DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Construction stopped earlier this week to get ready for this weekend's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway, despite being in the middle of a $400 million renovation project.
"It may look daunting, but it's actually pretty easy to get in and get out," said Joie Chitwood, the president of Daytona International Speedway.
Ticket gates will be moved out to create walkways, and once inside, Chitwood said nothing has changed.
"All the new construction is really behind and above the current grandstands. It's a great view but it really won't get in the way of some great racing and a great experience this weekend," said Chitwood.
Fans will also get to see a preview of what's to come. They'll see plusher seats with cup holders, escalators and social zones where you can get online and share the experience. But all of those new amenities won't be ready by this weekend.
"You can see it, it's installed, but it's not operational yet. It's still under construction," said Chitwood.
Chitwood also said that traffic shouldn't be too much of a problem. The Daytona International Speedway is open, some parking lots will be open, but the area in front of the gates will be closed for traffic. Construction will pick back up next week and should be completed by January 2016.
Coke Zero 400 weekend kicks off with the Subway Firecracker 250 on Friday at 7:30 p.m.