Daytona International Speedway track president Joie Chitwood III doesn’t like to call the "Daytona Rising" project a mere renovation. Autoweek may earn money from the links on this page. Accelerating an icon. Daytona Beach, FL United States 2014 2015. These updates aren’t necessarily aimed at teaching and old dog new tricks, but polishing your silverware. There were three previous renovations: in 2004, when the infield received a major makeover, and in 1978 and 2010, when the oval was repaved. We’re not going anywhere. Chitwood believes the investment being made in the Speedway and One Daytona is significant because it shows just how much the France family (Bill France Sr. founded NASCAR in 1948) believes in Daytona Beach, so much so that it is willing to reinvest in the community to the tune of more than a half-billion dollars. Subscribe to SpaceCoast Business, Your email address will not be published. Now, capacity is going to be less than 105,000—not including space on the infield, of course—with 101,500 of those being new seats with backs and armrests. Built in Wisconsin and trucked to Florida, each letter is 13.5 feet tall. The big three: Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World and the hundreds of ancillary attractions. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Five major “fan injector” areas—that’s fancy talk for entrances—on multiple levels. She’s pointing her camera phone at the enormous sign—it looks like this: DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY, and the occasion is the first lighting of the sign. Additional Impact Then, on Jan. 22, 2013, the track announced Daytona Rising, showing artist depictions of a much-renovated speedway. “It’s a huge impact,” Daytona Beach Redevelopment Director Reed Berger said. Five expanded and redesigned entrances, or “injectors,” will lead fans to a series of escalators and elevators, transporting them to three different concourse levels. The track is holding on to the center, smaller one as sort of a welcome-to-Florida site. But there’s one statistic that so far seems to resonate with fans more than any other. Daytona International Speedway offers its fans free internet access, but only on the various levels of the concourse inside or beneath the grandstand, such as concession-stand areas. There are a few reasons why this might happen: After completing the CAPTCHA below, you will immediately regain access to the site. That's the most you'll have to climb for any seat.”. As you were browsing, something about your browser It did not hurt that all three people on the board with France in their name all still have their primary residences here in the same part of the country where, in 1934, Big Bill’s car broke down and he thought this was as good as anyplace to build a gas station—and then some. There is no connectivity in the main grandstand. If you want to sit on the very top row for the next Daytona 500—that’s row 40, $210-$230 per seat, and we could only find a handful still available—you can see everything that happens, including takeoffs and landings at Daytona Beach International Airport (largely hidden since the late 1980s by the now-gone Superstretch grandstands) and maybe even parasailing on the Atlantic Ocean beach. “It is imperative that we build upon my grandfather’s vision to create a world-class facility with premium amenities to provide unparalleled experiences for our guests and partners. Reduced: $29.99 Regular: $49.99 You Save: $20.00 Fanatics Authentic Daytona Speedway Petty Grandstand Black Seat Back. Her brother, Brian France, is NASCAR chairman and CEO—and one of 11 ISC board members. Well, give it a year or two for people to get used to it, but it’s going to be huge. ISC now has 13 tracks, plus MRN Radio and Americrown, the track catering company. Yep, you read that right: Twenty steps. Even so, Daytona Rising, France Kennedy said, was not that tough of a sell to the other 10 ISC board members who might have thought they could have built a nice track in, say, Seattle or Denver or some other underserved market for $400 million. Chitwood likened the expanded use of the facility to the way Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones has used his new facility. Forty escalators. So he sees the reimagined Daytona as a place to host its own nonracing events, with the first being Memorial Day weekend’s Country 500, featuring more than 50 acts, including Willie Nelson, Kid Rock, Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Florida Georgia Line, Jennifer Nettles, Little Big Town and Colt Ford. 1; 1 of 1. “There’s an elevator that will take a vehicle as large as a Toyota Tundra truck to the top,” said Joie Chitwood III, track president and the man most responsible for bringing France Kennedy’s vision to life. Polishing NASCAR's crown jewel with a $400 million buffer. She pauses her picture-taking for a moment. Hockey. Engineer Charles Moneypenny came up with a way to anchor paving equipment on tethers at the top of the banking. On July 5, 2013, ground was broken on the project—it was spearheaded by enormous construction company Barton Malow, with Rossetti Architects. More than 60 new trackside suites will be available when construction is completed in time for the 2016 Rolex 24 at Daytona and the Daytona 500, which is known as the “Great American Race.”. “Instead of being the world center of racing, maybe we’re going to become the world center of entertainment. Having One Daytona across the street with easy access to the Speedway not only gives race fans more to do before and after race day, but it will attract both tourists and locals to the site year-round.