Tailgating: Charlotte

Charlotte, N.C., is NASCAR's hometown, so you can bet there's plenty to do around town on a race weekend!

Here's what you need to know before you head out to the races:

Getting there

From Charlotte: Take I-85 North to Exit 46A (Mallard Creek Church Road). Go right on Mallard Creek Church Road, then left at North Tryon Road (Hwy. 29 north) or Hwy. 29 North to Morehead Road or I-85 to Exit 49 -- Speedway Boulevard / Concord Mills

From the north:Take I-85 South to Exit 48 (I-485 / Rock Hill), Exit 32 and turn left onto Hwy. 29 North / Tryon or I-85 to Exit 49 -- Speedway Boulevard / Concord Mills or I-85 South to Exit 52 (Poplar Tent Road). Make a left onto Poplar Tent Road, then right onto Hwy. 29 South / Concord Boulevard.

From the south: Take I-77 North to Exit 1 (I-485 East), I-485 to Exit 32. Make a right on Hwy. 29 North / Tryon or I-77 North to Exit 1 (I-485 East), I-485 to Exit 33. Then turn left onto Hwy. 49 North / University City Boulevard and left onto Morehead Road.

Traffic tips

• Exit 49 (Speedway Boulevard) off I-85 is usually the most congested on event days. Good alternates are Hwy. 29 from both the north and the south and Hwy. 49 to Morehead Road.

• The North Carolina DOT will have traffic patterns in place for incoming and outgoing traffic. Please follow their directions. Sometimes you'll have to "turn right to go left." All traffic patterns will eventually lead you back to I-85, I-77 and other major highways. Use maps to make yourself familiar with local roads and alternate routes.

Parking and camping

Speedway camping and parking: Lowe's provides free parking at the speedway for your convenience. "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 hookups is available at the Fleetwood RV Resort.

Private grounds: There are private camping areas surrounding the speedway, along Hudspeth Road and Moorehead and many roads that run off Moorehead. There are also some on Highway 29 / Concord Parkway outside of Turn 1. Prices for parking range from $10-20. Camping starts from $45 for the weekend.

What to bring

Fans may bring to Lowe's Motor Speedway:

• A cooler no larger than 14 inches on all sides. This includes either hard- or soft-sided coolers.

• Seat cushions, backpacks, scanners or tote bags and pretty much what you want. But bring only what you need up to your seats.

• Alcoholic beverages in cans only. No glass bottles are allowed. No food or drink is allowed up to speedway Club and Suite levels.