Exploring Charlotte Motor Speedway ahead of NASCAR Coca-Cola 600: Complete guide including seating chart, bag policy and more

Drivers, teams, and fans alike have started to flock to the Charlotte Motor Speedway to enjoy the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 race weekend. Located in Concord, North Carolina, the intermediate oval race track has hosted several major races since its inception in 1960.

Formerly known as the Lowe's Motor Speedway (until 2009), the construction of the 1.5-mile quad-oval circuit began in 1959. After an estimated construction cost of around $2 million, the track was finally opened to the public in 1960. Since then, the speedway has slowly turned into 'America's home for racing'. In 1984, the race track became the only facility to provide year-round accommodation, with 40 condominiums above turn one.

The heritage speedway has also been part of several movies, such as 'Days of Thunder,' 'Speedway,' and 'CARS' from Pixar. In 2018, the track got a major addition in the form of a 2.28-mile, 17-turn ROVAL road course. The course has gained a reputation as one of the most challenging tracks in NASCAR and also became the first one to host a Cup Series Playoffs.

The Speedway has a seating capacity of 95,000. During a typical race weekend, fans can consume over 37,000 slices of pizza, 5,000 gallons of soft drink, 4,000 feet of hot dogs, and 50,000 chicken tenders. In 2011, the Speedway set a 'Guinness World Record' by introducing the world's largest HDTV (16,000 square feet).

In terms of track policies, the Speedway allows fans to bring soft-sided coolers (14x14x14) and bags or backpacks (18x18x14). However, alcohol is banned in the pits of the Dirt track. Other prohibited items include umbrellas, glass containers, skateboards, bicycles, signs or banners, beach balls, balloons, and all sorts of weapons. Also, smoking is allowed only in smoking lounges, open-air campgrounds, and parking lots.

Charlotte Motor Speedway is eligible for the Speedway Motorsports Weather Guarantee

Weather is an element that cannot be controlled by humans and so, to make sure that fans can reap the full benefits of the price they paid for a race weekend, Charlotte Motor Speedway is one of the few tracks that offers the Speedway Motorsports Weather Guarantee.

This unique benefit applies to all races taking place at the speedway. In the event of postponement or rescheduling due to inclement weather, eligible tickets can be exchanged for any future Speedway Motorsports event, within one calendar year. However, the ticket holder must use the ticket credit within 60 days of the original date of the postponed event. These credits will expire if eligible ticket(s) are not redeemed within the set timeframe.

This Weather Guarantee policy covers only race tickets. Other popular venues that support this policy are Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Circuit of the Americas, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, and North Wilkesboro Speedway.