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Tuesday, December 10
Park to open in stock-car country
Associated Press
CONCORD, N.C. -- NASCAR expanded its effort to reach out to a younger fan base Tuesday by signing off on an officially licensed SpeedPark to be located in the heart of the stock-car racing community.
NASCAR SpeedPark will be located in the Concord Mills, N.C., mall and be the third licensed park in the chain started by Burroughs & Chapin Co. The park will sit on more than seven acres and feature five indoor and outdoor go-kart tracks, a multilevel adult track, games, miniature golf, laser tag and other amusements.
But it's the racing that is expected to draw crowds -- go-karting is where many of NASCAR's stars began their careers as children, and as adults, its resurfaced as one of the hot fads in the racing community.
"This will continue our quest to market to a younger audience, to bring in events like birthday parties," said NASCAR president Mike Helton. "That's a big deal to us because those are our future fans, our future team members, our future drivers -- all the people who make up NASCAR."
The facility, which joins its sister parks in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Sevierville, Tenn., will help develop the sport, Helton said.
Because auto racing is expensive and difficult to break into, go-karting tracks are the ideal place for young children to get a feel for the sport and test their skills.
"This is going to help launch the energy and enthusiasm that starts when someone holds a steering wheel in their hands and has a motor behind them," Helton said. "We don't have motor sports programs in high schools and colleges, so these kind of places provide a place where they can get a steering wheel in their hands."
Ground was broken on the park Tuesday, and it's expected to open next summer inside Concord Mills, a massive retail and entertainment center that ranks as North Carolina's second-largest tourist attraction.
Concord Mills is located on Speedway Boulevard, just a few miles from Lowe's Motor Speedway and the heart of NASCAR's community.
Tuesday, December 10
Park to open in stock-car country
Associated Press
CONCORD, N.C. -- NASCAR expanded its effort to reach out to a younger fan base Tuesday by signing off on an officially licensed SpeedPark to be located in the heart of the stock-car racing community.
NASCAR SpeedPark will be located in the Concord Mills, N.C., mall and be the third licensed park in the chain started by Burroughs & Chapin Co. The park will sit on more than seven acres and feature five indoor and outdoor go-kart tracks, a multilevel adult track, games, miniature golf, laser tag and other amusements.
But it's the racing that is expected to draw crowds -- go-karting is where many of NASCAR's stars began their careers as children, and as adults, its resurfaced as one of the hot fads in the racing community.
"This will continue our quest to market to a younger audience, to bring in events like birthday parties," said NASCAR president Mike Helton. "That's a big deal to us because those are our future fans, our future team members, our future drivers -- all the people who make up NASCAR."
The facility, which joins its sister parks in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Sevierville, Tenn., will help develop the sport, Helton said.
Because auto racing is expensive and difficult to break into, go-karting tracks are the ideal place for young children to get a feel for the sport and test their skills.
"This is going to help launch the energy and enthusiasm that starts when someone holds a steering wheel in their hands and has a motor behind them," Helton said. "We don't have motor sports programs in high schools and colleges, so these kind of places provide a place where they can get a steering wheel in their hands."
Ground was broken on the park Tuesday, and it's expected to open next summer inside Concord Mills, a massive retail and entertainment center that ranks as North Carolina's second-largest tourist attraction.
Concord Mills is located on Speedway Boulevard, just a few miles from Lowe's Motor Speedway and the heart of NASCAR's community.
