Dover Int'l Speedway Downsizing Grandstand By Nearly 30,000 Seats

Dover Int'l Speedway is removing more seats from its grandstand in an effort to "address the changing demands of the sports and entertainment industry," according to Mike Finney of the DELAWARE STATE NEWS. Dover will have its capacity "reduced from 83,000 seats to 54,000 outdoor seats when the NASCAR Cup Series returns" in May. The move marks the fourth time in track history it has reduced capacity, which peaked in '01 at "approximately 135,000 seats." The work has "started in the lower level between the third and fourth turn grandstand seating." Dover is "studying all options to remain an attractive stop on the NASCAR circuit for many years to come." NASCAR's contracts with "all the tracks currently on the Cup schedule expire" after the '20 season. That has "created uncertainty for several of the venues that have normally hosted one or two visits a year" (DELAWARE STATE NEWS, 10/24).