Airbnb at speedway aims for ‘extreme experience’

CONCORD, N.C. — Five years ago, Larry Thompson became invested in Charlotte Motor Speedway — literally.

Thompson, a Harrisburg resident, paid $212,500 to purchase a unit at First Turn Condos above the NASCAR race track — a move that ended up sparking his foray into short-term rental properties.

After buying the 1,080-square-foot condo, Thompson’s first order of business was renovating the 1980s-era unit. Thompson said he spent a year and a half — and about $130,000 — to give the condo a modern and industrial look. He gutted the space, replacing carpet with pine floors, opening up the ceilings with exposed steel beams and cedar, expanding the den area and adding brick walls in a nod to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“It’s really an extreme experience I’m trying to create,” he said.

Keep reading and check out photos of the place on CBJ’s website here.