Charlotte Motor Speedway Gives World's Largest HDTV

Charlotte Motor Speedway Gives World's Largest HDTV Construction Update

NASCAR Sprint Media Tour participants visited the future site of the world's largest high-definition video board on the backstretch of Charlotte Motor Speedway's 1.5-mile tri-oval Tuesday afternoon.
When completed, the structure will tower 110 feet above the track
and measure 200 feet wide by 80 feet tall. The steel frame alone, which will be supported on 12 concrete piers anchored 50 feet into the ground, will weigh 500,000 pounds. Adding the 165,000-pound 720p high-definition screen means the whole project will weigh as much as a fueled Boeing 747 aircraft.
Earth-moving equipment has been working since mid-January and will  ultimately relocate 18,900 cubic yards of dirt and 3,000 cubic yards of concrete.
The screen will replace bleachers that were first used during the speedway's inaugural 600-mile race in 1960.
Charlotte Motor Speedway President and General Manager Marcus Smith spoke about the addition of Panasonic's 16,000-square-foot "flat screen to end all flat screens."
"With more than nine million LED lamps, this video board will give people the benefit of being at the race - having the whole race experience -
and getting to see replays and important events up close," Smith said. "I can't wait to see it. Every time I look out of my office window, I wonder, is it here yet?"
NASCAR television commentators Jeff Hammond and Mike Joy helped Smith with the presentation.
Hammond said, "Bruton, Marcus, and the speedway are always raising the bar. '
Once again, here it is. My question is, will guys going down the back straight try to look up to see how good they are doing?"
Joy said, "This is a fantastic project. A lot of ballparks put in big screens so fans don't miss replays of important events.
This is a groundbreaking project. No fan is ever going to miss the action because it will be right here."
Members of the speedway's Fan Council, whose ideas and suggestions drove the project to reality, were in attendance. Daniel Sain, of Maiden,N.C., and Helen Bailey, from Cornelius, N.C., were on hand to inspect the screen's progress.
"I've been coming to the races here for 15 years," Sain said. "I watched my first race from the infield, where the view isn't so good.
This screen will give those folks an experience they've never had."
"This is the biggest Fans First initiative we have ever undertaken,"said Scott Cooper, vice president of communications for Charlotte Motor Speedway.
 "The Fan Council is a key part of everything we do here. We will work with them throughout the year to find out what we can do to benefit our fans even more."