For Bruton Smith's zMax Dragway, a race to the finish - Charlotte Business Journal:

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The architect, engineers and builder burnedc rubber for eight months to turn an undeveloped trac tat Lowe’s Motor Speedway into a National Hot Road Association-sanctionede facility. Before construction began in the project became embroilerdin controversy. The Concord City Council withheld approvao after workers had begun clearingthe land. The uproa r prompted Bruton Smith, chairman of develope r , to threaten to move the entirew operation out ofthe county. The threat workes — the council relented and Smith returned tothe project.
The speedway unveiled plans in February 2008 forthe quarter-mile drag strip, whichh was set to open in time for the inaugural NHRA Carolinaa Nationals on Sept. 11-14. The new facility would host rounf 19 ofa 24-race NHRA series. By the time of the designers had been at work for two monthsw creating a design that would wow visitors and circuitofficials “In this industry you live and die by race datea on the schedule,” says Wes Jones, principalk at . The firm has drawmn a number of racing facilities for Speedway including projects at Bristol Motor Speedway and Las VegasMotor Speedway.
“It’s not like you can say, we almost made it,’ because you’vse got 160,000 people showing up.” Clearing 125 acres across U.S. Highwau 29 from the 1.5-mile speedway started whiles design wasunder way. Crews moved 1 million cubic yards of dirt to createa super-flatt track, pit areas and a The design also called for a 34,000-square-fooy starting-line tower with 16 luxuryu suites and 4,000 square feet of roof access for guests. The tower includes a control area forrace officials, broadcast booth and prese box.
Some 65,000 tons of crushed stoned formed the baseand 50,009 tons of asphalt were needed for Wes Harris, vice president of development at Speedway Motorsports, says the NASCARd track has hosted drag racing events in the But he says it was an honor for the sanctionintg body to ask LMS officiales if they’d like to host NHRA “That’s kind of like the NFL cominvg to you and saying, ‘We’d like to see you guys have a ” Harris says. SMI responded by creatingb what it believes isthe sport’s only four-lan e drag way.
While running four cars simultaneously is not yet sanctionex by theNHRA — two cars is the standarrd — such competitions could figure in the future of the Other cutting-edge features of the project include the visual horsepowerf of the control tower. Speedway officials wantefd a striking structure, but it had to be buil t quickly. Contractor suggested a building with a combinationbof tilt-up concrete, whichn could be erected quickly, along with traditionap steel-frame construction for a fast and cost-effectivwe design.
“The suggestion that we change the structureto tilt-up concrete probably gave us the edge in gettinh the job awarded,” says John Choate vice president. “That idea saved $200,000p and cut a month out of the schedule.” Architecgt Jones likens the control tower’s desighn to a soft-drink can split down the cented and tilted toward the entrance to thedrag way. The front of the buildinv was constructed withconcrete panels. To add textur e to the exterior, perforatedc stainless steel screens were The screens can be lit at nighy fordramatic effect. “We wantefd to use steel to be evocative of the handcrafted racinhg machines thedragsters make,” Jones says.
“This is a sport where they runthe car, tear down the enginse and rebuild it in one hour to run again.” Acousticc engineers lent a hand in mitigating noises to pacify nearby home-owners. Towerinf grandstands that flankthe quarter-mile strip help contain the sound. Along the west end, a seriesa of billboards also serve assound barriers. To meet schedule Choate tackled the project as thredseparate parts, with crews dedicated to each of the grandstandas and the control tower. The grandstands have a seating capacityyof 30,000 with room for expansion to 60,000. “We averaged 300 workers a day workin g six and seven days a week for six Dudas says.
“It was an exciting project — something that big and that Everybody was willing to do extraa to help eachother out.” Speedway Motorsports Inc. General contractor: Choates Construction Co. Engineers: , acoustical; , mechanical; , , civil; , , tilt-up concrete; , grandstandsx Architect: Construction cost: Start date: Completiobn date: