On February 21st, thunder will once again roll down the front stretch of NASCAR’s most prestigious track, the Daytona International Speedway. The difference this year is that it will be echoing through the 400 million dollar newly renovated raceway.
The Daytona Rising project was started over two and a half years ago, and will be finished for the opening race of NASCAR’s Sprint Cup season. Race goers at the Daytona 500 will be able to take advantage of many new amenities the race track will offer.
Daytona Speedway is open almost 250 days a year. It hosts events for race cars, motorcycles, and even go-karts. Thanks to the infield lake, even an occasional power-boat competition is held. The largest spectator and televised event this venue has to offer is the Daytona 500.
Filling the nearly 147,000 seats, some of which are the original metal folding seats from 1959, was becoming difficult. There was also a seven-story trek to reach the nose-bleed seats, where you get the best view of the two and a half mile oval. The men’s bathrooms had trough-style urinals, and without any protection from the near daily coastal rain showers. Daytona felt less like a major motor sports arena and more like an enormous high school football venue.
The ideas behind the Daytona Rising upgrades, focused on taking a concrete pit and turn it into a racing stadium, equipped with all the amenities of NFL and MLB facilities. People just don’t want to go to sporting events anymore but social events that involve the sports they love.
Let’s take a closer look at just what 40 million tons of steel, miles of updated fiber and an eye towards the future can do for the aging behemoth of a track-one that can swallow fourteen football stadiums whole.
Renovations:
When the upgrades to the grandstands along the mile long front-stretch are completely finished, racing fans will be in awe. Sixteen new elevators, twice as many restrooms, fast paced escalators, and five dozen modernized luxury suites will be at their disposal.
Racing enthusiasts will see the new towering grandstands in Turn 1 and 4. 101,500 widened seats will be available with backing, opening a bird’s-eye view of the two and a half mile oval and the road course that snakes throughout the inside of the track. These sections will also include new escalators, elevators and wider concourses for easier access.
Football sized social areas called “neighborhoods” throughout the concourses were created with updated technology. Spectators will be able to view the race on big screen televisions. There will be WI-FI-equipped areas to socialize and get out of the sun while out and about. Five new entrances called “injectors” were designed to guide racing fans to the three new concourse levels. Each level is equipped with three times as many concession stands.
The new tower that rises over the start-finish line which displays the drivers positions, laps, and cautions will be constructed using a giant crane. Over thirty trucks will be used to bring the giant crane in piece by piece.
Eventually the improvements will go further than the actual speedway itself. The Daytona International Speedway Corp and Jacoby Development have joined together to construct ONE DAYTON. The entertainment facility will total 181 acres and cost 1.2 billion dollars. It will be a mixed recreational venue that will have retail centers, and dining facilities available right across from the upgraded speedway.
Future Outlook:
The vision of upgrading to a more modern facility has its risks. The racing world has hit some speed bumps financially, with flat television ratings and lower attendance. NASCAR does not release attendance numbers for their races but the evidence is obvious: More and more empty seats. Because of this increasing trend, 45,000 seats were removed from the tracks back-stretch.
Daytona Rising could bring a huge shift in the live racing experience. Much still remains to be seen. Will the speedway be able to deliver on its striking vision for fan interaction? Will the enticing experience be enough for the fans to opt in? Will an updated new stadium do its part in attracting the fans that don’t already come to the track to watch their favorite driver race?
Daytona International Speedway was built by Bill France Sr. as a permanent home for the racing that was occurring on the beach not far from the track. NASCAR and it’s fans have came a long way since then. If the renovations do boost the interest of track goers, expect venues like Talladega Super Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway to follow suit. One thing is absolutely more clear than ever, NASCAR has no intentions of slowing down now.
