Daytona Int'l Speedway's "mammoth renovation effort," which carries a reported price tag of $400M, "this week will get the first kick-the-tires moment regarding its true purpose: To breathe new life into the Speedway experience, and by extension NASCAR, by creating the first racing 'stadium' that rivals the game-day atmosphere and amenities enjoyed by the modern sports fan," according to Ken Willis in a front-page piece for the Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL. DIS President Joie Chitwood III said of the Daytona Rising project, "Obviously, ticketing is the most important thing. We did this for a reason -- to make sure fans keep attending events. Selling these seats is very important." He added, "Everything we did is big. ... They’d do the signs and say, ‘here’s the size,’ and we’d say, ‘we want them bigger.'" Willis noted fans who "will utilize the older sections at Daytona will have some chances to sample the new arrangements during Speedweeks." Except for the Feb. 22 Daytona 500, the first level of the completed 40,000-seat section "will include some general-admission seating, with the upper levels selling as reserved seating." Next Sunday, during Daytona 500 pole qualifying, "all of the 40,000 seats will be general admission." If DIS "is a picture of evolution during this Speedweeks, it’ll look like a midpoint picture of urban renewal when NASCAR returns in July." Chitwood: "That's when we'll clearly be challenged" (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 2/8).
TIX SALES GOING WELL: In Daytona Beach, Linda Santacruz in a front-page piece reports local hoteliers "expect business during this year's Speedweeks to be on par with last year." However, DIS officials said that "a number of indicators are pointing to a stronger turnout." Chitwood said that fans "will likely rush to watch" retiring driver Jeff Gordon compete in his final Daytona 500, while others "will want to check out the portion of the track's frontstretch grandstands that have been renovated to include wider, more comfortable seats and other amenities." He added of ticket sales for this year's Daytona 500, "I feel really good about our prospects" (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 2/9).
