Bank of America 500
A Race To Bank On
So, you want to plan a trip to the Bank of America 500 at the “The Beast of the Southeast”, Lowes Motor Speedway in Concord, NC in October. It’s probably best to begin with “where do I stay?”. The options are boundless but it’s best to begin early for prime places. There are camping areas right on the speedway property. Dry camping is available at 5 campground areas at the speedway. During race week the sites run about $100.00 but the convenience is priceless. The luxury campsites with hookups at the Fleetwood RV Camping Resort are right next to the nearby Rocky River Golf Course. Trams and bus shuttles located throughout make getting around much easier than you‘d think. Hotels are another option with shuttles available at 2 mall locations , Northlake Mall in the Huntersville Charlotte area and Carolina Place Mall in the north Concord area. Plenty of hotels located near these sites are great options for the race.
“What is there to do?”. The choices are endless. The race itself has a nonstop schedule of events building anticipation to the main racing on Saturday night, but don’t forget a side visit to The Dale Earnhardt Museum and Showroom in Mooresville, a great place to remember a major influence in the racing world. All the exhilaration begins Wednesday night with Late Model Series racing, while Thursday night highlights a 7:10 Bojangles Pole Night Qualifying event (2laps/all positions). On Friday night you get a taste of what the main race holds with The Dollar General 300 ( a 200 lap race). On Saturday morning there is an unusual event , a Track Walk for charity. Walk the 1.5 mile track surface and experience the 24 degree banking turns and the excitement of the start and finish lines with your very own feet.. All the proceeds, $30.00 per person for ages over 14 which includes an event t shirt, go the NASCAR Foundation and the Charlotte Chapter of Speedway Children‘s Charities. All this leads to the crescendo on Saturday night with the Bank of America 500, a full 501 miles, 334 laps, pure heart -pumping thrill. For the best deal ,view the race in the new All You Can Eat Grandstand where for a price starting at $59.00 you can enjoy all the hot dogs, burgers, snacks and drinks you can devour!
Not enough? Need more to do? Then explore the areas outside the speedway. Charlotte has so much to offer. The Carolina Renaissance Festival will be taking place during the month of October. This is a 16th century European style arts and entertainment festival. It’s a combination of arts and crafts, outdoor theatre, jousting tournament and great food and beer. You can check details at www.royalfairies.com/carolina . If you’re looking for malls and some shopping there are many in the area with Concord Mills being the one destination everyone must hit. A huge collection of outlets, including Bass Pro Shop and TJ Maxx, all under one roof. The mall has a 24 AMC Theatre, a food court filled with many choices and tons of restaurants surrounding the mall. If you choose to go into Charlotte you’ll discover many museums from fine arts to science in the uptown area, which is really what Charlotte calls it’s downtown. There is no danger of running out of things to do here.
“Where to eat?”. Charlotte Concord area has so many choices for food. By the track there are many quality quick meals. Five Guys Famous Burgers is an outstanding choice for a great juicy burger. Be sure to include fries for the complete treat (which come in massive amounts in a brown bag!). If your looking for BBQ, Sonny’s is the standard in the south. All this is located right between the speedway and Concord Mills. Besides the usual array of chains like Olive Garden and Applebee’s, if you investigate a bit further into Concord you can find Rosario’s (5303 Poplar Tent Concord, NC) a small family owned Italian restaurant with great pastas and pizzas. Further into Concord is Mr. C’s (1260 Concord Parkway Concord, NC) a great place for the best southern fried chicken ever!! Want something a bit extravagant but with a lot of charm? Then you must try La Cava in Salisbury, NC. A unique restaurant in a rustic old church built in 1897. Its a perfect romantic evening interlude in between the races. Continental and Italian cuisine are their specialties, made with all fresh ingredients. They have a wonderful wine list full of surprises. Be sure to save room for the dessert tray! These are some great choices to start with to satisfy your hunger.
So a trip to the Bank of America 500 sounds like a lot of fun. Check the website for full details and tickets at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com/schedules/superspeedway/bank_of_america_500/ It’s certainly an experience you will never forget. Oh and don’t forget your earplugs!
Robin Gardner, Editor At Large
So, you want to plan a trip to the Bank of America 500 at the “The Beast of the Southeast”, Lowes Motor Speedway in Concord, NC in October. It’s probably best to begin with “where do I stay?”. The options are boundless but it’s best to begin early for prime places. There are camping areas right on the speedway property. Dry camping is available at 5 campground areas at the speedway. During race week the sites run about $100.00 but the convenience is priceless. The luxury campsites with hookups at the Fleetwood RV Camping Resort are right next to the nearby Rocky River Golf Course. Trams and bus shuttles located throughout make getting around much easier than you‘d think. Hotels are another option with shuttles available at 2 mall locations , Northlake Mall in the Huntersville Charlotte area and Carolina Place Mall in the north Concord area. Plenty of hotels located near these sites are great options for the race.
“What is there to do?”. The choices are endless. The race itself has a nonstop schedule of events building anticipation to the main racing on Saturday night, but don’t forget a side visit to The Dale Earnhardt Museum and Showroom in Mooresville, a great place to remember a major influence in the racing world. All the exhilaration begins Wednesday night with Late Model Series racing, while Thursday night highlights a 7:10 Bojangles Pole Night Qualifying event (2laps/all positions). On Friday night you get a taste of what the main race holds with The Dollar General 300 ( a 200 lap race). On Saturday morning there is an unusual event , a Track Walk for charity. Walk the 1.5 mile track surface and experience the 24 degree banking turns and the excitement of the start and finish lines with your very own feet.. All the proceeds, $30.00 per person for ages over 14 which includes an event t shirt, go the NASCAR Foundation and the Charlotte Chapter of Speedway Children‘s Charities. All this leads to the crescendo on Saturday night with the Bank of America 500, a full 501 miles, 334 laps, pure heart -pumping thrill. For the best deal ,view the race in the new All You Can Eat Grandstand where for a price starting at $59.00 you can enjoy all the hot dogs, burgers, snacks and drinks you can devour!
Not enough? Need more to do? Then explore the areas outside the speedway. Charlotte has so much to offer. The Carolina Renaissance Festival will be taking place during the month of October. This is a 16th century European style arts and entertainment festival. It’s a combination of arts and crafts, outdoor theatre, jousting tournament and great food and beer. You can check details at www.royalfairies.com/carolina . If you’re looking for malls and some shopping there are many in the area with Concord Mills being the one destination everyone must hit. A huge collection of outlets, including Bass Pro Shop and TJ Maxx, all under one roof. The mall has a 24 AMC Theatre, a food court filled with many choices and tons of restaurants surrounding the mall. If you choose to go into Charlotte you’ll discover many museums from fine arts to science in the uptown area, which is really what Charlotte calls it’s downtown. There is no danger of running out of things to do here.
“Where to eat?”. Charlotte Concord area has so many choices for food. By the track there are many quality quick meals. Five Guys Famous Burgers is an outstanding choice for a great juicy burger. Be sure to include fries for the complete treat (which come in massive amounts in a brown bag!). If your looking for BBQ, Sonny’s is the standard in the south. All this is located right between the speedway and Concord Mills. Besides the usual array of chains like Olive Garden and Applebee’s, if you investigate a bit further into Concord you can find Rosario’s (5303 Poplar Tent Concord, NC) a small family owned Italian restaurant with great pastas and pizzas. Further into Concord is Mr. C’s (1260 Concord Parkway Concord, NC) a great place for the best southern fried chicken ever!! Want something a bit extravagant but with a lot of charm? Then you must try La Cava in Salisbury, NC. A unique restaurant in a rustic old church built in 1897. Its a perfect romantic evening interlude in between the races. Continental and Italian cuisine are their specialties, made with all fresh ingredients. They have a wonderful wine list full of surprises. Be sure to save room for the dessert tray! These are some great choices to start with to satisfy your hunger.
So a trip to the Bank of America 500 sounds like a lot of fun. Check the website for full details and tickets at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com/schedules/superspeedway/bank_of_america_500/ It’s certainly an experience you will never forget. Oh and don’t forget your earplugs!
Robin Gardner, Editor At Large
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