BROOKLYN, Mich. (Nov. 11, 2010) — A number of enhancements to Michigan International Speedway’s LED scoreboard will begin this week, continuing the track’s firm commitment to give fans the very best race experience each time they visit the Irish Hills for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
The scoreboard, the first of its kind in motorsports when it was installed in 2008, will receive a makeover. One of the most noticeable changes will be an increase in the overall height of the scoreboard from 108-feet tall to nearly 155-feet tall, a difference of 47 feet.
The LED display that shows the running order of the race, various sponsor advertisements and track messaging, will also increase from 57 feet tall to 85 feet tall.
Because of the size of MIS and the size of numbers used so all spectators could see, the former scoreboard only listed running order positions in groups of three. The new board will show the top-14 competitors at one time and include a lap counter.
“These enhancements are necessary to give fans an even better viewing experience of our scoreboard,” MIS President Roger Curtis said. “We were the first race track in NASCAR to get an LED scoreboard and other tracks over the last couple of years have followed suit. We have now looked at other tracks and discovered things from their scoreboards that could make ours even better and are implementing some of those changes.”
In addition to the scoreboard, MIS will continue to have seven Sprint Vision screens available throughout the property for viewing during the race weekends. The action on the Sprint Vision screens complements the running order of the scoreboard, giving NASCAR fans the information they need to enjoy the race.
“Unlike other sports where you know what one team is doing over the other, fans need to keep up with their favorite drivers and the rest of the 43-car field at once — and know what lap it is. The new board and the Sprint Vision screens working together will help fans with that,” Curtis said. “This is an important step for the overall experience of our guests.”
The dismantling of the current scoreboard is now under way. Construction of the new scoreboard will soon follow with a completion date set for mid-May.
Curtis has plans to unveil other improvements in the coming weeks that the fans will notice when they return in 2011.
Nestled in the lush Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan, Michigan International Speedway is the Great Escape, a venerable NASCAR national park where fans can get away and enjoy the very best in racing and camaraderie. It’s the love of racing and the thrill of a great time for race fans and drivers alike.
From MIS
