Welcome to TNI’s annual look at things to do in Charlotte during All-Star and Coke 600 weeks.
If you’re in town, or on your way, below is a list of things for you to do while you’re here. If you know of an event occurring in town not listed please feel free to add it in the comments.
We hope you enjoy your time in the Queen City!
Daily Events
Thursday, May 17 – The Sprint Pit Crew Challenge is one of my favorite events of race weeks in Charlotte and if you love NASCAR, you’re sure to love this event. Enjoy the Pit Crew Challenge at Time Warner Cable Arena in Uptown Charlotte. Click here for more information.
Thursday, May 17 Friday, May 18 – Check out racing at Concord, N.C.’s other racetrack, the Concord Speedway. See a full list of events here.
Friday, May 18 – Enjoy an outdoor showing of the movie 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story on a beautiful Carolina evening in Kannapolis. Find out more information here.
Saturday, May 19 – Mooresville, N.C.’s annual Race City Festival takes over the streets of historic Downtown Mooresville. Enjoy music, live entertainment, local merchants and artisans and food. More here.
Thursday, May 24 – Saturday, May 26 – Food Lion Speed Street – Don’t miss this favorite event for fans and Charlotteans alike. See great musical acts like Easton Corbin, Clay Walker and Loverboy, get autographs from your favorite drivers and pick up some swag. All events are free. The event takes place in Uptown Charlotte. For a complete list of events, click here.
Wednesday, May 23 – Michael Waltrip Racing Fanfest – SiriusXM will be live broadcasting from this event featuring booths of team partners, a free poster, team transporters and prizes. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning Monday, May 21 at 9 a.m. More info here.
Thursday, May 24 – Roush Fenway Racing’s Annual Fan Day – See show cars, the team shop, sponsor booths and meet Jack Roush and select team drivers. Tickets for autograph sessions are available beginning at 8 a.m. day of. More info here.
Thursday, May 24 – Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Fan Day – See the EGR shop and meet team drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray. Wristbands are required for autographs and are available to reserve now. More info here.
Friday, May 25 – Richard Childress Racing Fan Day – Check out the Childress Museum, see the team’s shop, get autographs and end your day with a concert at Childress Vineyards. Tickets are required for the autograph sessions and will be distributed beginning at 9 a.m. the day of. More info here.
Friday, May 25 – Hendrick Motorsports Fan Fest – Check out the shops of all your favorite Hendrick drivers and get their autographs. A limited number are available beginning at 11 a.m. on the day of the event. More info here.
Friday, May 25 – JR Motorsports Fan Day – Open house activities including an autograph session Friday. Tickets for the autograph session (including drivers Danica Patrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr.) are free – a donation of a pet item or canned food item is requested – and are distributed beginning Monday, May 21. More info here.
Friday, May 25 – There’s no racing at the big track on Friday, so head over to the Dirt Track at Charlotte across the street and check out the Circle K NOS Energy Outlaw Showdown with all your favorite WOO stars. Click here.
Saturday, May 26 – Check out racing at Hickory Motor Speedway, the “birthplace of NASCAR stars.” More info here.
Autograph Sessions
From Timothy Peters and Jeff Burton to Cale Yarborough and Bill Elliott, chances are if you have a favorite driver, you can get their autograph sometime these weeks. Find a complete list here.
Ongoing Entertainment
Race Shop Tours – Get a map and enjoy driving around the North Carolina Piedmont to see all of your favorite team shops. More info here.
Lancaster’s – Looking for good barbecue and a racing atmosphere? Lancaster’s has a ton of racing memorabilia – you can even eat in a converted school bus painted like Dale Earnhardt’s Wrangler ride. More info here.
Go-Kart Racing in the QC – Want to do some racing of your own? Check out the NASCAR Speedpark at Concord Mills, Victory Lane Karting in Charlotte and The Pit Indoor Karting in Mooresville.
NASCAR Hall of Fame – The two-year-old NASCAR Hall of Fame in Center City Charlotte, is a 150,000-square-foot interactive, entertainment attraction honoring the history and heritage of NASCAR. More info here.
Occoneechee Speedway – Take a day trip up to Hillsborough, North Carolina to see the Occoneechee Speedway (formerly the Orange Speedway). It is the only remaining dirt track from the 1949 season. It is heavily overgrown, but the Historic Speedway Group has converted the track into a walking trail and reconstructed some of the out buildings. It is free and definitely worth the trip if you enjoy NASCAR history.
Memory Lane Museum – A neat museum with a ton of cool, old race cars and racing memorabilia. $10 entry fee. More info here.
North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame – Located across the street from Roush Fenway’s old Mooresville shop, the NCARHOF has interesting cars and artifacts chronicling North Carolina’s motorsports history. They have a $6 entry fee. Don’t forget to check out the Walk of Fame in Downtown Mooresville too. More info here.
Driver Haunts – Want to eat at some favorites of NASCAR crew members and drivers? Check out Vinnie’s Raw Bar, Hickory Tavern, and Big Daddy’s in Mooresville, The Rusty Rudder in Cornelius, and Fox and Hound and Red Rocks in Huntersville.
Looking for other non-NASCAR related things to do? Check out the Charlotte Observer’s event guide and CharlotteCultureGuide.com.
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