Come prepared! The Coca-Cola 600 is the longest race of the year. Credit: Autostock

Tailgating: Coke 600

This weekend we have the season's longest race: the Coca-Cola 600. Many people think it should be cut to 500 miles, but not me. This race is a test of endurance on the track -- and in the parking lots! Many fans forget to save their "tires" for the long haul.

As always, bring a detailed map so you can have the choice of taking the back roads. There are many that shoot around this Lowe's Motor Speedway. Above all, get there early!

From the East: Take Hwy 64 or 73, then follow Hwy 49 south to Harrisburg. Follow the signs from Harrisburg to the speedway. Turn right on Morehead Road.

NASCAR History: North Carolina and NASCAR dignitaries applaud the unveiling of a North Carolina state historical marker in Charlotte. Credit: AP

From the North/Northeast: From I-85 South, take Exit 58 (Hwy 29 & 601). Take Hwy 29 south to the speedway. Alternately, take Exit 55, then Hwy 73 east to Hwy 29. Or take Exit 52 (Poplar Tent Road). Turn left on Poplar Tent Road and follow the signs to the speedway.

From I-77 South, take Exit 25 to Hwy 73 and follow east to Hwy 29.

From the West/Southwest: Take I-85 north to Exit 42 (Hwy's 29 & 49). Either take Hwy 49 or 29 North to Harrisburg. Follow the signs to the speedway. Or take Exit 48 (I-485). Take I-485 to Hwy 29. Take Hwy 29 north to the speedway.

From the Southeast: Via I-485, take Hwy 49 north to Harrisburg. Left on Morehead Road or Hwy 29 North to speedway. Or take Hwy 601 North to Hwy 29. Take Hwy 29 south to the speedway.

Traffic reports on radio: 540AM or 103.7 FM
Live traffic cams

Your cooler can be no larger than 14 inches on all sides. This includes either hard- or soft-sided coolers. You may bring alcoholic beverages into the speedway in cans only. No glass bottles are allowed. No food or drink is allowed up to speedway Club and Suite levels.

You can also bring seat cushions, backpacks, scanners or tote bags and pretty much what you want. But please be considerate to other fans and only bring what you need up to your seats.

Speedway camping and parking: Lowe's provides free parking at the speedway for your convenience. Check the online maps to find the free parking area closest to your seats and your route home.

LOWE'S MOTOR SPEEDWAY •   Book your last-minute travel plans for Charlotte! •   Buy race tickets •   Track Page •   Official Web site

All camping on Lowe's property is reserved, but during race weeks they operate on a first-come, first-served basis. "Dry" camping is available in Rock City, Peninsula, Coleman and Morehead campgrounds. Campers are provided with shuttles that run to the speedway on event days and they run daily to the shower houses. Camping with hook-ups is available at the Fleetwood RV Resort.

Private grounds: Surrounding the speedway is plenty of private camping (with and without hookups) and parking: along Hudspeth Rd, Moorehead across from the track and many roads that run off Moorehead. There are also some on Highway 29/Concord Parkway outside of Turn 1. Pricing for parking ranges from $10-20 a day depending on how close you park. Camping starts from $45 for the weekend.

NASCAR-Inspired Art exhibit currently at the Hickory Museum of Art through September. It's about one hour from the track and they open at 10am. www.hickorymuseumofart.org for directions and information.

Live Memorabilia Auction, Saturday, May 27 at LMS - The Speedway Children's Charities Live Memorabilia Auction sponsored by NRA Sports will feature items such as sheet metal, replica helmets, crew items, Sam Bass prints and more.

Speed Streets 600 Festival - Three-day event beginning Thurs., May 25. A Coca-Cola 600 tradition from the city of Charlotte and LMS. Free music, goodies, interactive games, tons of driver appearances, bands and more. From Third and Graham streets, up Third to Tryon Street. The Tryon portion of the festival will stretch from Second to Fifth streets.

Eckerd Outlaws Sprint Cars at the LMS Dirt Track, Wed., May 24, 7:30 p.m.

Carrie Underwood will be performing at this year's Coca-Cola 600 pre race show.

Jo Ann Hlavac is the producer of Laidbackracing.com, a fan site devoted to NASCAR tailgating. The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.