Lowes Speedway NASCAR Race Track

It took nearly 25 years for Lowe's Motor Speedway to come of age. The Smith Tower -- a 135,000-sq

South Concord, North Carolina. Maybe it’s the water, or maybe it’s the weather, but something get’s under the fingernails of the locals and gets them hooked on stockcar racing at an early age. That “something” just happens to be Lowe's Motor Speedway. Designed and built in 1959 by O. Bruton Smith and the late Curtis Turner, Lowe's Motor Speedway remains one of the premier racing locations in the United States.

Smith and Turner. Together they built their dream of a 1.5-mile super-speedway on the outskirts of The Queen City and, on June 19, 1960, the first World 600 was run at this new facility.

It took nearly 25 years for Lowe's Motor Speedway to come of age. The Smith Tower -- a 135,000-square-foot, seven-story facility connected to the speedway's grandstands -- was erected and opened in 1988. The building houses the speedway's corporate offices, ticket office, souvenir gift shop, leased office space and The Speedway Club, an exclusive dining and entertainment facility.

Another innovation was a $1.7 million, 1,200-fixture permanent lighting system developed by MUSCO Lighting of Oskaloosa, Iowa. The revolutionary lighting process uses mirrors to simulate daylight without glare, shadows, or obtrusive light poles. The lighting system was installed in 1992, allowing Lowe's Motor Speedway to be the first modern super-speedway to host night auto racing.

In addition to the 1.5-mile quad oval, the Lowe's Motor Speedway complex includes a 2.25-mile road course and a six-tenths-mile karting layout in the speedway's infield; a quarter-mile asphalt oval utilizing part of the speedway's front-stretch and pit road; and a one-fifth-mile oval located outside turn three of the super-speedway.

With those kinds of track conditions, it’s no wonder the racing schedule at Lowe's Motor Speedway reads like a Who’s Who of NASCAR: The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series events, two NASCAR Busch Series races and a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event are among the major events held on the 1.5-mile super-speedway. The Richard Petty Driving Experience and the Fast Track High Performance Driving School and the also use the track extensively throughout the year.

Most recently, the track added a new garage area for the NASCAR Busch Series, a new state-of-the-art media facility and additional restrooms and showers for use by those enjoying the action from the speedway's infield. These additions are all part of a long-term project calling for additional grandstand seating, infrastructure improvements, spectator amenities and the development of adjacent land for possible commercial real estate ventures.

Planning on coming to the Charlotte/Concord area for a day at the races? Charlotte area lodging and attractions or other information is available at www.visitcharlotte.com which provides a comprehensive informational database of the Charlotte area including a listing of area motels.

The Cabarrus County North Carolina Convention and Visitors Bureau (www.cabarruscvb.com) offers a comprehensive informational database for the county in which Lowe's Motor Speedway is located including a listing of area motels.

Check out the “hotels and accommodations” link for more information.

Lowe's Motor Speedway: tradition only takes you so far. After that, it’s a matter of speed and innovation. Oh, and a seating capacity of nearly 170,000 doesn’t hurt either.