The expanded frontstretch will have options for 60 flexible luxury suites, as well as introducing loge areas. (Photo by Rossetti/Daytona International Speedway)
It has been an icon in the motorsports world for more than 50 years, hosting one of the most prestigious races in NASCAR since 1959, but Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (DIS) is ready to reinvent itself. The facility is undergoing a $400-million reimagining with its own branded moniker — Daytona Rising. The project isn’t just a remodeling of a speedway. It’s the creation of the world’s first motorsports stadium.
The track’s infield measures 180 acres, including a 29-acre lake that could host water sports. Daytona Rising’s neighborhood concept includes 11 distinct areas lining the nearly mile-long grandstand and three concourses. Each neighborhood will be roughly the size of a football field, with the largest clocking in at double the size for the World Center of Racing to celebrate the history and heritage of the sport in an interactive, exciting way.
Daytona Rising broke ground last July, but has been in the works for nearly three years. Ownership group International Speedway Corporation is privately funding the renovation. The facility was beginning to show its age.
“When you look at the property, we have some things that are original to 1959 — that’s not a good thing,” said Joie Chitwood, president of Daytona International Speedway. Daytona Rising replaces all 101,000 seats on the nearly mile-long front stretch with wider, more comfortable chairs.
“In the racing business, the best seat in the house is the top row,” added Chitwood. “We had to walk you up every single staircase to get up there, which really isn’t a great experience nowadays.”
After construction, DIS will have the most escalators of any stadium in the nation — 40 total, plus an additional 14 elevators.
The renovation will also double the number of available restrooms and triple the amount of concession stands.
Rossetti designed several 'injectors,' or entrances, for fans to access the venue. (Photo by Rossetti/Daytona International Speedway)
Fans as Fuel
Chitwood said that he believes the renovation to turn Daytona International Speedway into the world’s first motorsports stadium will lead to unique sporting events, including soccer, football, global rally cross, and music festivals.
“We do have grass in between the pit lane and the racetrack that, coincidentally, we call the football field, that could actually fit a football field,” said Chitwood. “That’s already built, so it’s just how we stripe it and how we use it.”
Jim Renne, principal in charge of the project with Rossetti Architects, said that his team was responsible for the term ‘injectors’ for the renovated entrances.
“Quite literally the injector pumps the fuel into the firing chamber, we imagined the people as the fuel. They’re the excitement and the energy that gets created, so for these areas where we bring people up vertically then pump them into the concourses, it seemed natural to call them injectors,” said Renne. “We had car-inspired names for other sections, but that’s the one that stuck.”
He said that having sponsorships for both the injectors and the neighborhoods is a win-win, good for both the facility and the fan.
“There’s the fan experience side and also the value proposition side. It’s almost a mile-long venue and you don’t want a mile of the same thing, so these create minidestinations within the stadium to give people areas they can congregate,” said Renne. “Those can become activation areas for sponsors, so now each has the opportunity to create something a bit unique within that space that’s also relevant to their product or brand.”
Renne said the prime drivers for the renovation were “creating a whole new level of fan experience for their customers, as well as creating a new value proposition for their corporate partners.”
Not only will there be ample space for sponsorship when it comes to the facility injectors and neighborhood spaces, but there will be more premium hospitality options.
The racetrack didn’t have suites that were up to modern hospitality standards. Postrenovation, DIS will have 60 luxury suites that are flexible in terms of size. Chitwood said the premium spaces will focus on providing amenities and opportunities to entertain C-level suite clients.
The redesign will introduce loge areas, as well as a club area specifically for four-day ticketholders. Even the more traditional suites have been designed to be more flexible and social due to inspiration from the conference world.
“Flexibility in configuring the size of the room was so important for the opportunity to use the spaces for corporate events and large conferencing,” said Renne, who added that the size and setup for the premium areas can vary from one event to the next.
DIS staff has reached out to current suite holders to prioritize what they value in hospitality spaces.
“We’re also dealing with some newer partners that are already interested in kind of reserving their spot in the new property, so that’s an ongoing effort,” said Chitwood. “The beauty in our world is we never stop selling.”
The reimagining of Daytona International Speedway will provide an upgraded experience for fans. (Photo by Rossetti/Daytona International Speedway)
Working Through Construction
They also never stop racing. DIS is staying open throughout the construction process, which is being managed by Barton Marlow.
“You not only need to have the space for the events, but maintain a certain level of seating capacity, and with every seat you have to feed them and provide restrooms,” said company VP Len Moser, who added that it’s a process the firm is used to from working on college football projects.
“I think everyone thought we would have to be shut down, cleaned up and sitting on the side, but what we were able to do working together was find ways to get the site race ready by setting up temporary gates and signage,” added Moser.
Besides bringing in the revenue from events, another good thing about staying open during construction is that it allows fans to see the project’s progress in real time.
“I think the construction really blows our fans away at every event they come to. It’s the best sales preview you could ever ask for because they’re literally walking through the middle of the construction on their left and right as they go to their seats,” said Chitwood. “They can see the future — they can see where their seat is going to be. It’s not just sending them a pretty picture.”
“The images look great, but until you can actually see the real structure, it’s not reality,” he added. “I’ll tell you that reality looks a lot better than the creative.”
The renovations are scheduled to be complete in time for the 2016 Rolex 24 at Daytona, Jan. 30-31.
Interviewed for this story: Joie Chitwood, (212) 938-0166; Len Moser, (248) 436-5000; Jim Renne, (248) 262-8300
