The trackalso plans a $20 hat-and-T-shirt souvenir offer

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Marcus Smith, the track’s president and general manager,unveiled plans Tuesday to make all aspects of attending the Bank ofAmerica 500 more affordable.
The plan includes discounted ticket prices, concessions andsouvenirs for the Oct. 11 race. The track also has negotiated analliance with area hotels to remove the traditional three- tofour-night minimum stay.
“We have a fans-first initiative,” Smith says.“This is part of that. We want to be the mostcustomer-friendly entertinment company in the world, and this ispart of that effort. We recognize that gas prices are high, but atthe same time hotel prices have been high.”
Smith discussed the price cuts at a speedway press conference.
The biggest incentive for fans traveling to Charlotte for the racescomes from the hotel package, a joint effort between the speedwayand the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority . Thirty-six hotels within a 30-mile radius of the track haveagreed to cut prices 15 percent and do away with a requiredmulti-night reservation.
Among the participating hotel operators is Sree Hotels. Ravi Patel,Sree chief executive, says the track and other attractions are thelifeblood of the local hospitality industry, “the future ofCharlotte.”
“One of the things fans have told us is that they’renot going to stay three or four nights” for a race, says TimNewman, CEO of the tourism authority. “They just can’tafford that.”
In partnerships with convenience-store chain Circle K andCoca-Cola, the track has created family four packages — fourreserved seats in the Diamond Tower section, four hot dogs and four20-ounce Cokes — for $159. Combined, the offer represents a30 percent savings. Speedway officials plan to sell as many as10,000 seats at that price. The speedway has 167,000 permanentseats. Anyone buying the special ticket packages also receives a12-pack of Coke Zero at Circle K.
Separate offers include new combos at concession stands throughoutthe speedway, with discounts of 10 percent to 25 percent. The trackalso plans a $20 hat-and-T-shirt souvenir offer, discounted from anormal price of $48.