ISM Raceway's Scoring Tower Comes Down As Part Of Renovation

ISM Raceway has demolished its 150-foot tall infield scoring tower as part of a $178M renovation at the Phoenix track. That includes new fan zones and garages in the infield as well as more restaurants, bars and shade structures. ISM Raceway President Bryan Sperber said the modernization will include facial recognition technology throughout the track including at kiosks. He added some of that technology aims to gauge fans’ moods and then run ads or promotions aimed at keeping or making them happy. Sperber said the improvements include heat mapping technology to gauge lines at concessions stands and restrooms. Sperber said the renovations are all about making race days a social event. “To me it’s a real shift of how consumers interact with sports,” Sperber said. He said that is especially true for younger fans. “They’re just not wired to watch someone else do something for three hours.”