Texas Motor Speedway yesterday announced that it will "add a ribbon-style scoreboard" to its giant videoboard, "pushing the world’s biggest high-definition LED screen to 22,705 square feet." In Ft. Worth, Tom Johanningmeier notes the new scoreboard "will debut" during the NASCAR weekend set for Nov. 3-6 (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 6/7). SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Don Muret notes it "will display the lap count and running order of cars for NASCAR and IndyCar events." The project "will start" after this weekend’s Firestone 600 IndyCar/NASCAR Camping World Truck Series doubleheader (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 6/6 issue).
TED TALKS: Wizards Owner Ted Leonsis last week said that plans for a new practice facility and arena in DC's Ward 8 "are moving forward." Leonsis said that he "visited the site on May 30 and that excavation has begun." In DC, Todd Dybas noted construction for a $55M, 118,000-square foot, 5,000-seat facility on the site "is planned to begin this year and end" in '18. Funding over the course of the 19-year lease "includes an investment by the city" of nearly $23M, plus $27M from Events DC, an event-managing arm of the city which will also "be responsible for the construction of the new facility," and $5M from Leonsis‘ Monumental Sports & Entertainment (WASHINGTON TIMES, 6/6).
ALPHABET SOUP: In Marietta, Ricky Leroux reported a helicopter later this month "will be used to airlift a massive, light-up 'A' into place atop SunTrust Park," the Braves' new ballpark being built in Cobb County. The letter "will be able to rotate 360 degrees." Braves Exec VP/Business Operations Mike Plant said that it "took some doing by the ballpark's engineers to make sure the A would be able to spin." Plant added that the letter "will be used in conjunction with some of the ballpark's other features to celebrate homeruns, wins and other occasions" (MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL, 6/5).
