Related: World Renowned Venues To Be ‘Powered By Panasonic’
Movable Scoring Tower Provides Sharp Images of Live Action & Statistics
At Homestead-Miami Speedway − home to both the NASCAR and IndyCar Championship finals in 2010 − fan enjoyment has been enhanced by the addition of a double-faced large screen LED board installed by Panasonic and displaying live video and scoring information.
The tower at Homestead-Miami Speedway stands more than 150 feet tall from base to top and was designed to withstand winds of 150 mph or more during hurricane season.
Each face of the scoring tower contains a pylon measuring 16.2’ wide x 90.1’ high; with a cap display that is 20.8’ wide x 13.9’ high. With a pixel pitch of 22mm, the LED modules are designed and engineered with technology to ensure high visibility, even under the glaring Florida sun.
And while all of this is fairly typical for large screen installations that the Panasonic system integration team has designed and implemented in stadiums and arenas across the country, the Homestead-Miami Speedway project had a particular design requirement that demanded some extra ingenuity.
According to Jim Doyle, President of Panasonic Enterprise Solutions Company, it was necessary to be able to lower and remove the LED board from the scoring tower so that it could be moved to another facility that has an identical infrastructure. He said, “Since there are only a few major events at each of the NASCAR facilities, the plan is to build identical structures at multiple tracks. The LED boards are constructed in a way that will allow them to be transported between facilities. This efficiency allows them greater usage of the equipment and will lower their organization’s costs.”
To accomplish the task, the Panasonic team, working together with Homestead-Miami Speedway, devised and built a transportation and winching system that enables the LED boards to be lowered to the ground on rails, removed and then loaded onto a truck that will transport them to the next facility. “It is an inspired piece of engineering, ” added Mr. Doyle.
In addition to designing and implementing the movable LED scoring tower, the project scope also included the application of a front-end video system. The video display interfaces with the track timing system to allow fans to follow the live action in addition to stats of their favorite driver, including point standings, race position, running order, speed, lap count and so on.
Homestead-Miami Speedway is open year-round and made motorsports history in 2009 when it became the first venue ever to host all of North America’s premier motorsports championships, including the IndyCar Series, the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Cars Series and NASCAR’s series-crowning Ford Championship Weekend. Prior to the installation of the LED scoring board by Panasonic, the Speedway employed a fixed, five position scoring system.
According to Homestead-Miami Speedway President Matthew Becherer, the caliber of these championship events demanded that the Speedway
upgrade to world-class amenities.
“Our goal always is to improve the racing experience for our fans, ” Becherer said. “The size and resolution of these new LED panels is incredible and results in sharper images and a more engaging spectator experience, regardless of seat location. The response from our fans has been overwhelming.”
The large screen systems at Homestead-Miami Speedway are a prime example of Panasonic’s commitment to developing innovative technology solutions for their customers in ways that enhance the fan experience and engagement. Other high profile technology installations include the Beijing Olympic Games, Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, New York City’s Times Square, Princess Cruises and Major League Soccer, as well as AEG’s entertainment and sports complexes – including the award winning L.A. LIVE complex, which encompasses STAPLES Center and Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, CA.
For more information, contact Panasonic by calling toll free 1-877-438-7881 or visiting www.panasonic.com/experience.
About Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead-Miami Speedway is the only venue ever to host all of North America’s premier motorsports Championships, and we’re doing it again in 2010 as THE Championship Track will be the site of both the IZOD IndyCar Championship (Oct. 1-2) and NASCAR’s Ford Championship Weekend (Nov. 19-21), as well as the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series on March 6. Kids 12 & under are FREE to six of the seven races. For tickets and more info: (866) 409-RACE or THEChampionshipTrack.com.
MEDIA CONTACT: Jay Rand – (305) 230-5233 – jrand@HomesteadMiamiSpeedway.com
About Panasonic
Panasonic Enterprise Solutions Company, a Unit of Panasonic Corporation of North America, delivers customized integrated systems that provide intelligent, turnkey electronic communications solutions for a wide variety of industries. With thousands of products in the company’s core portfolio and the flexibility to draw on products from its global network of technology partners, Panasonic Enterprise Solutions Company designs solutions to fulfill the most demanding and complex system challenges every day. Panasonic Corporation of North America is the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC) and the hub of Panasonic’s U.S. branding, marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. For more information about Panasonic and its business solutions please visit: www.panasonic.com/experience. Additional company information for journalists is available at www.panasonic.com/pressroom.
