Charlotte Motor Speedway is taking bold steps to make the 1,300-acre complex central to the region's entertainment experience. This CBJ special report takes you inside those efforts — from a dramatic remake of the course used for the fall race and a look behind the scenes at the exclusive club on site to sponsorship strategies, economic impact, charitable initiatives and more.
A burst of gasps and “ohhs!” slice through the formality of The Speedway Club’s dining room, bringing a pause to the usual ambient noise of clinking glassware and forks tapping plates.
A caution flag is waving as several cars wreck coming out of a turn, drawing the attention of diners. Charlotte Motor Speedway’s members-only restaurant has one of the best views of the track, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the front stretch. Tables covered in white tablecloths are tiered in the dining room. In one corner, businessmen in suits are seated at their regular table. Across the room, a family of racing enthusiasts watches closely as tow trucks and safety vehicles pull up alongside the wreck.
Interested but unfazed by this distraction is the club’s general manager, George Kail, who is slowly moving through the dining room wearing a blue suit, his eyes scanning every detail. He stops at tables to chat with guests; with his white hair and an unintimidating personality, Kail is everyone’s friend. And he is a key part of what makes the membership club successful.
The Speedway Club opened in 1987 at the behest of Charlotte Motor Speedway founder and executive chairman Bruton Smith, who envisioned a private club overlooking the track. It would have a country club feel but a focus on motorsports. In its opening year, the club sold transferable charter memberships for $5,000. It was the first of its kind, and today, there are about 3,000 members. Kail knows at least three-quarters of those members personally.
Individual membership options include a social membership, which costs $195 a year with a $1,200 initiation fee but does not include race-day access, and the Champions Club membership. The latter has a $2,500 initiation fee and $250 annual fee, and it includes race-day perks such as reservations in the club, pit passes, golf-cart shuttles from the concourse to the infield and exclusive viewing areas.
Of course, there are unspoken perks, as well.
“When people make that kind of investment in a club, they are looking to be treated special,” says Greg Walter, executive vice president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway. “And George understands that.”
Kail became a member himself back in 1995, after moving to Charlotte from Ohio for his job in life insurance — and surprising himself by becoming a NASCAR fan. A coworker brought him to a race, and Kail prepared to experience the stereotype. Instead, he stepped into The Speedway Club.
“I told my wife, ‘There were more Rolexes than Timexes,’” he says.
Many club members join to entertain clients for meetings. Kail and his team ensure they get their regular tables and a special hello, yet still have enough privacy to conduct business. Kail likens it to having a membership at a country club, with a racetrack instead of a golf course. Between driving schools, test drives and shoots for TV commercials, there’s usually action on the track below during dinner service.
Kail discovered NASCAR when a neighbor seeking a life insurance quote asked him to come to their office, which was a racing team’s garage. Kail ended up volunteering to be part of the pit crew as the person who hands the gas can over the wall, a position he took very seriously — so seriously that when he and his wife were expecting their daughter, they had her labor induced so he wouldn’t miss a race in Richmond, Virginia.
There are club members from across the U.S. who come just for race days, like one family from Alaska that always brings Kail a gift from home. Others are regulars and call only when they won’t be coming in on their usual night, such as one local couple that is at the club every Friday night for prime rib and crab legs. Many have a favorite server. Kail’s own son, now 26, was a server while he was in college, and regulars still ask how he’s doing.
Some nights, when the track is quiet, the restaurant will only seat 25 to 55 people. Kail and members of his team also oversee the speedway’s banquet space, which includes multiple private dining rooms and a ballroom that can seat 360 guests. The venue is popular for business meetings and seminars, as well as weddings and rehearsals, thanks to its unique setting. In addition to catering these events, the speedway can organize pace-car rides around the track and buffets in The Speedway Club. Even the busiest days in the banquet space — which can mean feeding up to 500 people — can’t compare to race day.
The restaurant has five full-time chefs. During a race weekend, an additional dozen are brought in to support the influx of guests. They’ll provide food for The Speedway Club’s buffet, a more casual cafe-style dining experience on the banquet floor, and three suites that fit 60 where members can purchase individual seats. On an average race day, Kail estimates Executive Chef Steve Ruffino and his team serve 1,000 meals.
Ruffino’s team also ensures the guests get their pit passes and are shuttled to the infield, manages autograph sessions with retired drivers, and points guests to their seats. After the race, there’s a champagne toast with the winning driver and members of the race team.
Some nights, the club is open to the public, including during the holiday light display, which begins this year on Nov. 22, and during the track’s Bojangles’ Summer Shootout series. It also takes part in the twice-yearly Charlotte Restaurant Week.
To bring in new members, the club has shifted focus to car enthusiasts. Walter, the speedway vice president, says giving an opportunity for those who have a McLaren or Corvette to drive their car on the track is one way they’re bringing in a new demographic, one that may not be as interested in NASCAR.
“There are a lot of people in this market who have cars that are their hobby, but they make a lot of investment in them, and we want to give them a place where they can have fun with it,” he says.
The Charlotte BMW and Corvette clubs, for example, host dinners and board meetings at the club. The restaurant also hosts retired NASCAR drivers, such as Bobby Allison, and celebrities — Loretta Lynn, for example, was in recently for dinner.
“They can be movie stars to business titans to an everyday person that comes, but I find everybody interesting,” Kail says.
Kristen Wile is a writer based in Charlotte, North Carolina. She can be reached at kristen@unpretentiouspalate.com.