
dólar americano
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Ollen Bruton Smith (born 1927 in Oakboro, North Carolina) is a promoter and owner/CEO of NASCAR track owner Speedway Motorsports, Inc. The billionaire was ranked #207 on the Forbes 400 list with an estimated worth of $1.
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Curtis Turner (born April 12 1924 in Floyd, Virginia - died October 14 1970) was an early NASCAR driver. In addition to his success in racing, he made a fortune, lost it, and remade it buying and selling timberlands.
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Sport governing body
Category Stock cars
Area of jurisdiction Canada,United States,Mexico
Formation date 1948
Headquarters Daytona Beach, Florida
Charlotte, North Carolina
New York City, New York
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Category Stock cars
Area of jurisdiction Canada,United States,Mexico
Formation date 1948
Headquarters Daytona Beach, Florida
Charlotte, North Carolina
New York City, New York
..... Click the link for more information.
Category Stock car racing
Country or region United States
Inaugural season
Drivers 49
Teams 22
Engine suppliers 4
Drivers' champion Jimmie Johnson
Teams' champion Hendrick Motorsports
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Country or region United States
Inaugural season
Drivers 49
Teams 22
Engine suppliers 4
Drivers' champion Jimmie Johnson
Teams' champion Hendrick Motorsports
..... Click the link for more information.
The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Challenge, formerly known as The Winston until 2004, then the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge from 2004 until 2007, is a race open to race winners (either as a driver or a car owner) from the previous season as well as the current season, plus the past
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The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Challenge, formerly known as The Winston until 2004, then the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge from 2004 until 2007, is a race open to race winners (either as a driver or a car owner) from the previous season as well as the current season, plus the past
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The Coca-Cola 600 (formerly the World 600) is a six hundred mile (966 km) stock car race held annually at Lowe's Motor Speedway (formerly Charlotte Motor Speedway) in Concord, North Carolina on Memorial Day weekend.
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The Bank of America 500 is a NASCAR race that is hosted annually at Lowe's Motor Speedway in the United States. The race usually happens in month of October, and is 500 miles long. Prior to 1966, the race was a 400-mile event.
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Sport Auto racing
Founded 1981
No. of teams 25
Country(ies) Canada
United States
Mexico
Most recent champion(s) Kevin Harvick The NASCAR Busch Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR.
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Founded 1981
No. of teams 25
Country(ies) Canada
United States
Mexico
Most recent champion(s) Kevin Harvick The NASCAR Busch Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR.
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The Carquest Auto Parts 300 is a NASCAR Busch Series race that takes place at Lowe's Motor Speedway. It is held the day before the Coca-Cola 600 on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.
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The Dollar General 300 is a NASCAR Busch Series race that takes place at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
Race Winners
Year Driver Make
2006 Dave Blaney Chevy
2005 Ryan Newman Dodge
2004 Mike Bliss Chevy
2003 Greg Biffle Chevy
2002 Jeff Burton Ford
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Race Winners
Year Driver Make
2006 Dave Blaney Chevy
2005 Ryan Newman Dodge
2004 Mike Bliss Chevy
2003 Greg Biffle Chevy
2002 Jeff Burton Ford
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Sport Auto racing
Founded 1993
No. of teams 23
Country(ies) United States
Most recent champion(s) Todd Bodine The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a popular NASCAR racing series that features modified pickup trucks.
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Founded 1993
No. of teams 23
Country(ies) United States
Most recent champion(s) Todd Bodine The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a popular NASCAR racing series that features modified pickup trucks.
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The Quaker Steak and Lube 200 is a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race that takes place at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
Past Winners:
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Past Winners:
- 2007 Ron Hornaday
- 2006 Kyle Busch
- 2005 Kyle Busch
- 2004 Dennis Setzer
- 2003 Ted Musgrave
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1 mile =
SI units
0 m 0 km
US customary / Imperial units
0 ft 0 yd
SI units
0 m 0 km
US customary / Imperial units
0 ft 0 yd
“Miles” redirects here. For other uses, see Miles (disambiguation).
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1 kilometre =
SI units
0 m 0106 mm
US customary / Imperial units
0 ft 0 mi
A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer, symbol kmSI units
0 m 0106 mm
US customary / Imperial units
0 ft 0 mi
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oval track is a dedicated motorsport circuit, primarily in the USA, which differs from a road course in that it only has turns in one direction, which is almost universally left. Oval tracks often have banked turns as well.
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City of Concord
Downtown Concord as it appeared during the 1930s
Location of Concord within North Carolina
Coordinates:
Country United States
State North Carolina
..... Click the link for more information.
Downtown Concord as it appeared during the 1930s
Location of Concord within North Carolina
Coordinates:
Country United States
State North Carolina
..... Click the link for more information.
Charlotte, North Carolina
Skyline of Charlotte at night
Flag
Nickname: "The Queen City"
Location in Mecklenburg County in the state of North Carolina
Coordinates:
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Skyline of Charlotte at night
Flag
Nickname: "The Queen City"
Location in Mecklenburg County in the state of North Carolina
Coordinates:
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20th century - 21st century
1920s 1930s 1940s - 1950s - 1960s 1970s 1980s
1956 1957 1958 - 1959 - 1960 1961 1962
Year 1959 (MCMLIX
..... Click the link for more information.
1920s 1930s 1940s - 1950s - 1960s 1970s 1980s
1956 1957 1958 - 1959 - 1960 1961 1962
Year 1959 (MCMLIX
..... Click the link for more information.
19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s
1989 1990 1991 - 1992 - 1993 1994 1995
Year 1992 (MCMXCII
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1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s
1989 1990 1991 - 1992 - 1993 1994 1995
Year 1992 (MCMXCII
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20th century - 21st century
1950s 1960s 1970s - 1980s - 1990s 2000s 2010s
1981 1982 1983 - 1984 - 1985 1986 1987
Year 1984 (MCMLXXXIV
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1950s 1960s 1970s - 1980s - 1990s 2000s 2010s
1981 1982 1983 - 1984 - 1985 1986 1987
Year 1984 (MCMLXXXIV
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Property law
Part of the common law series
Acquisition of property
Gift · Adverse possession · Deed
Lost, mislaid, and abandoned property
Alienation · Bailment · License
Estates in land
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Part of the common law series
Acquisition of property
Gift · Adverse possession · Deed
Lost, mislaid, and abandoned property
Alienation · Bailment · License
Estates in land
..... Click the link for more information.
Speedway Motorsports
Public (NYSE: TRK )
Founded 1959
Headquarters Concord, North Carolina (at Lowe's Motor Speedway)
Key people Bruton Smith, founder and CEO
Industry Motorsports
Products Motorsport venues
Revenue $570 million USD
..... Click the link for more information.
Public (NYSE: TRK )
Founded 1959
Headquarters Concord, North Carolina (at Lowe's Motor Speedway)
Key people Bruton Smith, founder and CEO
Industry Motorsports
Products Motorsport venues
Revenue $570 million USD
..... Click the link for more information.
Sport governing body
Category Stock cars
Area of jurisdiction Canada,United States,Mexico
Formation date 1948
Headquarters Daytona Beach, Florida
Charlotte, North Carolina
New York City, New York
..... Click the link for more information.
Category Stock cars
Area of jurisdiction Canada,United States,Mexico
Formation date 1948
Headquarters Daytona Beach, Florida
Charlotte, North Carolina
New York City, New York
..... Click the link for more information.
20th century - 21st century
1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s
1996 1997 1998 - 1999 - 2000 2001 2002
Year 1999 (MCMXCIX
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1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s
1996 1997 1998 - 1999 - 2000 2001 2002
Year 1999 (MCMXCIX
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