CONCORD, N.C. – Charlotte Motor Speedway will host a limited crowd for its May NASCAR tripleheader, which includes the 62nd running of the Coca-Cola 600 for the NASCAR Cup Series.
The news comes on the heels of North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and state health officials’ announcement Wednesday of a plan to allow outdoor sports venues, including Charlotte Motor Speedway, to host events with fans up to 30 percent capacity, starting Feb. 26.
That announcement paves the way for a limited number of fans to be part of the action when NASCAR’s best return to CMS for the track’s first-ever tripleheader weekend – featuring the North Carolina Education Lottery 200, Alsco Uniforms 300 and 62nd running of the Coca-Cola 600 from May 28-30.
“The energy and excitement of our fans is what fuels our sport and everything we do here at America’s Home for Racing,” said Charlotte Motor Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager Greg Walter. “We’ve been in close contact throughout the pandemic with the governor’s office about how we can safely host race fans, and I cannot overstate how excited we are with today’s news.
“From hosting one of NASCAR’s crown jewel events to honoring the men and women of our Armed Forces, the Coca-Cola 600 weekend is special for so many reasons. While the grandstands won’t be full, being able to share this historic event with thousands of fans in person is a big step in the right direction. We hope with continued improvement in pandemic trends by May that we may be able to host even more fans.”
Details are still being determined regarding camping availability.
No fans were permitted during last year’s Coca-Cola 600, which marked just the third NASCAR Cup Series race held following the return of live sports from the shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brad Keselowski of Team Penske is the defending winner of the historic event.