TALLADEGA, AL – International Speedway Corporation (ISC), owner / operator of 13 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities, including NASCAR’s Most Competitive venue – Talladega Superspeedway – today announced its partnership with ISM, a pioneer and leader in sports venue digital activation, to form ISM Vision Powered by BoldVu®, the World’s Largest 360-degree Digital Engagement Venue Network.
The new technology will be instituted at Talladega Superspeedway for its tripleheader weekend, May 5-7, with the running of the GEICO 500 for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the Sparks Energy 300 for the NASCAR XFINITY Series and the General Tire 200 for the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards. ISM Vision Powered by BoldVu® will debut during Speedweeks, beginning Saturday and running through the 59th DAYTONA 500 on February 26, at Daytona International Speedway. In addition, ISM Vision Powered by BoldVu® will be employed at all ISC facilities beginning in 2017.
“At Talladega we pride ourselves on the fan experience, and our fans have enjoyed our mammoth video boards since 2014,” said Talladega Superspeedway Chairman Grant Lynch. “Now, having the incredible digital technology from ISM and the ISM Vision Powered by BoldVu® Vision Boards, our fans will get the absolute best quality imaginable. Remember, this is more than a race…. this is Talladega.”
The 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway has five mammoth ISM Vision Powered by BoldVu® video boards that line the length of frontstretch, allowing every fan in the grandstands and towers to receive a crystal-clear, bird’s-eye view of exciting content. An additional ISM Vision Powered by BoldVu® video board gives campers atop the Alabama Gang Superstretch the opportunity as well.
“I look forward to working with ISC to revolutionize fan engagement at large sporting venues,” said ISM CEO Nelson Martinez. “ISC’s long and distinguished history in motorsports, its power as a brand and distinctive collection of key sports venues, is the ideal partner for ISM’s far-reaching and ambitious rethinking of how to better engage with and improve the fan experience.”
ISC’s trackside network of modular, large-format digital video boards will become ISM Vision Powered by BoldVu®. Displaying thrilling racing action, driver interviews and promotional content, ISM Vision Powered by BoldVu® will also be fully integrated with each track’s and Motor Racing Network’s (MRN) mobile app allowing fans to utilize way-finding technologies, and realize real-time traffic and weather alerts and event schedules. The ISM platform allows for a more integrated marketing experience and provides rich onsite activation opportunities. In addition, ISC and its advertisers and partners will benefit from expanded consumer analytics and for the first time, consumer insights on fan behavior, campaign engagement and the overall visitor experience.
“We are very excited about the long-term partnership with ISM to reinvent our digital video boards across the enterprise,” said ISC CMO Daryl Wolfe. “Our modular program puts the fans first and ISM has gone above and beyond to create an even more entertaining product which continues to improve the overall fan experience.”
Manufacturing Resources International (MRI), the technology leader in outdoor LCD displays, has partnered with ISM to be the cornerstone sponsor of ISM Vision Powered by BoldVu® at all ISC facilities. ISM Vision, Powered by BoldVu®, will include nearly 200 IP-connected digital displays, including each track’s large-format digital screens and dozens of 86-inch BoldVu® displays. Initially temporary, these displays will become permanent by the end of 2017.
“The ISM platform is a fan-focused technology that allows the venue, sponsors, and teams to interact in a way they have never been able to before,” said Jeff Hutchins, president of ISM.
Talladega’s weekend begins on Friday, May 5, with practice sessions for both the Sparks Energy 300 and GEICO 500. Also, taking place that day is practice, qualifying and the start of the General Tire 200 ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards event at 5 p.m. CDT.
Saturday’s activities include qualifying for the GEICO 500, as well as time trials and the running of the Sparks Energy 300 at 12 p.m. CDT. After the conclusion of on-track activities, the iconic Charlie Daniels Band will headline the traditional Saturday Night Infield Concert. The band is known for hits “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” “Long Haired Country Boy,” and a song called “The Intimidator,” which was recorded after Daniels met Dale Earnhardt Sr. in 2000 at Talladega. Admission is free with a GEICO 500 ticket.
The action concludes on Sunday with the running of the GEICO 500, which is set for a 1 p.m. (CDT) start.
Tickets for the GEICO 500 start as low as $50, while tickets for kids 12 and younger start at the low price of $10 (while seats last). Kids 12-and-younger will receive free admission in the grandstands and towers for the Sparks Energy 300. For more information, log on to www.talladegasuperspeedway.
About Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway is NASCAR’s Most Competitive Track (record 88 lead changes in 188 laps), most banked (33 degrees), and longest (2.66 miles), as well as the most fun and fan-friendly, offering up hundreds of acres of free camping, amazing kids ticket prices and special offers for military members and college students. The historic venue, built in 1969, is NASCAR’s “Party Capital” thanks to the track’s infamous infield, which features the traditional Saturday Night Concert and the world-renowned Talladega Blvd, home of the “Big One on the Blvd” party. It is the site of the most comfortable seats in motorsports, large video viewing boards lining the frontstretch and endless activities for fans throughout its event weekends. Talladega Superspeedway’s next NASCAR weekend is set for May 5-7 with the Sparks Energy 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race and the GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event, in addition to the General Tire 200 for the ARCA Racing Series. Log on to www.talladegasuperspeedway.
About ISC
International Speedway Corporation is a leading promoter of motorsports activities, currently promoting more than 100 racing events annually as well as numerous other motorsports-related activities. The Company owns and/or operates 13 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities, including Daytona International Speedway® in Florida (home of the DAYTONA 500®); Talladega Superspeedway® in Alabama; Michigan International Speedway® located outside Detroit; Richmond International Raceway® in Virginia; Auto Club Speedway of Southern CaliforniaSM near Los Angeles; Kansas Speedway® in Kansas City, Kansas; Phoenix International Raceway® in Arizona; Chicagoland Speedway® and Route 66 RacewaySM near Chicago, Illinois; Homestead-Miami SpeedwaySM in Florida; Martinsville Speedway® in Virginia; Darlington Raceway® in South Carolina; and Watkins Glen International® in New York.
The Company also owns and operates Motor Racing NetworkSM, the nation’s largest independent sports radio network and Americrown Service CorporationSM, a subsidiary that provides catering services, and food and beverage concessions. In addition, the Company has a 50 percent interest in the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway. For more information, visit the Company’s Web site at www.
About ISM
ISM Vision, Powered by BoldVu® embodies marketing and technology aligned to develop intelligent solutions which create new ways to engage visitors at thousands of locations inside and outside of large sports and entertainment venues. ISM uses the latest technology to incorporate valued fan functionality with at venue activation in a way that brings value to fans, venue owners, and advertisers. For more information about ISM Vision, Powered by BoldVu®, please visit www.ism.network.
About MRI
From their global headquarters in Alpharetta, Georgia, MRI designs, engineers, and manufactures enterprise-grade BoldVu® displays for use in dynamic, outdoor environments. Learn more at www.mri-inc.net.
