CONCORD ó Speedway Motorsports Chairman and Chief Executive Officer O. Bruton Smith unveiled plans Thursday for a state-of-the-art drag racing facility and the first races at the Dragway at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
The quarter-mile drag strip will join the speedway’s 1.5-mile track and four-tenths-mile dirt track.
Preliminary grading work is under way and construction on the grandstand foundation will begin in early February. The facility will open Sept. 11-14 with the inaugural NHRA Carolinas Nationals, round 19 of the 24-race NHRA PowerAde Drag Racing Series.
Fans can participate in a naming contest at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com.
Whoever submits the name chosen for the facility will receive a VIP experience during the inaugural NHRA Carolinas Nationals.
The unveiling Thursday was part of the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour.
The dragway will be located on 125 acres of Lowe’s Motor Speedway property across U.S. 29 from the main track.
The drag racing facility will cover 46.5 acres, or 2 million square feet.
The most prominent feature of the dragway will be a 34,000-square-foot starting-line tower that will include 16 luxury suites and an additional 4,000 square feet of roof access for guests.
Initial plans call for two steel-and-aluminum grandstand structures, one on each side of the quarter-mile drag strip, with a seating capacity of 30,000 and room for expansion to 60,000.
Two tunnels will connect the grandstands underneath the strip to enhance fan mobility. Twenty-four luxury suites with hospitality accommodations will be located above the main grandstand.
The Dragway at Lowe’s Motor Speedway is the fourth NHRA-sanctioned drag strip owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc.: Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tenn.; The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nev.; and Infineon Dragway in Sonoma, Calif.
Tickets for the inaugural NHRA Carolinas Nationals on Sept. 11-14 are available at www.lowesmotorspeedway. com or by calling the ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS.