Governor touts ‘heritage’ of NASCAR during visit to Charlotte Motor Speedway

CHARLOTTE — Gov. Roy Cooper paid a visit to Charlotte Motor Speedway and previewed the newly relocated Speed Street festival in anticipation of the track’s Memorial Day race weekend. The track will host three days of racing, beginning Friday and culminating Sunday night with the NASCAR Cup Series’ longest event of the season, the Coca-Cola 600.

Cooper joined Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles and Concord Mayor Bill Dusch for a walking tour of the exhibits and interactive games set up as part of Speed Street near the main entrance of the track. Cooper and Lyles are Democrats; Concord’s mayor and council are elected on a nonpartisan basis.

Marcus Smith, CEO of track parent Speedway Motorsports, greeted Cooper and the mayors as well as former NASCAR driver-turned-Fox Sports analyst Michael Waltrip. Smith had to leave early to attend the speedway’s annual charity gala; Greg Walter, general manager of the Charlotte track, led the delegation from there.

“Whether or not you’re a fan of motorsports, this is about tourism,” Walter said as part of remarks to reporters afterward. “This is about something happening out here that brings people to our community. We’ve got people from all 50 states, 12 countries — as far away as Australia. I had a family from the U.K. that texted me this morning, ‘We’re finally here, we’re glad to be here.’”

Tickets for the Coca-Cola 600 are sold out. Permanent seating capacity is 79,000.

“I believe sports bring us together not only as a community, but as a state,” Cooper said. “Motorsports is part of the fabric of who we are as North Carolinians. NASCAR started right here.”

Beyond that heritage, the governor added, hosting NASCAR races is “good for our economy.”

He also noted a newly established relief fund for motorsports in the state and touched on a sports-betting bill that’s making its way through the legislature.

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(WATCH BELOW: Fan Guide: Coca-Cola 600, Speed Street at Charlotte Motor Speedway)

Fan Guide: Coca-Cola 600, Speed Street at Charlotte Motor Speedway

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