DAYTONA BEACH, FL – Daytona International Speedway held a topping out ceremony today to install the highest piece of steel associated with its $400 million DAYTONA Rising project and celebrate the halfway point in the project. Florida Secretary of Commerce Gray Swoope and Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Director Jesse Panuccio were in attendance for the important milestone. As part of the event, members of the France family signed and unveiled a special commemorative plaque that was placed at the center of the steel beam (previously signed by the project’s construction team). International Speedway Corporation CEO Lesa France Kennedy also spoke about the significance of the DAYTONA Rising project. “Daytona International Speedway is a special place and we’re honored to continue its legacy through the DAYTONA Rising project,” said France Kennedy. “We’re literally building history and creating an unprecedented motorsports experience. I can only imagine how exciting it must have been for my grandfather to turn his vision into reality when he built the Speedway more than 50 years ago.” Utilizing special DAYTONA Rising whistles, Barton Malow (design-builder for DAYTONA Rising) joined International Speedway Corporation employees as well as Daytona International Speedway employees and longtime ticket holders for a ceremonial command to raise the steel beam. To honor construction traditions, a tree was attached to the beam along with a massive American flag, Florida’s state flag as well as flags honoring Daytona International Speedway and Barton Malow. “Today was a great opportunity to celebrate our collective accomplishments to date,” said Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III. “We’ve enjoyed the journey thus far and look forward to continuing the momentum during the months ahead.” DAYTONA Rising Construction Statistics At The Halfway Point • Surpassed one million man-hours • Installed 89 percent of the total steel • Poured more than 105 million pounds of concrete • Installed 26 escalators and 4 elevators About DAYTONA Rising DAYTONA Rising is a $400 million reimagining of an American icon – Daytona International Speedway. Five expanded and redesigned entrances, or “injectors,” will lead fans to a series of escalators and elevators, transporting them to three different concourse levels. Each level features spacious social areas, or “neighborhoods,” along the nearly mile-long frontstretch. At the conclusion of the redevelopment, Daytona International Speedway will have approximately 101,000 permanent, wider and more comfortable seats, twice as many restrooms and three times as many concession stands. In addition, the Speedway will feature over 60 luxury suites with track side views and a completely revamped hospitality experience for corporate guests. DAYTONA Rising: Reimagining an American Icon, expected to create 6,300 jobs, $300 million in labor income and over $80 million in tax revenue, will be completed in time for the 2016 Rolex 24 At Daytona and DAYTONA 500. DAYTONA Rising was recently cited as a key source of expected job growth in Volusia County as part of the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. Toyota recently became the first Founding Partner of DAYTONA Rising, joining the Speedway to help provide the very best experience for fans through over 20,000 square feet of engagement area, branding rights for the Toyota Injector and one of the new neighborhoods. Barton Malow is serving as the design-builder for the project. In addition to DAYTONA Rising, Barton Malow has renovated the University of Michigan “Big House” and the Rose Bowl. ROSSETTI, an award-winning architectural design and planning firm for the past 40 years, which headed the design for Ford Field NFL Stadium, University of Notre Dame Compton Family Ice Arena and five Major League Soccer Stadiums, is leading the master planning of the DAYTONA Rising site. About Daytona International Speedway Daytona International Speedway is the home of “The Great American Race” – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Sprint Cup event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe, thus earning it the title of “World Center of Racing.” In addition to eight major weekends of racing activity, rarely a week goes by that the Speedway grounds are not used for events that include civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training.
