The cars may be the stars when the Charlotte AutoFair returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway this Thursday through Saturday, but they are far from the only attraction bringing fans to the famed 1.5-mile superspeedway. An action-packed lineup of entertainment and fun includes a chainsaw artist, seminars with automotive icons, music, Q&As and more.
A Cut Above: Mountain Mike, one of the world’s preeminent chainsaw artists, will be on hand during the show carving up creative creations and sending sawdust soaring. The Maggie Valley, N.C.-based speed carver has been known to sculpt everything from zombies and dragons to birds and bears, bringing extraordinary, custom statues to life from seemingly ordinary stumps. Fans can watch the award-winning master carver at work throughout the weekend outside of victory lane. At least one of his weekend creations will be auctioned off prior to Saturday’s closing ceremonies to benefit the Charlotte chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities.
The More You Know: Car parts aren’t the only thing fans can find at this year’s Charlotte AutoFair. Car knowledge will also be in rich supply. New for 2022, Charlotte Motor Speedway will partner with some of the biggest names in the automotive industry to provide free, informative seminars for visitors throughout the weekend. Ray Evernham will lead a trio of educational classes designed to provide useful insights and tips from some of the very best in the business. Presentations by Hagerty and Retro Designs/TLC 4x4 are also scheduled. Check out www.CharlotteMotorSpeedway.com for a complete list of times/locations for these unique opportunities.
Now Taking the Stage: Also new to the fall Charlotte AutoFair, organizers will bring a midway stage to the heart of the infield, offering prime opportunities for interviews and Q&As with car lovers, music and more. Automotive builders/fabricators and television personalities David Ankin and Lou Santiago, will be among those to take the stage to share their stories. Cold Hard Art, which famously crafts custom pieces from used auto parts, will create a one-of-a-kind Walt Hollifield Best in Show trophy on-site throughout the weekend, with the magnificent creation going to the overall Charlotte AutoFair Best of Show winner, named during Saturday’s closing ceremonies.
NASCAR Greatness Returns: Former Cup Series driver Ryan Newman, whose nine pole wins at Charlotte Motor Speedway put him second all-time behind only David Pearson as the winningest pole sitter at Charlotte, will be on hand on Friday from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. to sign autographs and greet fans. The meet-and-greet will be held inside the showcase pavilion, where the avid gearhead will have the opportunity to see some of the most unique and creative cars at the show all on display.
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Other show highlights include an 18-cylinder Chevrolet pickup truck, an assortment of movie tie-in vehicles such as vintage cars from Leatherheads and the 1959 Corvette from Animal House, the “Best of the Best” collection, a half-dozen of Oldsmobile’s finest performance machines, and an array of beautiful rides from the Xquisite Car, Truck and Jeep Club.
The Charlotte AutoFair features more than 50 car club displays and more than 10,000 vendor spaces offering an array of automotive parts and memorabilia. More than 1,500 collectible vehicles of all makes and models will be available for sale in the car corral that rings the 1.5-mile superspeedway throughout the three-day show. Hours for the Sept. 8–10 Charlotte AutoFair are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday through Saturday.
TICKETS:
Single-day tickets are $10 on Thursday and $15 on Friday and Saturday for adults. Admission is FREE for children 12 and under with an adult. To buy tickets, AutoFair attendees can shop online at CharlotteMotorSpeedway.com, purchase at the gate, or call 800-455-FANS (3267).
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