Charlotte’s Got Game
By Kirsten Martin
Charlotte
is a sports-loving city, and when it comes to
nationally acclaimed events, the month of May
tops the charts with three prime sporting
events—the Wachovia Championship, the NASCAR
NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, and the Coca-Cola
600. Showcasing some of the world's best
athletes, the events draw thousands of fans to
the Queen City. And in addition to watching the
excitement of a competitive sports match up,
fans will find a host of related activities and
entertainment options that will keep them busy
from sunup to sundown.
The Wachovia
Championship, an official stop on the PGA Tour
and one of the largest, most prestigious
sporting events in the Charlotte region, returns
to Quail Hollow Country Club April 30-May 6.
With names like Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods, and
Phil Mickelson making an appearance in years
past, the 2007 tournament is expected to be a
sellout event for the fifth year in a row.
Wachovia Corporation, one of the nation's
largest providers of financial services to more
than 13 million household and business
relationships, has been the championship's title
sponsor since its first year.
The tournament's $6.3
million purse, one of the largest on the PGA
Tour, guarantees the winner in excess of $1
million. Last year's winner, Jim Furyk, has
already committed to the 2007 tournament, as has
the 2005 winner, Vijay Singh. Currently, seven
of the top eight players in the world will be
coming to Charlotte, setting the stage for what
could be the strongest field in the Wachovia
Championship's brief history.
In its initial four
years, the Wachovia Championship raised $5.7
million for charity. The majority of the
tournament's proceeds benefit Teach for America,
an educational foundation that helps place
qualified teachers in underserved rural and
urban areas in the effort to eliminate
educational inequity.
In addition to the
tournament, fans can attend Monday and
Wednesday's Pro-Am tournaments. The Pro-Am is a
mixed event where corporate and hospitality
partners are paired with professional golfers.
Although there are no spots available for the
public to play in the tournament, the Pro-Am
events are open to spectators. Fans can also
watch the pros playing in the tourney hit the
tees during the practice rounds held all day on
Tuesday. For only $25, three-day tickets allow
fans to attend both Pro-Ams and the practice
rounds. Aspiring young golfers will want to
attend the youth clinic held on Tuesday. A PGA
tour member, Rocco Mediate, will be conducting
the clinic, which is open to kids under 12 when
accompanied by an adult ticket holder.
Tickets to the Wachovia
Championship can be purchased as single day and
weekly packages at
www.wachoviachampionship.com
or by calling 1-800-945-0777.
Professional golf is
not the only big-time sport coming to Charlotte
in May. With two major NASCAR events this month
and numerous other racing-related events, May
features motorsports mania in the Queen City.
The
fun starts on May 16 with the NASCAR NEXTEL Pit
Crew Challenge at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena
where the nation's favorite over-the-wall
athletes compete in skills competitions. The
finishing order for the NASCAR NEXTEL Pit Crew
Challenge will serve as the pit selection order
for the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge. Show
your NASCAR spirit on May 18 for NASCAR Day,
when NASCAR fans, corporations, schools, and
organizations across the country are encouraged
to donate $5, and all participants will receive
a collectable 2007 NASCAR Day lapel pin for
their donation. Log onto
www.nascar.com/nascarday
to order a pin. Don't miss out on this chance to
support racing!
Head to Lowe's Motor
Speedway on Friday night, May 18, and see the
crews in action at the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star
Challenge Qualifying—the timed trials for
NASCAR's all-star race in which competitors use
three laps to qualify for starting positions.
Stick around after the qualifying for the Quaker
Steak & Lube 200, a race in the NASCAR Craftsman
Truck Series. The NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star
Challenge, which takes place the following
evening on May 19, is a non-points special event
that is divided into three segments, with a
final 20-lap dash for cash. Fans watch the race
under the lights as NEXTEL cup winners challenge
each other for a $1 million prize.
The
2007 All-Star Challenge will afford an exciting
way to experience the event for fans in the
stands. The first device of its kind in any
major sport, NASCAR NEXTEL FanView combines the
race telecast and up to seven in-car camera
channels, direct audio feeds allowing the user
to listen to live driver and team conversations,
and an exclusive audio-replay feature. NASCAR
NEXTEL FanView also taps directly into NASCAR's
timing and scoring system, providing fans with
real-time race data and statistics at the touch
of a button. The device will be available
trackside at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
Coca-Cola 600 week
begins Thursday night, May 24, as the action
returns to the superspeedway for CT
Communications Pole Night, where single-car time
trials will set the starting field for the
Coca-Cola 600. On Friday night, May 25, Lowe's
Motor Speedway will host the Eckard Outlaw
Showdown with the World of Outlaws Sprint cars.
The
CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 NASCAR Busch Series race
is on tap Saturday night, May 26, and more than
a dozen NASCAR NEXTEL Cup stars are expected to
battle the Busch Series regulars in this
300-mile classic.
One of the biggest
racing events in the country and the highlight
of the week is the Coca-Cola 600, which takes
place on Sunday, May 27. The race is the
longest, and some drivers claim, the most
grueling event on the NASCAR circuit.
For more information on all of
these NASCAR events or to purchase tickets, call
1-800-455-FANS or visit
www.lowesmotorspeedway.com.
