Four dated events put extra cars on Charlotte roads this fall: NASCAR race weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, six Carolina Panthers home games, a federal contracting conference at the convention center, and the Charlotte Auto Show. This guide lists only dates and venues confirmed on each organizer's own site on 2 October 2026, then explains how to plan airport arrivals, Uptown hotel pickups and venue drop-offs around them. Schedules can change, so check the organizer's page close to your date.
Event calendar at a glance
| Dates | Event | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Fri Oct 9 to Sun Oct 11 | NASCAR weekend, ending with the Bank of America 400 (Cup race Sunday, 3:00 PM) | Charlotte Motor Speedway, 5555 Concord Pkwy S, Concord |
| Sun Oct 4, 8:20 PM | Panthers vs. Detroit (Sunday Night Football) | Bank of America Stadium, Uptown |
| Sun Oct 25, 1:00 PM | Panthers vs. Tampa Bay | Bank of America Stadium |
| Sun Nov 8, 1:00 PM | Panthers vs. Denver | Bank of America Stadium |
| Nov 4 to Nov 6 | SAME Federal Small Business Conference | Charlotte Convention Center, 501 S College St |
| Thu Nov 19 to Sun Nov 22 | Charlotte Auto Show | Charlotte Convention Center |
| Sun Nov 22, 1:00 PM | Panthers vs. Baltimore | Bank of America Stadium |
| Sun Dec 13, 1:00 PM | Panthers vs. New Orleans | Bank of America Stadium |
| Sun Dec 20, 1:00 PM | Panthers vs. Cincinnati | Bank of America Stadium |
One overlap to plan for: the Ravens game on November 22 falls on the last day of the Auto Show, so Sunday hotel and convention curbs in Uptown will be busy at the same time as stadium arrivals.
Bank of America 400 weekend, Concord
This year the fall Cup race is the Bank of America 400 on the speedway's 1.5-mile oval, not the road-course layout used in earlier fall races. The speedway lists Truck Series action on Friday, October 9, an O'Reilly Series race on Saturday, and the Cup race at 3:00 PM on Sunday, October 11.
Sunday's published schedule: parking lots open at 8:00 AM, suites and gates open at 12:00 PM, the Tyler Hubbard pre-race concert runs 1:00 to 2:00 PM, Cup driver introductions are at 2:35 PM and the green flag is at 3:00 PM. The speedway marks all times subject to change.
For directions, the speedway says to take Exit 49 off I-85 onto Bruton Smith Boulevard; the track sits about a mile along at the intersection with US 29. Premium reserved lots are entered from Bruton Smith Boulevard (entrances S or T), and the speedway publishes lot-by-lot parking maps and an outbound traffic map. If you are being driven, send dispatch your lot or gate, since the entrance that suits a suite ticket differs from one for general admission. Plan more time leaving than arriving: the whole crowd departs after the finish, and a normal Concord trip will take noticeably longer.
Flying into Concord-Padgett instead of CLT? See Concord-Padgett car service for terminal versus FBO pickups.
Panthers home games at Bank of America Stadium
The Panthers' own site names the venue Bank of America Stadium, and that is the name used here. Six regular-season home games fall between October and December (listed above); the January 3 Seattle game and the Week 18 home finale come after this guide's window.
The Panthers' traffic and parking page says there are more than 30,000 parking spaces within a 10 to 15 minute walk of the stadium, lists rideshare pickup and drop-off and ADA drop-off zones, and notes that traffic and parking patterns around the stadium have changed. Read that page before game day; it is the source for current closures. Because the exact curb a chauffeur can use depends on the event-day traffic plan, give dispatch your gate or seat section and we confirm the drop-off and the pickup point in writing before the trip.
Practical choices for game days: ask for the pickup time to be set after the final whistle plus a walk to the agreed meeting point, not at a fixed clock time. For the Sunday-night Lions game on October 4, the kickoff is 8:20 PM, so a late exit also means a late return drive; book a return if you are heading to SouthPark, Ballantyne or Lake Norman.
Convention center weeks: SAME conference and Auto Show
The SAME Federal Small Business Conference runs November 4 to 6 at the Charlotte Convention Center, 501 S College St, according to SAME. The Charlotte Auto Show runs November 19 to 22 at the same address, according to the show's site. Attendees fly in through CLT and sleep in Uptown, so these weeks are mostly about airport arrivals and short hotel-to-venue legs.
For hotel pickups, give the hotel name and the entrance you will wait at, plus the venue entrance for drop-off. College Street is the address on both events' sites; the guide on CLT airport shuttle options explains how the transit center, Spectrum Center and the convention center differ if you plan to walk any of it.
CLT airport transfers for event travelers
CLT says limousine, sedan and shuttle or van services are available only by pre-arrangement between passenger and provider, and that the curb is for immediate pick-ups and drop-offs only; unattended vehicles may be towed. In practice that means a reserved car is matched to your flight, so put the airline and flight number on the booking. Follow the meeting point on your confirmation, which carries the vehicle description and chauffeur contact. See CLT car service for curbside and meet-and-greet options.
A one-way ride from CLT to Uptown, the stadium area or Concord is quoted from your flight, destination entrance, vehicle and date.
Hourly for event days
If you want one car for the whole day, book hourly: pick up at the hotel, wait at the venue, and bring you back. Hourly suits convention days with several stops and game nights when you want the car held nearby. A Sprinter van carries up to 12 passengers and 12 bags as a planning figure, which works for a delegation or a tailgate group; confirm configuration when you book.
Rates for event days
| Vehicle | Hourly (3-hour minimum) | One-way transfer |
|---|---|---|
| Sedan | $120 per hour | From $130 |
| SUV | $150 per hour | From $160 |
| Mercedes S-Class | $230 per hour | Written quote |
| Sprinter van | $240 per hour | Written quote |
Hourly rates carry a three-hour minimum; one-way transfers do not. Quoted prices include chauffeur gratuity and applicable service and card fees, and the written quote confirms the final price, which can vary with the vehicle, date, tolls and availability. Race weekends and sold-out game days book early, so request your quote as soon as your dates are set. See rates for how estimates work.
How to book
Use the reservation form or call (980) 998-9189 with the date, flight, pickup and destination entrances, passengers and bags. An inquiry is not a confirmed booking until you receive the written quote and confirmation. For other game-day and venue trips, see sports and entertainment transport and convention center shuttles.
Sources checked 2 October 2026: Charlotte Motor Speedway Bank of America 400 schedule, parking and FAQ; Panthers 2026 schedule and traffic and parking; SAME Federal Small Business Conference; Charlotte Auto Show; CLT limo and shuttle services and pick up and drop off. Verify times and closures with those pages before you travel.