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Daytona International Speedway to install LED lighting throughout the famed NASCAR track

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Daytona International Speedway is installing LED lighting in and around the famed 2 1/2-mile track that is expected to create “dynamic, visually engaging moments throughout race events.”

In collaboration with Musco, the speedway will install LED lighting on mast poles around the oval and on the road course as well as inside the infield and on pit road. Emergency lights also will be LEDs, and the project will feature LED accent lighting that will synchronize with caution lights.

“The new LED lighting system at Daytona International Speedway underscores NASCAR’s continued commitment to reinvest in its facilities, enhancing the overall experience for fans attending events at Daytona as well as those watching around the world,” NASCAR chief operating officer Ben Kennedy said. “The project will create new, visually compelling moments that drive fan engagement, elevate partner visibility and generate excitement across the sport.”

The upgrade will deliver brighter, more consistent illumination across the facility, significantly improving visibility for competitors and race teams, enhancing the in-person fan experience, and elevating television broadcast quality. Additionally, the new lights are expected to reduce energy consumption by approximately 50%, supporting NASCAR’s goal of achieving net zero operating emissions by 2035.

The project, the first renovation at Daytona since NASCAR’s $400 million “Daytona Rising” overhaul, is expected to be completed in January 2027.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

At 91, Dale ‘Grey Beard’ Sanders reclaims record as oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail

MILLINOCKET, Maine (AP) — More than 14 million older adults fall every year in the U.S., perhaps none so often as 91-year-old Dale Sanders. By his count, Sanders fell 71 times while reclaiming his record as the oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail. Six were what he calls hard falls, including one that led to a brief hospitalization and another just 200 yards from the finish. But none were enough to permanently divert him from the 2,193-mile (3,530-kilometer) trail that runs between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy defines a thru-hike as completing all of the trail's sections in any order within a year, allowing for pauses. Sanders started Sept. 6 in West Virginia, hopscotched around with some brief breaks and finished Monday atop Maine's highest peak, where he paused to pray at the sign marking the summit. “I had to thank God, and I had to thank my support team and everybody that got me here,” he said.
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