Martinsville Speedway will mark its 70th anniversary next season with the "installation of an LED lighting system, which will make it the first major racing facility in North America to have LED lights," according to Jeff Gluck of USA TODAY. The enhancements are part of a $5M capital investment project by track owner Int'l Speedway Corp., the "largest in its history." Despite the addition of lighting, which "will be done before the start of next season, the track won't host a night race just yet." NASCAR has already announced the '17 schedule and start times, which means Martinsville will again "have day races next season." The track is "billing the lighting system as 'insurance' against races which might get pushed toward twilight." However, NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. said that he "fully expected to see a night race sometime in the future," and even suggested it could be the "long-awaited first scheduled weeknight race of the modern era" (USA TODAY, 10/13). Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell said that the decision was "largely a result of fans asking" for lights. Campbell: "Dale has mentioned it, other drivers have mentioned it. So it’s coming to fruition." In Roanoke, Randy King notes Martinsville, which "has room for 60,000-plus spectators, is one of the few NASCAR tracks these days that routinely fills its grandstand seats to near capacity." The move figures to make the unique short track even "more popular for gearheads who follow the sport religiously" (ROANOKE TIMES, 10/13). YAHOO SPORTS' Nick Bromberg noted night races are "currently slated" for '17 at Daytona Int'l Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Darlington Raceway and Richmond Int'l Raceway (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 10/12).
