Sports
NASCAR is the region's oldest professional sport, as the city embraced stock car racing long before it bacame a national passion.
Many newcomers to the Lake Norman carry other team allegiances. It doesn't take long for Charlotte's home teams to find a place in their hearts also.
Lowe's Motor Speedway, the largest sports facility in teh Southeast, hosts three major races as well as numerous other events throghout the year.
In addition to NASCAR, Charlotte is also home to the Charlotte Bobcats; The Charlotte Sting, an original WNBA team; The Carolina Panthers, The Charlotte Checkers; the Charlotte Knights; and home to two single-A baseball clubs - the Hickory Crawdads (affiliated with the Pittsburg Pirates, and the Kannapolis Intimidators, farm club for the Chicago White Sox.
We also have the Charlotte Eagles, who play in the A-League of the United Soccer Leagues, and the Lady Eagles, who play in the south conference of the United Soccer League.
Outdoor sports enthusiasts will be excited about U.S. National Whitewater Center, a world-class park with controllable rapids that is modeled after the 2000 Olympic site in Australia. The park features rock climbing walls, mountain biking trails and flat water canoeing and kayaking in addition to the rapids. Located on Catawba River.
If you love golf, don't miss the Wachovia Championship in May. Hosted by Quail Hollow Country Club. The tournament's purse is one of the largest on tour, which brings many of the greats to Charlotte.
