My in-laws live about two miles as the crow flies from the speedway, and my brother and his family live in Cornelius, so I know the area fairly well. Traffic has improved since the construction of Speedway Boulevard, but my in-laws still do their best to stay home on race weekends.
Having said that, Concord is pretty nice, but getting pricier. Parts of Kannapolis get rough, so be careful there.
I did notice that prices for homes dropped a great deal from my property in TN. I do need to be careful. The last thing I want is my weapons firing upon an invasion on my home.