Charlotte Motor Speedway Fan Guide: Cooler Policy, Bag Policy and What to Bring (2026)
Part of the Happy Hour Racing Track Fan Guides, our series on what you can actually carry through the gate at every NASCAR Cup Series track.
Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina is one of the more generous venues on the schedule when it comes to what you can carry in. You get a soft cooler and a bag, so you can pack your own food and drinks instead of buying everything inside. The catch is a handful of specific rules that catch first-timers out every year, including a bag-size number worth reading twice.
The Short Version
- Cooler: one soft-sided cooler, no bigger than 14x14x14 inches. Hard coolers do not get through the gate.
- Bag: the track lists a bag or backpack up to 18x18x14 inches in its cooler and bag policy, but its prohibited-items list says all bags must be no larger than 14x14x14. Pack to 14x14x14 and you are safe either way.
- Food and drink: bring your own in the cooler. No glass containers of any kind.
- Leave at home: umbrellas, hard coolers, glass, stadium seats with armrests, and anything loud like horns or whistles.
Charlotte Motor Speedway Cooler Policy
The official rule is short and easy to remember. Fans can bring in a soft-sided cooler no bigger than 14x14x14 inches. Hard coolers are not allowed through the gates, so the rolling wheeled cooler that lives in your garage stays in the truck.
That 14-inch cube is roomier than it sounds. A soft cooler that size holds a case of cans on ice plus sandwiches for two, and it collapses once it is empty.
One detail that trips people up in the premium seats: coolers are not allowed in the VIP Suites, or in the 300 level, 500 level and 600 level. If your ticket is in one of those areas, plan on buying inside.
Charlotte Motor Speedway Bag Policy
This is the one to read carefully, because the track publishes two different numbers on its own site. The Cooler and Bag Policy says you can bring a bag or backpack no bigger than 18x18x14 inches. The Prohibited Items list on the same site says all bags must be no larger than 14x14x14 inches.
Charlotte does not run a clear-bag rule the way some stadiums do, so the size is the only thing being measured. Our advice is simple: build your day around a bag that fits inside 14x14x14 and you will clear the gate under either version of the rule. If you are counting on the larger 18x18x14 allowance, call Guest Services at 800-455-FANS (3267) before you leave home and get it confirmed for your event, because the track notes that certain events may have different rules.
Prohibited Items at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Straight from the track's official prohibited-items list:
- Bags larger than 14x14x14 inches
- Umbrellas of any kind in the grandstands, suites or The Speedway Club
- Glass containers
- Hard-sided coolers
- Pets, except service animals
- Weapons, including firearms, knives and impact weapons
- Skateboards, roller skates and scooters
- Bicycles, mopeds and similar
- Beach balls, balloons and similar
- Signs and banners
- Horns, whistles and other loud items
- Stadium seats with arm rests
- Any multi-passenger vehicle, motorized or self-propelled, inside the spectator gates
Prohibited items have to go back to your vehicle or be thrown away, so do your bag check in the parking lot rather than at the gate. Staff can also turn away anything they judge to be a safety hazard.
Charlotte has a separate written policy on flags and signs. Confederate flags, including signs and banners containing them, are not allowed anywhere on the property. Anything you do display must be small enough for one person to hold, no larger than 36 by 60 inches, not attached to poles or sticks in the grandstands, and not blocking anyone's view.
What You Can Bring In
The soft cooler is the whole point here. Pack your own food and drinks, keep everything out of glass, and you will spend a lot less than the family beside you. Concessions inside run nachos, burgers and hot dogs, plus independent vendors doing pizza and barbecue.
Strollers are allowed inside the gates but not in the grandstands, so park one at the base of your section. Seat cushions are fine on the aluminum benches: the rule bans stadium seats with arm rests, not cushions. Service animals are welcome. Scanner rentals from Racing Electronics have to be purchased in advance online, with no walk-ups on race day.
Smoking, including e-cigarettes, is not allowed in the grandstand seats, terrace boxes, kids' play zones, bathhouses or restrooms. It is allowed in the open-air campgrounds, parking lots, and hospitality and souvenir areas.
The Layout, the Grandstands and Where to Sit
Charlotte is a 1.5-mile oval, with the infield road course loops that form the Roval configuration. The 2026 playoff race here, the Bank of America 400 on Sunday, October 11, runs on the oval at 267 laps and 400.5 miles, with a Tyler Hubbard pre-race concert. That is a change of scenery for fans who have spent the last several Octobers watching the Roval.
Remember the cooler restriction on the 300, 500 and 600 levels and in the VIP Suites when you pick a seat, because it changes how you pack. Accessible seating is on the 400 Level, and reserved handicap parking sits across from Gate 7. Unreserved handicap parking is off Bruton Smith Boulevard at Entrance T. ADA golf cart pickups run from the information booths at Gate 3, Gate 4, Gate 7 and VIP/Green Parking on race days, from when gates open until roughly an hour after the race.
Getting There and Race-Day Tips
Parking surrounds the entire speedway, and general parking fees vary by day. The traffic is the part worth planning. I-85 to Exit 49, Bruton Smith Boulevard, is usually the most congested road on event days, and the track points fans toward Highway 29 from the north or south, or Highway 49 to Morehead Road, as the better alternatives. WSOC-FM 103.7 carries traffic updates.
Get there early. Tickets are digital download-only, so have yours pulled up before you are in line with no signal. The Fan Zone sits outside Turn 1 near the main entrance. A Pre-Race Track Pass, picked up at any ticket booth or the main ticket office in Smith Tower, gets you driver introductions, the pre-race concert and a chance to sign the start/finish line, ending about 15 minutes before the green flag.
Camping on speedway property is all reserved, though race weeks run first-come, first-served within each area. Every area has 24-hour security and a shower house or shuttles. Premium spots sell out first, so book early.
Fan Tips
Pack more water than you think you need, especially for the 600 in May when you sit through afternoon heat and a cool night finish, and bring a light layer for the same reason. Bring your own ear protection, because the cheap foam plugs run out at the stands. Photograph your parking row before you walk in. And since umbrellas are banned in the grandstands, a poncho is the only rain plan that works here.
Save the numbers: Guest Services and tickets at 800-455-FANS (3267), and 704-455-3220 for on-site help during the event. Lost and found is on the second floor of Smith Tower.
Common questions about Charlotte Motor Speedway
What size cooler can you bring to Charlotte Motor Speedway?
One soft-sided cooler no bigger than 14x14x14 inches. Coolers are not permitted in the VIP Suites or in the 300, 500 and 600 levels.
Are hard coolers allowed at Charlotte Motor Speedway?
No. Hard coolers are not allowed through the gates. Only soft-sided coolers within the size limit are permitted.
What is the bag policy at Charlotte Motor Speedway?
There is no clear-bag rule, only a size limit. The track's cooler and bag policy lists a bag or backpack up to 18x18x14 inches, while its prohibited-items list states all bags must be no larger than 14x14x14 inches. Pack to 14x14x14 to be safe, or call 800-455-FANS to confirm for your event.
Can you bring food and drinks into Charlotte Motor Speedway?
Yes, in your soft-sided cooler within the size limit. No glass containers of any kind are permitted.
Are umbrellas allowed at Charlotte Motor Speedway?
No. Umbrellas of any kind are prohibited in the grandstands, the suites and The Speedway Club. Bring a poncho instead.
Are chairs or seat cushions allowed at Charlotte Motor Speedway?
Seat cushions are fine. The prohibited-items list specifically bans stadium seats with arm rests, so leave that style of chair at home.
Are strollers allowed at Charlotte Motor Speedway?
Strollers are allowed inside the gates but are not allowed in the grandstands.
What items are prohibited at Charlotte Motor Speedway?
Hard coolers, bags over the size limit, umbrellas, glass containers, weapons, pets other than service animals, skateboards and scooters, bicycles and mopeds, beach balls and balloons, signs and banners, horns and whistles, and stadium seats with arm rests.
The Bottom Line
Charlotte gives you a soft 14x14x14 cooler and a bag, and that is the difference between a cheap race day and an expensive one. Pack your own food and drinks, keep it out of glass, keep your bag inside 14x14x14 so the two published numbers cannot bite you, and leave the umbrella and the hard cooler in the truck.
Policies change season to season and certain events carry their own rules, so confirm before you travel. Read the current rules on the official Charlotte Motor Speedway track policies page and the track FAQ, or call Guest Services at 800-455-FANS (3267).
Charlotte Gear
Daniel Suarez won the 2026 Coca-Cola 600 here in May, a rain-shortened run to his third career Cup win. If you are heading back for the Bank of America 400 in October, here is the Charlotte gear we have in stock:
- Daniel Suarez #7 NASCAR 2026 Charlotte 600 Winner T-Shirt
- Shane Van Gisbergen #88 NASCAR 2025 Charlotte Roval Winner T-Shirt
- Chase Elliott #17 NASCAR Xfinity 2024 Charlotte Winner T-Shirt
- Brad Keselowski #6 NASCAR 2024 Charlotte 600 Race Car T-Shirt
- Chase Elliott #9 NASCAR 2024 NAPA Charlotte 600 Patriotic Flag T-Shirt
Want the winner's shirt after every race without thinking about it? Join the win-shirt subscription fan club, or browse everything new in the store.
