Installation of new seats progressing at Talladega

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Workers began installing the first of over 18,000 new seats at Talladega Superspeedway in anticipation of the April 23-25 Aaron's Dream Weekend.

Crews continue to pour concrete and lay the foundations for the new seats, while other crews put the finishing touches on completed sections.

"The construction teams have been working nonstop to complete the grandstands in time for the Aaron's Dream Weekend," said Talladega Superspeedway president Rick Humphrey. "Their hard work is paying off, as they are currently several weeks ahead of schedule."

Some notable numbers that have come out of the project so far:

• Once complete, the entire grandstand project will have used enough concrete to pour the foundations for over 300 single-family homes.

• There is approximately 24,000 feet of caulked joints on the job. That's over 4.5 miles of caulking, or enough to lay a half-inch strip around the track 1.5 times.

• There are over 42 miles of reinforced steel embedded in the concrete foundations.

• There will be nearly a mile of handrails in the new grandstands.