When Roger Penske and his team purchased the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), both the racing world and the greater sporting landscape knew that the winds of change were well on their way. The speedway has long been home to some of the most electrifying racing anywhere on the planet, with fans on the edge of their seats at every turn. Not having a strong view of all of that racing from their seats is part of what sparked a need for change in the fan experience. The IMS renovations will be talked about in the stadium and arena development space for years to come.
Prior to the Penske acquisition the concourse areas needed attention, and spectators could only view certain areas of the track as large pillars caused many to lose site of the action. The overall aesthetic needed modern technology infused to better align with fans expectations of a modern sporting venue. That needed to change if the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was going to thrive in the coming years.
Enter Roger Penske and all of this would change quickly. Plans to add premium fencing, 5G coverage, an improved winners circle experience, and most importantly an infusion of technology were laid.
Bluewater became a focal point of this revitalization. We helped to upgrade the overall audio-visual (AV) experience within the venue through a wide range of projects. Bluewater added a total of 28 new LED video boards around the track including 27 along the Paddock seating. This area had suffered multiple blindspots for spectators who would lose visibility to the race when cars would exit turn 1. Today, those in attendance can watch the race via one of the 8’ by 3.25’ LED displays when the action isn’t right in front of them.
Bluewater also updated video boards and displays in other areas of the iconic speedway. Our favorite part of this portion of the upgrade was the creation of a media wall located at the base of the Pogoda facing the famous Pogoda Plaza. This wall is 100 feet wide and 18 feet tall! During the race it will provide data driven updates for those in attendance and even the possibility to watch a race from the external portions of the venue without missing a beat of the action.
This is just the beginning of Bluewater’s involvement at the iconic raceway. Check back often to hear more about the happenings at IMS and how we are continuing to elevate the fan experience for racing spectators. To see a complete recap of this phase of the project click here. NBC also covered the initial race once the project was completed. Their coverage can also be seen below. For more information on Bluewater, or our sports-related offerings you may contact us any time and one of our AV specialists will answer any questions that you might have.
