In 1991, NASCAR was experiencing a loss of fan enthusiasm and sponsorship leaving the sport searching for the silver bullet to bring back the excitement. This sparked a novel idea by Humpy Wheeler, former President of the Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS), “How about we run it at night?” So, in October 1991, the first superspeedway NASCAR race at night, “One Hot Night,” was announced with the Winston race scheduled for May 16, 1992.  

Hype for the race was important, but when the announcement was made, there was no clear lighting design in place. Adding to the drama, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and other NASCAR drivers complained about the prospect of racing at night and the unique safety concerns, such as dark spots, it presented. Furthermore, Speedway officials did not want fans in the grandstand watching the backstretch through an obstacle of poles causing a picket fence effect.

While researching a solution, CMS discovered Musco Lighting, a company speacializing in the design and manufacture of sports and transportation/infrastructure lighting solutions around the world. Tackling a 1.5-mile superspeedway was a new challenge, but one they were eager to solve, as their innovative lighting had earned them many awards since their inception in 1976. Musco Lighting was tasked with achieving high light levels with exceptional uniformity across the entire track with no glare or shadows to meet the needs of three specific parties: drivers, spectators, and television cameras.

After the race was announced, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and all the NASCAR drivers complained about the prospect of racing at night, particularly the potential for dark spots compromising safety. CMS also worried the light poles would interrupt sight lines for the fans. To ensure they understood the challenges at hand, Musco Lighting’s Chairman enrolled in the Richard Petty NASCAR driving school to witness the demands of lighting sight lines at high speeds. Furthermore, they built a 30' x 60', 50:1 scale model of the speedway in Iowa to gain a perspective of the project and simulate camera, driver and spectator viewing angles.  By the end of January, hot-dip galvanized steel prototypes had been installed in two sections of the Charlotte track to test under actual driving conditions. The innovative Mirtran™ system provided pinpoint light control, exceptional uniformity, and reduced glare – pleasing the television crews. It also passed the driver test as Darrell Waltrip noted after a practice run “I could see a dime 100 feet down the track.”

The Mirtran™ system, which uses mirrors to reflect light onto the track provided the optimal lighting for driver safety as well as viewing from the stands and TV, so the $1.7 million project was fast-tracked in order to meet the race deadline in May. The decision to hot-dip galvanize the poles was an easy one, as it was Musco Lighting’s standard specification, and Charlotte Motor Speedway had previous experience with galvanizing the front stretch grandstands in 1988. Hot-dip galvanizing also kept the project on budget and would eliminate the need for routine maintenance, saving money in the long run as well. Additionally, the primary components - zinc and steel - are natural, abundant, and 100% recyclable, rightfully winning acclaim for hot-dip galvanized steel as an infinitely renewable building material.

“One Hot Night” was a successfully showcase and paved the way for growth in many ways – for more night races (and lighting at speedways) as well as more use of hot-dip galvanized steel not only at CMS but throughout speedways in the circuit. “Stability and robustness of steel poles is integral to the precise aiming and holding requirements of the light fixtures. Speedway track personnel have stated surprise at the minimal amount of maintenance required to adjust fixtures to the hot-dip galvanized poles.”

Today at Charlotte Motor Speedway, there are more than 4,550 tons of hot-dip galvanized steel. In addition to the grandstands and lights that were present in 1992, CMS has added additional hot-dip galvanizing in the grandstands in 1995 and 1997; modifications to the wheel fence in 1999 and 2013; SAFER Barrier walls in 2004, 2009, 2013, and 2015; and HDTV Jumbotron in 2011. Outside of Charlotte, the use of hot-dip galvanized steel in motor speedways has also continued to grow.  At least 14 tracks use hot-dip galvanized steel in their SAFER barriers, wheel fence systems, grandstands, and/or lighting systems.

Based on a recent inspection and various mil readings of the HDG components, the maintenance-free longevity of hot-dip galvanized steel is apparent. Striving for sustainability is key to CMS and hot-dip galvanizing helps to reach that goal. Galvanized steel is made of natural, abundant and 100% recyclable elements – zinc and steel. Furthermore, the maintenance-free longevity means no additional raw materials, energy demand, or emissions have been used nor have any additional costs been accrued even after nearly 30 years in service and exposure to highly acidic exhaust fumes. In fact, based on the coating thickness, the hot-dip galvanized components are expected to have more than 60 years of maintenance-free protection remaining.

The success of “One Hot Night” was no fluke as Charlotte Motor Speedway now generates a regional economic impact of approximately $450 million annually from three premier NASCAR races as well as more than three dozen other events for motorsports enthusiasts. Thanks to the understated backdrop of hot-dip galvanized steel around the track in contrast to the desired pop of dramatic colors in marketing and advertising on LED Big Screens, billboards and does not detract from focus on the racecars. Thanks to the bakbone of hot-dip galvanized steel, fans will be able to come and safely enjoy the adrenaline-pumping excitement of the races for generations to come.

Coating Thickness