Speedway Christmas coming

“Speedway Christmas” at Charlotte Motor Speedway lets visitors dine in the Speedway Club and overlook a holiday light show with more than 3 million lights and an infield Christmas Village (there’s a Santa’s workshop, mini fair rides and a petting zoo) – plus, you can sign up to drive the track. This is the fifth year for the event, and the course has been redesigned; this year, you drive under the concourse behind the front stretch grandstands as part of the 3.1-mile course. Drive-in holiday movies will be shown Friday and Saturday nights.

The driving course opens Nov. 22, and the Christmas Village will be open each Thursday-Sunday until Christmas Day, plus Dec. 22-24, then will open again Dec. 26-28. The light show goes through Dec. 30 (closed Christmas Day). Entrance is $20 per car on nights the Village is open, $15 per car when it’s closed. Visitors can dine at the Speedway Club each day in that timeframe except Christmas, and on Thanksgiving Day, it's serving 400 troops. The speedway is at 5555 Concord Parkway S. in Concord; info at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or 800-455-3267.