A sun-drenched Charlotte Motor Speedway played host to a remarkable Parade of Power on Wednesday, as the speedway kicked off its Fall Season of Speed with a captivated audience. Hundreds of race fans lined the streets to take in the thunderous, smoke-billowing show car parade before enjoying appearances featuring NASCAR stars Kasey Kahne, Daniel Hemric and Dakoda Armstrong as well as NHRA sensation Tanner Gray.

A slew of high-powered show cars - including a NASCAR stock car, a dirt late model, a sprint car, a Legend Car and a monster truck - paraded two miles from Concord Mills down Bruton Smith Boulevard to showcase the diverse assortment of machines coming this fall.

Kahne signed autographs for fans, met with media and spoke about his newest form of driving in traffic.

"To be in the parade, it was interesting," Kahne said. "There were a lot of different types of cars coming across the road. There was a lot of people watching, standing on the side and across the street. It was good."

The 2006 Bank of America 500 winner also discussed his hopes of a second victory in NASCAR's homecoming event.

"Any time we race at Charlotte I know we have a shot to win," Kahne said. "This track being in the Playoffs suits us well."

Fresh off the best finish of his young NASCAR XFINITY Series career, Hemric - a Kannapolis, North Carolina, native - dished on his hopes of winning the Drive for the Cure 300 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina on Oct. 7.

"I'm super excited to race at Charlotte," Hemric said. "This is not only the place where I got my name on the map by winning the Legends Million race, it's also the first place I really led laps at in a NASCAR event. Hopefully I'll have the opportunity to come back and race in the Playoffs at my home track. It's good to be here."

Charlotte Motor Speedway's Fall Season of Speed includes a thrilling lineup of on-track excitement across three extraordinary venues:

  • NHRA Carolina Nationals, Sept. 15-17 at zMAX Dragway
  • Pennzoil AutoFair Presented by Advance Auto Parts, Sept. 21-24
  • Bojangles' Pole Night, Oct. 6
  • Drive for the Cure 300 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, Oct. 7
  • Bank of America 500, Oct. 8
  • Goodguys Southeastern Nationals, Oct. 20-22
  • OneDirt World Short Track Championship, Oct. 26-28 at The Dirt Track
  • World of Outlaws World Finals, Nov. 2-4 at The Dirt Track