NASCAR Sprint Media Tour Dates
The annual NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway will take place Jan. 23-26, 2012. A credential advisory and additional information will be available in the coming weeks.
Holiday Light Show Returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway
The second annual Carolina Christmas holiday light show and display will return to Charlotte Motor Speedway Nov. 23 through Dec. 31.
Carolina Christmas is one of the largest drive-through holiday light shows in the United States, featuring LED displays, a Bethlehem-themed village, a Festival of Trees, photos with Santa and areas with food and music. Carolina Christmas will be bigger and better in 2011, with a drive-through route extended to nearly five miles, nearly double the length of the 2010 route. Families will enter the light park at zMAX Dragway, pass by The Dirt Track at Charlotte and proceed through the tunnel into Charlotte Motor Speedway where a drive on the 1.5-mile tri-oval is part of the holiday fun.
The event will feature more than 600 individual light displays featuring three million lights. Carolina Christmas will be open nightly, except for Dec. 25.
“We have seen some spectacular events under the lights at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but Carolina Christmas creates a spectacle that people have never seen before,” said Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway. “This is a fun and affordable holiday destination for families.”
For more information on Carolina Christmas, call Charlotte Motor Speedway at 1-800-455-FANS (3267) or visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.
Big Screen HDTV Production Takes Big Crew
When Charlotte Motor Speedway and Panasonic announced that the world’s largest high-definition television would become the track’s latest upgrade, the two entities embarked on a journey that has revolutionized the fan experience at major sporting events.
After a four-month construction program that consumed more than 11,000 man hours involving 57 men and women and 13 companies, the world’s largest HDTV came to life.
The heart of the HDTV race-week operation is the production room located next to the speedway’s press box. It is small, with only 305 square feet of room, but big things come from that little room. It features televisions, computers, video recorders and mixers, transmitters and receivers – all working together to bring the fans the best experience possible. During a typical race weekend, the HDTV production crew consists of approximately 23 people, most of which are freelance or contract employees. Fourteen of those are stationed in the production room or a nearby audio room. Nine additional people roam the grounds of the speedway with three wireless cameras, filming specifically for the HDTV. Each camera team, consisting of three people, stay in constant communication with the production room.
There are 14 different video feeds from which the production crew can choose to feed to the HDTV. These also include the network feeds – such as ESPN and SPEED – and also the in-car feeds. The producer makes the final call on which images will be displayed.
Much of the graphics work begins months in advance of race week in order to produce features such as the 50 Greatest Moments at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Through the camera, race fans are treated to everything from driver interviews, to on-track action, and the ever popular Fan Cam.
“This giant Panasonic HDTV is a game changer for our fans on race day,” said Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway. “It gives them a whole new way to experience a NASCAR event at our track.”
Harvick Could Join Elite Company With Bank of America 500 Victory
If Kevin Harvick wins tonight’s Bank of America 500, he could put himself in some very elite company. Only eight drivers can claim to have scored wins at all three of Charlotte’s annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. They include Davey Allison, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace and Darrell Waltrip.
Harvick is looking for that third win tonight. He earned his first Charlotte Motor Speedway NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win in 2007 by winning the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and he also won the Coca-Cola 600 Sprint Cup Series race in May of this year.
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