Daytona International Speedway Set For A Makeover

[Matt Albee]

Great photo Kendo!!! Brought back many memories as I just re-visited the past in my mind. Spent many hours in those seats under the roof way back when. Many great times with my sons were spent in those stands watching the races. Also I'm curious about the removal of the back stretch stands. Will this mean the Battle of the Beach modified, late model events will cease to be? Maybe they will move those events to a Nascar sanctioned short-track in the area? Time will tell.....

I think it ceased to exist about 5 minutes after the checkered flag waved. It was a very silly idea, and one that should have taken place at a real race track rather than the track apron at DIS. If NASCAR just can't help themselves and decide to stage another UNOH Battle On The Track Apron, the " fan experience " could easily be duplicated on the front stretch track apron. And besides, there are more injectors on the front stretch .

[Denman]

True, true, true....I forgot about those darned injectors....lol.

[Winger]

Sounds like a win for ISC. They can provide more of what the fan wants, charge more because there will be fewer seats to sell, and get the tax benefits for the capital improvement that was inserted into one of the Federal bills last year. I'm not sure how the property tax rate will be affected. Increasing the number of seats usually corresponds with an increase in valuation. I wonder if decreasing will cause a decrease, particularly considering the tax breaks?

[kendo]

This resembles how the new Yankee Stadium is laid out,where you can walk around and buy food,eat, yet still see the action.

[Matt Albee]

It's copied from Yankee Stadium. I hope those ghosts in the stands have enjoyed their enhanced spectator experience, because the entire field looks to be headed for the retaining wall.

[egspeedway]

This all sounds so positive for the sport we all love but lets look a little deeper. DIS and Talledega are the only two big tracks that put on really close racing thanks to restrictor plates and in the past draft worthy cars. These tracks will always have a close finish or a "big one" both of which draw fans. The sad reality is that the other tracks other than the short tracks put on a follow the leader race with most passing happening in the pits. I try hard to pull for Reutimann but I know that in the absence of yellows he will be down a lap less than 50 into the race. What Nascar needs is a format change. Something radical like time trials heats and a consolation with a feature requiring only one green flag pit stop. In other word you have to race your way into the feature and you are not so dependant on aerodynamics to be the leader. Does this sound like a typical short track Saturday night. I wish!!!

[Lurkin]

In 2014, the Company intends to pursue incentives including those currently available to all other major sports venues in Florida. ISC will reevaluate additional potential amenities based on the outcome of those efforts.


Am I the only one that thinks that might be good for local tracks?

[Winger]

In 2014, the Company intends to pursue incentives including those currently available to all other major sports venues in Florida. ISC will reevaluate additional potential amenities based on the outcome of those efforts.


Am I the only one that thinks that might be good for local tracks?

I believe the incentives they refer to are for capital investments. How many of our short tracks can afford any capital improvements, let alone something that would qualify for these incentives? This was known as the Nascar loophole that was sneaked into the fiscal cliff bill last year. It was BS then and costs the taxpayers about $45 million this year and $95 million by 2017. You can read about it in this article from January. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...n_2397933.html

[Groundpounder]

It looks like walking along the catch fence will be over and probably a good thing...

Tax breaks - If YOU or I received a tax break it would be a great thing, right? If a corporation gets one it's bad? The fiscal cliff deals don't cost the taxpayers at all. The congress that all of us choose to elect for whatever reasons, SPENDS the money... and they are the one's that "COST" us out of our pockets, you know studying the sex life of earthworms and such.

Tax incentives have been done for many years, in fact Hillsborough county is about to throw millions at Amazon to get them to put a distribution center there.

Back to the track, overall it's good for racing, good for the area and I don't care if DIS makes money or not, it's always my option to decide to spend mine with them.

[Matt Albee]

In 2014, the Company intends to pursue incentives including those currently available to all other major sports venues in Florida. ISC will reevaluate additional potential amenities based on the outcome of those efforts.


Am I the only one that thinks that might be good for local tracks?

ISC/DIS/France family feel they are entitled to even more tax breaks than they currently have. The Florida State legislature and Florida tax payers see it differently. Besides, the city of Daytona has given them huge breaks on taxes and government supplied services for decades.
The tax breaks are to entice companies to move into Florida, or to switch cities in Florida, to bring in jobs. The France family believes they're entitled to some of that money. They aren't. They were shot down in Tallahasee. But that won't stop them from trying again.
I don't know of any reason that local short tracks would qualify for tax breaks any more than every single business in Florida would. So I don't see tax breaks on the horizon for either size track in the future.

[Winger]

-----
Tax breaks - If YOU or I received a tax break it would be a great thing, right? If a corporation gets one it's bad? The fiscal cliff deals don't cost the taxpayers at all. The congress that all of us choose to elect for whatever reasons, SPENDS the money... and they are the one's that "COST" us out of our pockets, you know studying the sex life of earthworms and such.

Tax incentives have been done for many years, in fact Hillsborough county is about to throw millions at Amazon to get them to put a distribution center there.

--

Actually, with this particular bill the middle class ends up getting a tax increase, while a large profitable corporation got a huge break. On top of that, who do you think has to make up for the revenue the corporations don't have to pay? We do so it is costing us substantially.

[Lizzard]

To me, one more example that NASCAR has no friggin clue.

[luke81]

To me, one more example that NASCAR has no friggin clue.

How? If you don't want to participate in the "neighborhoods" you simply don't, you watch the race from your(new and wider) seat just like people have from the beginning of time.

[Matt Albee]

How? If you don't want to participate in the "neighborhoods" you simply don't, you watch the race from your(new and wider) seat just like people have from the beginning of time.

I think he's referring to the NASCAR grand re-modeling scheme overall. It does seem a little silly to spend 400 or so million to redo the stands on the frontstretch when NASCAR is in such a slump. Lipstick on a pig. But it's their money, they can do what they want. And they always do.

[Groundpounder]

Lipstick on a pig.

Wow! That's quite a description from you regarding one of the finest racing facilities in America...