Speedway Christmas By the Numbers:
Millions of Lights, Thousands of Cars, Countless Memories
When Charlotte Motor Speedway opens the gate for the 13th edition of Speedway Christmas presented by Atrium Health on Friday, fans will experience the biggest and brightest holiday lights spectacle yet at the iconic speedway. Immersed in a sea of twinkling LEDs strung throughout the oval, road course and concourse, visitors from across the country will descend on America’s Home for the Holidays to experience the dazzling display that many families have made a can’t-miss Christmas tradition. The show runs nightly through Jan. 8, 2023 from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m.
Here are this year’s facts, by the numbers, for the country’s largest drive-thru, synchronized light show:
4 million lights: Creating a spectacular showcase of sparkle, the speedway has added lights this year, bringing the grand total to a mind-boggling 4 million. The theme of this year’s display – Santa’s Monutain – will see popular scenes from the jolly elf’s come to life in illuminated fashion alongside millions of LEDs synchronized to popular Christmas tunes.
3.75 miles: With lights strung throughout the infield, along portions of the iconic speedway and innovative ROVAL™, in the grandstands and under the concourse, Speedway Christmas guests wind through nearly four miles of illuminated magic as they take in hundreds of creative displays and lights synchronized to Christmas-themed music.
5,200 hours: A light show of this magnitude takes a sizable effort to construct. The speedway’s operation team has been hard at work since mid-October stringing lights, running power and testing the displays. In total, crews will rack up more than 5,200 work hours getting ready for opening night.
14,000 feet: Hundreds of light displays require plenty of extension cords. This year crews will use approximately 14,000 feet of cords to provide the power needed to bring the lively displays to life.
10: In addition to dazzling lights, the infield Christmas Village offers visitors a holiday oasis of activities, including photos with Santa Claus himself, kid-friendly rides, concession and warming up by the fire with roasting s’mores at one of the village’s 10 cozy fire pits.
16,000 square feet: Back by popular demand, Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 16,000-square-foot HDTV will transform into a drive-in movie screen throughout the light show, playing holiday hit movies like “Elf,” “Home Alone” and “A Christmas Story” every Thursday through Sunday night. Click here for a full schedule of movie nights, presented by Queen City News.
50 nights: Open nightly from Nov. 18 through Jan. 8, 2023 (closed only on Christmas Eve), Speedway Christmas will come to life for 50 nights throughout the season, providing families plenty of opportunities to take in the magic of the show. The Chirstmas village will be open every Thursday through Sunday night and the entire week of Christmas.
14 songs: Much of what makes Speedway Christmas so unique are the synchronized lights-to-music that fill much of the infield and concourse. Fourteen popular scores played in rotation bring the show to life as displays – some towering as high as 80 feet in the air – dance and glisten to the tunes.
Only 1: With millions of lights, a slew of popular Christmas movies playing on the speedway’s 16,000-square-foot HDTV and the return of the ever-popular infield Christmas village, there’s only one place families need to be this year to get into the holiday spirit – Speedway Christmas presented by Atrium Health.
CAR PASSES:
Speedway Christmas presented by Atrium Health will be open nightly from Nov. 18 through Jan. 8, with the exception of Christmas Eve. Tickets are sold per vehicle (up to 15 passengers), online or at the gate starting at $30 Monday through Wednesday and $40 Thursday through Sunday. For just $70, guests can skip the line and use the Express Lane, located at Entrance P off of Morehead Road.
For opening night, Eli Lilly will cover the cost of the first 250 vehicles through the general admission line. On Saturday and Sunday nights, Atrium Health will provide the first 250 vehicles with a commemorative Speedway Christmas ornament as a keepsake.
Tickets, schedules and more information are available online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or at the gate.
Charlotte Motor Speedway PR
