Before the first car ever hits the track for a pivotal Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 NASCAR Playoff weekend, fans from across the country and around the world will be treated to a high-energy night of music, motorsports and fun as Fan Friday returns to America’s Home for Racing on Oct. 6.
“Creating remarkable events and putting fans first is at the heart of what we do every day,” said Greg Walter, executive vice president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway. “Fan Friday is a chance to come together to celebrate our shared passion for motorsports and get revved up for an action-packed weekend of great racing and great fun.”
Headlining the Fan Friday fun, Joe Gibbs Racing will bring out its star-studded NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series driver lineup for the JGR Fan Fest at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The fan-friendly event will feature driver appearances with defending Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 winner Christopher Bell, Ty Gibbs, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. at the Fan Stage and an autograph session with all four Cup Series drivers, plus Xfinity Series stars John Hunter Nemechek and Sammy Smith at the Toyota Racing Experience.
Fan Fest opens at 4:30 p.m. with a bevy of entertainment, including free Ferris Wheel rides, fun race-themed concessions, a DJ and more. The first 200 fans to pick up a wristband from the information tent at the Avenue of Flags starting at 8 a.m. on Oct. 6 will get access to an exclusive autograph session with all participating drivers. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver autograph session is scheduled for 5:00 p.m., followed by a driver Q&A at 6:30 p.m.
Additional highlights of this year’s Fan Friday events include:
STEAM Expo
More than 3,000 area school children will kick off Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 weekend with the hands-on STEAM Expo in the Fan Zone. Dozens of vendors, including the U.S. Armed Forces, Toyota, G Force Robotics, Lilly and the Concord Fire Department, among others, will be on site from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. with interactive games, educational displays and more, teaching students about how the concepts of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) are part of motorsports, as well as offering a glimpse into career opportunities available within the industry. The sold-out event is part of a year-round program at Charlotte Motor Speedway that annually reaches more than 15,000 school-aged youth. For more information, visit the STEAM program’s website.
NASCAR Youth Series Quarter-Midget Racing
The weekend’s race action will kick off on Friday with NASCAR Youth Series (the sanctioning body for the quarter midget racing division of the United States Auto Club, or USAC) racing at zMAX Dragway, Oct. 6 and 7. Up-and-coming racers between the ages of 5 and 16 will cut their teeth on a custom-built course in the west pit area of the dragstrip. Fans can watch the scaled-down race cars, which have entertained crowds since before World War II, and might even catch an early glimpse of NASCAR’s future stars.
NASCAR Hauler Parade
Immediately following the JGR Fan Fest, Charlotte Motor Speedway will keep the party going as NASCAR’s Cup Series haulers parade into the infield – driving right through the campgrounds and Fan Zone – in preparation for Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL™ 400. The high-energy parade will be emceed by Trackside Live hosts Jose Castillo and Monica Palumbo and will feature “drive-up” songs personally selected by each hauler driver. Fans can line the parade route near the Fan Zone and grab a photo with their favorite hauler before it settles into the infield for a fun-filled weekend of white-knuckled racing.
Before sparks fly on the track, fireworks will fly over Charlotte Motor Speedway as the hauler parade winds down with a huge fireworks extravaganza over the Fan Zone.
Tim Dugger Concert
Following the fireworks, country music star and NASCAR fan favorite Tim Dugger will keep the party going with a high-energy concert on the Fan Zone stage. Featuring hits like “Buy a Bar,” “Signs of a Good Time” and “Heart of a Small Town,” among others, the Alabama-native will rock the ROVAL™ and get fans fueled up for a weekend of fun.
Fan Friday is free to attend. In addition to driver appearances and A-list music acts on the Rock the ROVAL™ stage, the 10-acre Fan Zone will provide a bevy of interactive games and displays, food trucks, partner activations and more throughout the three-day event.
TICKETS: The Fan Zone will be open each day to fans with a ticket to any of the weekend’s NASCAR events Oct. 6-8, including Saturday’s Drive for the Cure 250 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Xfinity Series race or Sunday’s pivotal Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 showdown. Adult tickets for Saturday’s Drive for the Cure 250 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina start at just $25. Kids 12 and under get in free with an adult. Tickets to the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 start at just $49 for adults. Kids 12 and under get in for just $10 with an adult. For tickets, visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/tickets.
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