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View Full Version : NASCAR Nextel AllStar Challenge 5/20/06 @ Lowe's Motor Speedway



pache100
05-19-2006, 11:01 AM
Qualifying is at 7 PM tonight.

The Track:

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Lowe's Motor Speedway
Race promoter/car dealer Burton Smith and driver Curtis Turner formed a partnership to build a 1.5-mile oval north of Charlotte in 1959.

On June 19, 1960, the first World 600 was run at the new facility. A year later, like many superspeedways of the era, the track fell into Chapter 11 reorganization from which it eventually emerged despite lagging ticket sales.

Smith left in 1962 to pursue other business interests but returned in 1975 as majority stockholder and regained control of the day-to-day operations, hiring Humpy Wheeler as general manager.

Lowe's Motor Speedway has the distinction of being the first sports facility in America to offer year-round condominiums overlooking the speedway in 1984.

Eight years later, Smith and Wheeler added a $1.7 million permanent reflective lighting system, making Lowe's the first modern superspeedway to host night racing. The revolutionary lighting process uses mirrors to simulate daylight without glare, shadows or obtrusive light poles.

Three NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series events, two NASCAR Busch Series races and a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event are among the major events held on the 1.5-mile superspeedway. The Richard Petty Driving Experience and the Fast Track High Performance Driving School and the also use the track extensively throughout the year.

Other events on the various tracks include a weekly, nationally televised short-track series for Legends Cars, Bandoleros and Thunder Roadsters; World Karting Association regional, national and international races.

In May 2000, a state-of-the-art four-tenths-mile clay oval The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedwayıwas completed across Highway 29 from the speedway. The stadium-style facility has nearly 15,000 seats and plays host to the Dirt Late Model, Modifieds, Sprint Cars, Monster Truck and more.

Corporations such as Lowe's Home Improvement, Coca-Cola, Miller Brewing, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and DuPont have rented the speedway to film television commercials or to entertain employees and clients with food, music and race car rides.

Motion pictures such as "Days of Thunder," "Speedway" and "Stroker Ace" and even music videos like Tracy Lawrence's "If the Good Die Young" have been filmed at the speedway. Adding to rental dates are race team testing and automobile manufacturer research.

Lowe's Motor Speedway also annually presents two of the nation's largest car shows and swap meetsıthe Food Lion AutoFairs in April and September. With track rentals and track events, the speedway is used more than 300 days per year.

http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/lms/index.html

By the Numbers:

Nextel Cup 600-Mile Race Record
Bobby Labonte 151.952 05|28|95

Nextel Cup 500-Mile Race Record
Jeff Gordon 160.306 10|10|99

Busch Race Record
Mark Martin 155.996 05|25|96

Truck Race Record
Ted Musgrave 114.768 05|16|03

Nextel Cup Qualifying Record
Elliott Sadler 193.216 2005

Busch Qualifying Record
Jimmie Johnson 187.735 2005

Truck Qualifying Record
Mike Skinner 183.051 2005

2005 Race Results

Nextel Cup Series
2005 Coca-Cola 600
05|29|05 Jimmie Johnson

2005 UAW-GM Quality 500
10|15|05 Jimmie Johnson


Busch Series
2005 Carquest Auto Parts 300
05|28|05 Kyle Busch

2005 Dollar General 300
10|14|05 Ryan Newman


Craftsman Truck Series
2005 Quaker Steak & Lube 200 presented by Click It or Ticket
05|20|05 Kyle Busch