Daytona adds seats for Rolex 24
New construction offers an unparalleled view of whole track.
Daytona rising
Covy Moore
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Greg Biffle had a surprising first impression when he sat in the new wider and more comfortable seats located in the west end of the frontstretch grandstands at Daytona International Speedway, part of the $400 million DAYTONA Rising renovation project underway at the “World Center of Racing.”
“These will feel like million dollar seats to watch the Rolex 24,” said Biffle, perched high above the Speedway with a clear view of the entire 3.56-mile road course. “I'll tell you what, the view of the infield road course is incredible.”
Fans will have the first opportunity to sit in those new seats at the 2015 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 24-25. Fans can purchase a two-day grandstand seat for $40 for the event on January 24-25, or $30 for Sunday only.
40,000 new seats
There will be 40,000 new seats available on three different concourse levels for the 2015 Rolex 24. The complete project – including seating for 101,000 – will be ready for sports car fans for the 2016 Rolex 24.
Biffle was one of the drivers on hand for last year’s ground-breaking activities for DAYTONA Rising. He returned to the Speedway in June and was impressed by the work that had taken place by Barton Malow, the design-builder on the project.
"It’s pretty incredible to see how much they've gotten done,'' Biffle said. “I took the stairs to the first level of the new section and from the first seat in the new section you can see the entire race track. It's incredible. It's going to be such a great spot to watch a race from. I can't even believe it.”
Fans won’t need to worry about climbing stairs to reach the new seats at the Rolex 24. Of all the amenities Biffle inspected, a "wow" moment for him was when he saw the massive escalators.
"It's so fitting for this to be the birthplace of the sport and the showcase for it at the same time," Biffle said.
Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III wasn't surprised by Biffle’s perspective on the progress of DAYTONA Rising.
"I think fans, partners, the industry are going to be blown away by how much work that we've had the last couple of months,” Chitwood said. “I feel good about that. It’s always nice when work is so visible."
Daytona International Speedway
Be part of Motorsport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments