Track walk at Charlotte Motor Speedway Coca-Cola 600

Track walk at Charlotte Motor Speedway Coca-Cola 600
Track walk at Charlotte Motor Speedway Coca-Cola 600

Monday, December 15, 2014

Fans Can't Get Enough of Speedway Christmas!

         I was recently interviewed for Charlotte Motor Speedway's "Speedway Christmas" and the interview landed on the Charlotte Motor Speedway website. Here's the article in total, taken directly from here. I added some pictures from our adventure.

Also, they don't mention this on the page, but if you bring any coke product and show it to the cashier, they take $3 off your entrance fee!


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Even though Christmas is still a few weeks away, the holiday festivities are already in full swing at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Fans have been packing the speedway nightly for Speedway Christmas, and everyone has left filled with joy.

With more than three million high-efficiency LED lights twinkling in 800 unique displays, popular Christmas tunes filling the infield and a bustling Christmas village, Speedway Christmas is the best place to get your family in the spirit this holiday season.

The main attraction at Speedway Christmas is the array of bright and flashy lights that are strung along the 3.1-mile course. Visitors like Chuck Nellis were certainly impressed with the many magical light displays surrounding the famed speedway.

"It was really cool being at Charlotte Motor Speedway and seeing the Christmas lights," he said. "It's a really good family time and you get to drive on the track."

Speedway Christmas is a great way to spend time with your family, and many visitors, like Charlotte-area teacher Dean Hardy, are making a trip to the light show a new family Christmas tradition.

"This was our second year visiting CMS for Speedway Christmas. My boys (5 and 8 years old) really enjoyed the lights and the sights and sounds while driving through the infield speedway and wanted to do it again," Hardy said.

The sights and sounds are definitely worth experiencing, but if fans need a little something else to make it worthwhile, they also have the opportunity to drive on the track itself.

"The kids also find it intriguing that they actually get to ride on the race track for a portion of the viewing," Hardy said. "I had to drive up the banking a little bit in our 2004 Astro-van; that really gave them a thrill."

The Christmas village is also a great place to spend some time. Open every Thursday through Sunday night, fans will feel like they're 2,000 years in the past, right in the middle of Bethlehem. From baby goats and deer to gobbling turkeys, they're sure to get an authentic experience.

"For my children, their favorite part of Speedway Christmas was the petting zoo," Hardy said. "They are true animal lovers and we spent a half an hour visiting and feeding various kinds of animals."

The Christmas village also features a bevy of other activities, including photos with Santa, a kids' craft station, marshmallow roasting, food and craft vendors and other activities.

No matter what you're looking for this holiday season, Speedway Christmas has something for everyone. Charlotte race fan Arn McGovern came with several friends and said everybody left happy.

"I liked walking through the Christmas village," she said. "One friend loved the petting zoo, and another friend liked the lights. There was really something for all."

Speedway Christmas is open nightly from 6 to 10 p.m. through Dec. 30, excluding Christmas Day. Tickets are available online or at the gate. Admission is just $15 per car on nights the Christmas Village is closed and $20 per car on nights the village is open. Group rates are available.

Need details? Call 1-800-455-FANS (3267) or visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com. For updates, connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway on Twitter or on Facebook.

- See more at: http://www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/schedule/speedway_christmas/fans-cant-get-enough-speedway-christmas.html#sthash.kIFXopPU.dpuf