Reporting that Daytona Int'l Speedway's $400M Daytona Rising project remains on schedule and on budget, track President Joie Chitwood III yesterday gave a behind-the-scenes look at the development. The track, which is 40 days away from the Rolex 24 Hours -- the first event that will be held after the renovation is complete -- is not entirely sold out yet for the Daytona 500, but is moving in that direction, said Chitwood, who wrapped things up as the final presenter at the '15 NASCAR/Daytona Rising Motorsports Marketing Forum. He noted that the four injector entrances that have found brand partners so far are in the process of being painted and designed to match the specs of each sponsor. For example, a video montage showing Toyota's injector revealed an area that will be replete with the manufacturer's vehicles, both on the ground and even suspended from the ceiling. The other injector sponsors are Florida Hospital, Chevrolet and Sunoco. A fifth and final injector remains unsold, and Chitwood recently told SportsBusiness Journal that it may stay that way for '16, though sponsorship options are still being considered. During the session, Chitwood used before-and-after pictures to emphasize how different the facility will look when the renovation is over. For example, the new facility will have a major emphasis on massive signage to both help direct fans better and also give it an epic feel, and the new front-stretch seats soar to considerably higher levels to give fans improved sight lines of the sprawling venue.
