At Barton Malow Co.'s Daytona Beach, Fla., construction office, just down the street from the Daytona International Speedway, numerous wooden tables completely fill a large back office. But instead of printed blueprints, contractors focus intently on their smart boards, Apple TV screens and iPads as they race to transform NASCAR’s most well-known racetrack.
The Michigan-based contractor is leading the venue’s $400-million renovation project—which Daytona International Speedway (DIS) is calling Daytona Rising—that will completely transform the 55-year-old racetrack into a modern sports facility. A revamped facility with three concourses will replace the old-school grandstand-style seating that forced fans to walk up as much as 70 ft to their seats. In the new venue, fans will ride elevators and more than 40 escalators from one of the five main entrances and enter their seating area from behind. The concourses themselves will include twice the number of restrooms and triple the concessions, all while providing 11 "neighborhood" spaces for fans to gather.