Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood unveiled the first renderings of what the redeveloped DIS could look like during Thursday’s “state of the sport” that took place at a media event in Charlotte, NC.
Chitwood did not say what the project would cost.
“If you think about what (NASCAR co-founder) Bill France did in the late `50s of creating this world center of racing, this is our chance to do the same for the next 50 years,” Chitwood said at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte. “It’s a chance to take something great and make sure that it is prepared to last the next 50 years.”
The proposed project is designed to provide a better overall race experience for fans, including upgraded concession areas, entrances, ticket gates, grandstands and seating, as well as interactive common areas that allow for opportunities to watch a race from several vantage points.
Chitwood said he is eager to show the redevelopment plans to the public, “There are a lot of challenges in terms of making sure the property is up to snuff for all of our fans,” Chitwood said. “We’ve got seats out there that were original to the property from the late `50s and so for us we’ve continued to make sure that we’re focused on fan amenities. … Some of the renderings we showed have that professional updated feel to them in terms of architectual skin, massive gates and entryways and a lot of new structure.”
Chitwood said that right now they are focused on the Daytona 500 and all that leads up to it so the redevelopment will have to wait till after then.
“I hope to have something more creative in (late) February and I have to get in front of our senior management later in 2013 and hopefully at that point I will know cost because that’s when I have to ask for approval,” Chitwood said. “Then I will have more details about the timing.”
