Bridging The Gap: Dover Builds DuPont-Sponsored Seating Area

DuPont Sponsoring Dover Speedway's New Bridge

Dover Int'l Speedway June 4 will unveil the new 50-seat "DuPont Monster Bridge," featuring fully-enclosed "theater-style seating, bar service and flat-screen TVs," according to USA TODAY's Chris Jenkins. The bridge, located 29 feet above the track, will eventually have 64 seats, and "a second deck of seats could be added in the future." Dover Motorsports Exec VP Jerry Miraglia, who conceived the idea 18 months ago, said: "This is as close to racing as you can possibly get." Miraglia pegged the investment at "high mid-six figures," and Jenkins writes it "could be interpreted as a sign that Dover executives are confident they'll keep two [NASCAR Nextel Cup] race weekends for the foreseeable future." Miraglia, who said Dover is trying to patent the idea, added that he "expects every NASCAR track to have something similar within the next five or six years." Delaware-based DuPont is paying for title sponsorship of the bridge and has "dibs on most of the seats," with track VIPs filling the rest during next month's Nextel Cup weekend. But Miraglia said that fans will get a chance to win bridge seats as part of a giveaway program beginning with Dover's September race weekend (USA TODAY, 5/7).