Sittin’ by the drag strip
Taking the back way to the Speedway was a great idea.
Mallard Creek Road out of University City in Charlotte takes you right to Morehead Road and Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The main routes—Interstate 85, both north and south, Concord Mills Boulevard, Bruton Smith Boulevard, and U.S. 29 from Kannapolis and Concord all are parking lots right now and will be for the next few hours.
State troopers are posted at just about every intersection and on-ramp around the Speedway, so you might as well chill out for a while and wait your turn. Thousands of people are already here on the grounds and more are expected for tonight’s Sprint Cup All-Star Race.
Incidentally, the North Carolina Department of Transportation replaced the signs on I-85 last week. They now all read “Bruton Smith Boulevard.” Remember back in November, when the CEO of Speedway Motorsports kept everyone on pins needles about moving the Speedway? Remember when Cabarrus County, the City of Concord and the Good Old North State promised Smith $80 million in road improvements?
Well, to put icing on the cake, the N.C. DOT offered to change the name of Speedway Boulevard and name it after the octogenarian race promoter.
Oh, and the drag strip, which cause all the trouble in the first place, is under construction and about halfway complete. It is expected to be ready by the first drag race on Sept. 11.
Check out our stories about the drag strip, the incentives and Bruton Smith Boulevard:
Bruton Smith Boulevard?: Officials vote to rename road after speedway CEO
Residents get first look at proposed road improvements
- Ben McNeely