DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Daytona International Speedway has shifted its focus to race-ready preparation for the 52nd Anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Budweiser Speedweeks 2014. Construction activities related to the DAYTONA Rising project will continue during this time. However, the Speedway’s main goal is to accommodate and entertain hundreds of thousands of race fans during its premier events in the early part of the year.
“We are proud of the progress thus far on the DAYTONA Rising project and equally excited to welcome fans for the start of the 2014 racing season,” Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III said. “They will get an up close and personal look at all the progress we’ve made to date and hopefully, they will share in the excitement that we’ve felt since the groundbreaking in July. Our partners at Barton Malow and ROSSETTI have put us in a great position to continue momentum for the DAYTONA Rising project while preparing the facility so we can deliver unforgettable experiences for our loyal fans during our marquee events.”
Race-ready activities that are currently underway:
- Relocating merchandise store building pad outside the frontstretch
- Setting up hospitality village and the Budweiser 1876 Club
- Building temporary suite tower lobby and temporary ticketing trailers
- Mobilizing the Americrown temporary kitchen
- Admission Gates relocation completed and ticket scanning systems tested
- Paving within the construction site to support fan access and pedestrian traffic
Here is a recap of key construction activities since the last update in December:
- Steel installation near the middle bowl section of the frontstretch grandstand
- First slab on the metal deck (first elevated concrete pour)
- Completed pile cap installation
About DAYTONA Rising
DAYTONA Rising is a $400 million reimagining of an American icon – Daytona International Speedway. Five expanded and redesigned entrances, or “injectors,” will lead fans to a series of escalators and elevators, transporting them to three different concourse levels. Each level features spacious social areas, or “neighborhoods,” along the nearly mile-long frontstretch. At the conclusion of the redevelopment, Daytona International Speedway will have approximately 101,000 permanent, wider and more comfortable seats, twice as many restrooms and three times as many concession stands. In addition, the Speedway will feature over 60 luxury suites with track side views and a completely revamped hospitality experience for corporate guests.
DAYTONA Rising: Reimagining an American Icon, expected to create 6,300 jobs, $300 million in labor income and over $80 million in tax revenue, will be completed in time for the 2016 Rolex 24 At Daytona and DAYTONA 500. DAYTONA Rising was recently cited as a key source of expected job growth in Volusia County as part of the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.
Barton Malow is serving as the design-builder for the project. In addition to DAYTONA Rising, Barton Malow has renovated the University of Michigan “Big House” and the Rose Bowl.
ROSSETTI, an award-winning architectural design and planning firm for the past 40 years, which headed the design for Ford Field NFL Stadium, University of Notre Dame Compton Family Ice Arena and five Major League Soccer Stadiums, is leading the master planning of the DAYTONA Rising site.
Race fans can follow the progress of the DAYTONA Rising project by visiting www.DAYTONARising.com and connecting with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. Also, fans can see the construction project up close by taking one of the daily tours available at the Speedway on non-event days throughout the year. Visit www.
For tickets and more information on Daytona International Speedway events, visit www.
About Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is the home of “The Great American Race” – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Sprint Cup event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe, thus earning it the title of “World Center of Racing.” In addition to eight major weekends of racing activity, rarely a week goes by that the Speedway grounds are not used for events that include civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training.
