Tickets, parking & traffic: What to know before going to the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte
Thousands of race fans will be at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26, for the Coca-Cola 600 race, which means more traffic is expected in northeast Mecklenburg County and southwest Cabarrus County.
The weekend’s slate of events will also include the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 on Friday, and the BetMGM 300 with a performance from country artist Kameron Marlowe during Speed Street on Saturday.
If you’re headed to the speedway for Memorial Day weekend, here’s what you need to know before you go.
Where to buy tickets
Tickets for the Coca-Cola 600 can be purchased on ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices range from $115-$488.
Tickets for the BetMGM 300 and North Carolina Education Lottery 200 can also be purchased on Ticketmaster for as little as $20.
How to get to Charlotte Motor Speedway
Here are some suggested routes from the N.C. Department of Transportation for motorists heading to Charlotte Motor Speedway:
From South Carolina: Take I-77 North to the I-485 outer loop (Exit 1B) to U.S. 29 North (Exit 32) or N.C. 49 North (Exit 33).
From west of Charlotte: Take I-85 North to I-485 (Exit 30) and follow I-485 Inner to U.S. 29 North. An alternate route is I-85 North to Poplar Tent Road (Exit 52) to Pitts School Road to U.S. 29 South.
From east of Charlotte: Take the I-485 outer loop to U.S. 29 North (Exit 32) or N.C. 49 North (Exit 33); and
From north of Charlotte: Take I-85 South to George W. Liles Parkway (Exit 54) to U.S. 29 South.
Commuters who travel on I-85 should adjust their driving time or use an alternate route during the weekend, NCDOT recommends.
For real-time traffic information, visit drivenc.gov or follow NCDOT on Facebook and Twitter.
Where to park at Charlotte Motor Speedway
You can use the venue map on charlottemotorspeedway.com to find parking at the speedway (highlighted in orange).
Attendee have the option of purchasing three-day parking passes for $60, or single-day parking passes for $20 on charlottemotorspeedway.com.
What to leave at home
Here are the items that are prohibited at Charlotte Motor Speedway:
No umbrellas of any kind are in the grandstands, suites or The Speedway Club
No glass containers
Strollers are allowed inside the gates, but are not allowed in the grandstands
No pets, except service animals
No weapons, including, but not limited to, firearms, knives and impact weapons
No skateboards, roller skates or scooters
No bicycles, or mopeds
No beach balls or balloons
No signs or banners
No horns, whistles or other loud items
No stadium seats with arm rests
Cooler and bag policy
According to Charlotte Motor Speedway, fans can bring in a soft-sided cooler no bigger than 14 inches by 14 inches by 14 inches and a bag or backpack no bigger than 18 inches by 18 inches by 14 inches.
Hard coolers are not allowed through the gates.
