Daytona Int’l Speedway Clears Major Hurdle For Renovations

According to Tripp Mickle of the Sports Business Journal, Daytona Int’l Speedway yesterday cleared a major hurdle in its effort to renovate and reinvent the racetrack. The Daytona Beach City Commission unanimously approved a rezoning request that could make it possible to begin a major renovation project in '13 or '14. ISC, which owns the 53-year-old track, submitted a request last June that asked the city to rezone the speedway from a major sports district to a “plan master development zone," which would allow it to develop anything from retail space to dining facilities to a museum. The seven-member City Commission yesterday approved that request.

Now, track officials will work with ISC’s internal design team and outside architecture advisers Rossetti to finalize their redevelopment plans before going to the ISC BOD for funding approval. Current plans call for an overhaul of the speedway’s grandstand, adding new suites and creating a modern exterior and redesigned midway.