CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 6, 2013) – In less than two weeks, the Charlotte AutoFair will return with a space-age Hovercraft, a tribute to the 60th anniversary of the Corvette, BMX stunt shows, “Moonshiners” television stars, a collector car auction and much more for families and car lovers alike to enjoy. Below are some newsworthy items leading into the world’s largest automotive extravaganza coming up Sept. 19-22.
- Calling George Jetson — Check out the Mercier-Jones Hovercraft, where space-age transportation meets the highway. The Hovercraft is an advanced vehicle that can travel over land, water, gravel, sand and pavement. It travels about six inches above the ground on a cushion of air. Inspired by the design influences of Bugatti and Maserati, it features a single gasoline engine that generates electricity for the three independent electric motors of the drive system. There will be an opportunity to test drive the Hovercraft on Tuesday, September 17.
- Barn Find to Blue Ribbon — In honor of the 60th anniversary of the Corvette, the speedway will have a special display of more than 20 Corvettes in the Showcase Pavilion. One car fans will be able to view is a 1954 white Corvette, which is now 98.5 percent correct after going through quite the journey over the last few years. Tommy Loftin’s wife Brenda found a 1954 Corvette in their neighbor’s garage and they started restoring it in 2011. After getting assistance from friends, they began restoring the car and entered it into the National Corvette Restorers Society awards program.
- King BMX Bikers to Perform High-Flying Stunts — Families attending the Charlotte AutoFair can enjoy crowd-pleasing stunts from the famous King BMX bikers at 12 p.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20 and Saturday, Sept 21. The group, based in North Carolina, will perform their jumps on ramps that will surround a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car.
- “Moonshiners” Autograph Session — In conjunction with a special moonshining vehicle display in the Showcase Pavilion during the world’s largest automotive extravaganza, fans can get autographs from Josh and Bill, stars of the hit Discovery Channel show “Moonshiners.” The autograph sessions will take place at the Ole Smoky Moonshine booth, the official moonshine of Charlotte Motor Speedway, located outside the Showcase Pavilion on Friday, Sept. 20 from 2 to 4 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 21 from noon to 1 p.m. and 3 to 4 p.m. Ole Smoky will also have items for sale and they’ll have interactive games for fans, including corn hole and checkers.
- DeLorean Highlights Collector Car Auction — The Dealer Auctions Inc. group will be bringing dozens of collector cars across the auction block on Saturday of the Charlotte AutoFair. One of the most unique cars up for bid is a Ferrari Red 1981 DMC DeLorean with black interior, a make and model that was made famous in the 1980s classic “Back to the Future.” Other cars up for auction include a 1940 Ford Sedan Deluxe, a 1966 Corvette Stingray and a 1971 Dodge Charger RT, among others. The auction will take place on the speedway’s concourse and run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21.
- Dinner with Dale Ledbetter in Speedway Club — On Saturday, Sept. 21, car enthusiasts will have a special opportunity to have dinner and be part of a Q&A session with Dale Ledbetter, a Corvette expert who is the manager of Rick Hendrick’s private car collection. The dinner is $22.95 per person and will last from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. For additional information or to make reservations, call 704-455-3216.
The Charlotte AutoFair annually attracts more than 100,000 visitors, features nearly 50 car club displays and offers a plethora 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. AutoFair tickets are $10 for adults and free for children 13 and under. A four-day pass is available for $30. The AutoFair will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. For more information visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com
To arrange a visit to the Auto Fair or for vehicle photos, contact Deborah Robinson at drobinson@vmg1.com or312.505.4336.