Stunts, Legends Racing and More Add to Action-Packed Race Weeks

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In just a couple of weeks, NASCAR’s best will take to the high banks of Charlotte Motor Speedway for the most intense back-to-back race weekends of the season. Adding to the excitement in 2013, fans will be treated to a bevy of additional entertainment, from death-defying pre-race stunts to grassroots racing on the frontstretch quarter-mile and a firefighting skills competition.

“While NASCAR is at the heart of the 10 greatest days in racing, it is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to family-friendly activities and entertainment that takes place here at Charlotte Motor Speedway,” said Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway. “We have always prided ourselves in providing affordable entertainment for fans, and this year we’ve really stepped it up with more fun than ever before.”

A few highlights of the added entertainment fans will enjoy this year include:

High-Flying Stuntmen Take to the Skies to Delight Crowds

The off-track excitement kicks off before the start of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 18, when fan-favorite stuntman Spanky Spangler and his son, Brian, will simultaneously perform a two-car jump, crossing paths in mid-air before crashing into a pile of cars.

For thrill-seeking fans, the Spangler stunt is just the beginning. On Friday, May 24, during the Circle K NOS Energy Outlaw Showdown at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, fans will witness two more high-flying stunts. Dr. Danger (aka Gregory Carpenter) will kick off the show by jumping cars into a 10-car pyramid before Mr. Dizzy (aka Mike Buse) attempts an aerial corkscrew in a limousine.

All three stunts will be documented by crews from the HISTORY Channel for an upcoming episode of “American Daredevils.”

First-Ever Legends All-Star Event Boasts Season’s Largest $10,000 Total Purse

Grassroots racers with take to the frontstretch quarter-mile oval in a new event following Coca-Cola 600 qualifying on LiftMaster Pole Night. Charlotte Motor Speedway is partnering with U.S. Legend Cars International for the first ever Legends All-Star event.

The field is open to competitors of all Legend Car divisions. The top 20 speeds in qualifying on Tuesday, May 21 will automatically be locked into the field for Thursday’s race. Prior to the main race Thursday, May 23, the next 30 fastest cars in qualifying will compete in a hooligan race, with the top 10 finishers advancing to the Legends All-Star main event.

Following NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600, the 30-car Legends All-Star field will bump and bang in a 40-lap finale with the largest purse of the Legends Car season on the line. In addition to taking home the $2,500 top prize, the winner and highest finishers from each Legends Car division will be introduced during Coca-Cola 600 pre-race on May 26.

Firefighter Combat Challenge Sets Sites on Charlotte Motor Speedway

Charlotte Motor Speedway will also host the LiftMaster Firefighter Combat Challenge during the Coca-Cola 600 weekend with two days of competition scheduled for Saturday and Sunday May 24-25.

Fans can watch as firefighters, wearing full gear and competing in a race as they simulate the physical demands of real-life firefighting, perform a five-story tower climb, drag hoses and perform a simulated rescue of a life-sized, 175-pound “victim” in a series of timed exercises.

Kids can get in on the fun as well, taking part in a scaled-down verison of the challenge.

The Firefighter Combat Challenge attracts hundreds of U.S. and Canadian municipal fire departments at more than 25 locations annually and is now expanding to countries around the world.

CMS PR

Speedway Digest Staff
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