Our Charlotte NASCAR Weekend: The Plan, the Races, and the Unexpected
Three NASCAR races, four days, a little rain, and a reminder that a great getaway doesn't require everything to go according to plan.
Why Charlotte?
We both enjoy NASCAR, and Charlotte Motor Speedway was a place I'd wanted to visit again. I'd attended races there years ago, but it had been a while since we'd spent a weekend at the track.
We had a four-day weekend available, Charlotte was within driving distance, and three NASCAR races were on the schedule. That was enough to get us interested.
The plan was simple: attend all three races, visit the NASCAR Hall of Fame, possibly stop at Hendrick Motorsports, and enjoy a few days away together.
We started planning in January, purchasing our three-race ticket package directly through Charlotte Motor Speedway. Rather than simply choosing seats online, we spoke with a speedway representative who helped us select seats based on what we wanted from the experience.
We also upgraded to Section 304 for the Cup and O'Reilly Series races, purchased a Track Pass, and arranged parking in advance. Complimentary food and nonalcoholic drinks were included with our premium seating during the Cup race only.
For accommodations, we chose a small Airbnb in Harrisburg, close enough to reach the speedway using local roads while avoiding much of the surrounding traffic.
Originally, we expected the fall race to use Charlotte's ROVAL configuration. After we'd purchased our tickets, the event was changed back to the traditional oval. That was fine with us.
Everything was coming together.
Of course, there was one thing we couldn't control.
The weather.
Friday: Racing, Remembrance, and an Unexpectedly Moving Evening
We dropped the dogs off for boarding at 7:30 AM and were on the road around 8:45.
Our goal was to reach the Charlotte area by approximately 3:30 PM, leaving enough time to charge the Tesla if necessary, park, and get to the track without rushing.
Friday's Truck Series race was a great introduction to the weekend. We expected a smaller crowd than Sunday's Cup race, and it gave us an opportunity to become familiar with the speedway.
The racing was entertaining, with Layne Riggs taking the victory.
But the evening's most memorable event came afterward.
Charlotte Motor Speedway hosted a celebration of life honoring Kyle Busch. It was a professionally produced tribute, with music, memories, and a remarkable drone show.
The Busch family arranged for thank-you cards and commemorative coins to be distributed to those attending.
That gesture made an impression on us.
It would have been easy for the evening to focus entirely on Kyle's accomplishments, his racing career, and his place in NASCAR history.
Instead, we found ourselves thinking about his family, especially the children who had lost their father.
Behind the fame, trophies, and television cameras are real families experiencing the same joys and heartbreaks as everyone else.
We left the speedway that evening with much more than memories of a race.
Saturday: Plan A, Plan B, and Eventually Plan C
We'd been watching the weather all week. By Wednesday, I was already questioning whether Saturday's race would happen.
Our original plan included arriving at the NASCAR Hall of Fame around 10 AM, spending roughly three hours exploring the exhibits and challenging each other in the racing simulators, possibly visiting Hendrick Motorsports, and heading to the track.
When Saturday's racing was canceled, we already had Plan B.
We'd visit the Hall of Fame, grab lunch, see Hendrick Motorsports if time permitted, and enjoy a relaxing evening back at the Airbnb.
Unfortunately, the morning began with a malfunctioning coffee maker and an unplanned trip to Dunkin'.
The Hall of Fame proved considerably more frustrating than we'd anticipated. The crowds were substantial, and the management of the simulator experience left a great deal to be desired.
By the time we left after 3 PM, visiting the race shops was no longer realistic.
For the full story, including what went wrong and what we'd do differently, read NASCAR Hall of Fame: Our Experience and Lessons Learned.
So we moved to Plan C.
We were hungry, tired, and ready for something different. We decided on Indian food, and that turned out to be an excellent choice.
After a wonderful dinner, we charged the Tesla and returned to the Airbnb for a movie.
It wasn't the Saturday we'd planned, but it certainly wasn't a wasted day.
Read more about our dining experiences in Where We Ate During Our Charlotte NASCAR Weekend.
Sunday: Making a Day of It
With Saturday's O'Reilly Series race postponed until Sunday evening, we now had two races on the schedule.
Fortunately, we'd arranged for the dogs to remain boarded until Tuesday in case weather pushed racing into Monday. We had the flexibility to adapt.
We started Sunday with a hearty breakfast at a local diner and arrived at the speedway around 10 AM.
There was no reason to rush.
We explored the Fan Zone, browsed merchandise, listened to live music, and tried our hand at qualifying in Toyota's racing simulator.
We talked with other fans, including plenty of fellow Chase Elliott supporters. There's a sense of camaraderie at a race that you don't quite experience watching from your living room.
One conversation was particularly memorable.
We met a retired Army Chief Warrant Officer Four who had left his job to establish a nonprofit helping military families affected by suicide. We spent time talking with him and learning about the work he was doing.
It was one of those unexpected encounters that stays with you long after the trip.
Around noon, we used our Track Pass to walk onto the racing surface.
Standing there, looking up into the grandstands, gave us an entirely different appreciation for the enormous scale of Charlotte Motor Speedway.
We watched pit crews preparing tires, enjoyed the atmosphere, and grabbed a drink before heading up to our seats.
We didn't stay for the entire pre-race concert or driver introductions. Those weren't the main reasons we'd purchased the pass.
Would we buy it again? Maybe, depending on the weather and entertainment. We enjoyed the access, but weren't convinced it represented great value for our interests.
We explore that decision and other practical race-day considerations in Attending a NASCAR Race Weekend: What You Should Know.
Two Races, One Very Long Sunday
Our upgraded Section 304 seats gave us a terrific view of the action.
The Cup race was entertaining, even though our favorite driver, Chase Elliott, wasn't having the day we'd hoped for. Chase Briscoe ultimately took the victory.
We enjoyed the afternoon without constantly checking the clock or worrying about getting somewhere else.
After the Cup race, we stretched our legs, charged our phones, and prepared for the postponed O'Reilly Series race.
The contrast was remarkable.
By the time the evening race began, only about six people remained in our seating area.
But we weren't leaving.
We'd traveled to Charlotte for three races, and we intended to see all three.
We stayed through the finish, with Corey Day taking the victory, and finally headed back to the Airbnb after a very full day.
Our premium seating had been one of the better decisions we made when planning the trip. For our detailed assessment, read Is Premium Seating at Charlotte Motor Speedway Worth It?
Monday: The Road Home
Monday morning, we checked out and headed south.
Our Harrisburg Airbnb had served its primary purpose by putting us close to the speedway, but the hosting experience left room for improvement.
Read Our Harrisburg Airbnb: Convenient Location, Mixed Experience.
We made the approximately 855-mile round trip in our Tesla Model X. Charging was straightforward and generally fit into stops we wanted to make anyway.
Read Driving 855 Miles to NASCAR in a Tesla Model X.
We arrived home around 2 PM.
Four days, three races, some excellent food, a few frustrations, and plenty of memories.
Would We Do It Again?
Absolutely.
The overall plan was solid, and we'd happily replicate it at another NASCAR venue.
We'd still consider a three-race package, premium seating, and accommodations close to the track.
For Charlotte, we'd choose a different place to stay. We'd also approach the Hall of Fame with more specific questions before purchasing upgraded experiences.
And we'd always have a Plan B for an outdoor event.
Sometimes you need a Plan C, too.
What Really Matters
Looking back, some of the most memorable moments had very little to do with who won the races.
At the NASCAR Hall of Fame, we saw displays featuring personal items that inductees considered meaningful. A cassette tape of a favorite song. A T-shirt. Ordinary things that carried extraordinary personal significance.
At the Fan Zone, we met a retired Army veteran who had chosen to dedicate himself to helping military families.
And on Friday night, we watched a grieving family share their love for Kyle with thousands of fans, even taking the time to thank those who came to remember him.
Family. Community. The little things that matter.
Those experiences put the weekend's frustrations into perspective.
A broken Keurig is annoying. A disappointing museum visit is frustrating. A scanner that won't pick up your favorite driver's communications is inconvenient.
But none of those things is a tragedy.
We were together, doing something we both enjoy, meeting interesting people, and making memories.
The weekend wasn't perfect. It didn't need to be.