CONCORD, N.C. (March 11, 2011) – The steel frame that will support the world’s largest high-definition video board is more than 50 percent complete, as construction continues on the massive screen created by Panasonic, that will debut during Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 2011 May race events.
The 500,000-pound steel frame that will hold the 165,000-pound HD video board is scheduled to be completed by the end of March. Crews from Granite Contracting, of Concord, N.C., Mid-Atlantic Construction of Charlotte, N.C. and Eastern Sign Tech of Burlington, N.J. have erected six, 30-foot tall steel columns galvanized by Galvan Industries of Harrisburg, N.C. Each column weighs 18,500 pounds and is attached to a concrete footing.
The approximately 200-foot-wide, 80-foot-tall screen will eventually rise 110 feet above the track on the steel support structure.
During the next phase of construction on the world’s largest HD video board, Duke Energy, headquartered in Charlotte, will install the largest transformer in their product line, the Duke Power 1000 KW, 208 V, 3-phase transformer, which will be centered under the board’s steel frame.
Also, the installation of 158 panels that will make up the screen of the world’s largest HD video board will start the first week of April. Thirteen sub-electric panels will also be installed, each of which will power a “panel riser,” or a column of panels. Once construction is completed, more than nine million LED lamps will illuminate the Panasonic video board during each NASCAR race event at Charlotte Motor Speedway this spring, including the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 21 and the Coca-Cola 600 on May 29.
The screen will be centered along the backstretch between Turns 2 and 3, across from the start/finish line. Fans seated throughout the frontstretch from Turn 4 to Turn 1 will have clear viewing angles of instant replays, leaderboard updates and interactive entertainment displayed in 720P high-definition visuals.
For continuous updates on the Panasonic HD video board, watch the construction webcam on www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.
Media interested in covering the Panasonic HD video board construction should call the Charlotte Motor Speedway communications department at (704) 455-3209 for assistance.
Frontstretch tickets with the best views of the new HD video board and pit road start at just $49 for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. Fans can also purchase two frontstretch tickets for just $99 to the Coca-Cola 600 by calling the speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267) or online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.
