(NASCAR Wire Service)
Staff Report ~ NASCAR Wire Service
Daytona International Speedway (Photo: Chris Trotman/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Daytona International Speedway won Facility of the Year at the 2016 SportsBusiness Journal Sports Business Awards, held Wednesday night at the Marriott Marquis in New York City’s Time Square.
The win came as a result of its $400-million Daytona Rising project. The world’s first motorsports stadium was unveiled at the 2016 DAYTONA 500 as the sell-out crowd witnessed Denny Hamlin win by the closest margin of victory in the race’s history.
Daytona International Speedway beat out the San Jose Earthquakes’ Avaya Stadium, Kansas State’s Bill Snyder Stadium, Texas A&M’s Kyle Field and the San Diego Padres’ Petco Park for the accolade.
“The incredible transformation of our flagship facility would not have been possible without the hard work and support of our employees, fans, partners, and the entire NASCAR industry,” said International Speedway Corporation Chief Executive Officer Lesa France Kennedy. “I’m so proud of Joie Chitwood and the Daytona International Speedway and ISC team. They truly earned this prestigious award.”
The evening saw many members of the NASCAR industry nominated, including: NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France (Executive of the Year), NASCAR (League of the Year), Darlington’s Bojangles Southern 500 (Event of the Year), and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Social Media in Sports).
Daytona Rising, which broke ground in 2013, produced five expanded and redesigned fan entrances called “injectors,” three new concourse levels for fans that span the frontstretch of the track, 40 new escalators, 17 elevators and 60 new trackside suites. The project also created 11 football field-sized social “neighborhoods” filled with video screens, widened 101,500 stadium seats, doubled the number of restrooms and tripled concessions and merchandise points of sale to deliver a more convenient fan experience.
The impact of the upgraded facility transcends sports. Daytona Rising gives the area an economic boost by providing 6,300 new jobs, $300 million in labor income and more than $85 million in new tax revenue. A plethora of companies have agreed to naming rights deals with Daytona International Speedway, including Toyota, Florida Hospital, Chevrolet, Sunoco and Axalta.
Remarkably, the facility remained open for business throughout the almost three-year period it took to rebuild its nearly mile-long fronstretch. During this time, the facility held two NASCAR events, the 2016 Rolex 24, 2015 Bike Week and hundreds of civic and social gatherings.
Launched in 2008 by SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily, the Sports Business Awards recognize leaders and visionaries who personify excellence in the business of sports. The nominees were judged by their achievements from March 1, 2015 through Feb. 29, 2016.
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