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112-500: The track has a current permanent seating capacity of 25,000, with potential to expand to 38,000 with temporary grandstands. It is one of three NASCAR tracks that features a concrete racing surface instead of the traditional asphalt; its sibling tracks in Dover, Delaware and Bristol, Tennessee , are the other two. Along with the main track, the track complex also features a 1.800 mi (2.897 km) road course layout that uses parts of

224-411: A calcium aluminate cement or with Portland cement to form Portland cement concrete (named for its visual resemblance to Portland stone ). Many other non-cementitious types of concrete exist with other methods of binding aggregate together, including asphalt concrete with a bitumen binder, which is frequently used for road surfaces , and polymer concretes that use polymers as a binder. Concrete

336-482: A 1999 bond deal to extend sewer and water lines, lackluster attendance was prevalent, and the addition of Kentucky Speedway to the Cup Series schedule in 2011 essentially killed any hopes of the track winning rights to a Cup Series weekend; the very goal that Dover Entertainment set. On August 3, 2011, Dover Motorsports announced the track's closure for the 2012 season, with none of the projected projects, other than

448-433: A French structural and civil engineer . Concrete components or structures are compressed by tendon cables during, or after, their fabrication in order to strengthen them against tensile forces developing when put in service. Freyssinet patented the technique on 2 October 1928. Concrete is an artificial composite material , comprising a matrix of cementitious binder (typically Portland cement paste or asphalt ) and

560-477: A Winston Cup date still being thought of as a longshot. In August, Dover Downs Entertainment expanded its plans for Nashville Superspeedway, increasing the budget to $ 125 million and aiming to buy 2,600–2,700 acres to build an industrial park . In early October, Dover Downs opted to file a separate rezoning request for 1,600 acres of land along the Wilson County border, deciding to submit both plans; although

672-472: A budget of $ 47 million, was now in doubt if it could make a sufficient economic impact. That same month, developers announced a groundbreaking date in August or September 1999, with new plans to oversee a 1,000-acre plot of land for private development. In July, Gaylord Entertainment backed out of the partnership, but Dover Downs insisted that it would not affect the construction of the track; a groundbreaking date

784-452: A cementitious material forms a cement paste by the process of hydration. The cement paste glues the aggregate together, fills voids within it, and makes it flow more freely. As stated by Abrams' law , a lower water-to-cement ratio yields a stronger, more durable concrete, whereas more water gives a freer-flowing concrete with a higher slump . The hydration of cement involves many concurrent reactions. The process involves polymerization ,

896-400: A concrete component—and become a part of the binder for the aggregate. Fly ash and slag can enhance some properties of concrete such as fresh properties and durability. Alternatively, other materials can also be used as a concrete binder: the most prevalent substitute is asphalt , which is used as the binder in asphalt concrete . Admixtures are added to modify the cure rate or properties of

1008-434: A dispersed phase or "filler" of aggregate (typically a rocky material, loose stones, and sand). The binder "glues" the filler together to form a synthetic conglomerate . Many types of concrete are available, determined by the formulations of binders and the types of aggregate used to suit the application of the engineered material. These variables determine strength and density, as well as chemical and thermal resistance of

1120-437: A fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water , and is the most widely used building material. Its usage worldwide, ton for ton, is twice that of steel, wood, plastics, and aluminium combined. When aggregate is mixed with dry Portland cement and water , the mixture forms a fluid slurry that is easily poured and molded into shape. The cement reacts with

1232-452: A greater degree of fracture resistance even in seismically active environments. Roman concrete is significantly more resistant to erosion by seawater than modern concrete; it used pyroclastic materials which react with seawater to form Al- tobermorite crystals over time. The use of hot mixing and the presence of lime clasts are thought to give the concrete a self-healing ability, where cracks that form become filled with calcite that prevents

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1344-550: A heavy emphasis has been placed on deemphasizing the IRL name and replacing it with "IndyCar". This became official on January 1, 2011, as Indy Racing League LLC adopted as its trade name INDYCAR. On November 1, 2013, the company's legal name was changed to INDYCAR LLC. The dispute between CART and IRL centered on the Indianapolis 500, long considered the flagship race of the sport. From 1980 until 1995, USAC continued to sanction

1456-415: A large aggregate that is too large for the size of the formwork, or which has too few smaller aggregate grades to serve to fill the gaps between the larger grades, or using too little or too much sand for the same reason, or using too little water, or too much cement, or even using jagged crushed stone instead of smoother round aggregate such as pebbles. Any combination of these factors and others may result in

1568-461: A large type of industrial facility called a concrete plant , or often a batch plant. The usual method of placement is casting in formwork , which holds the mix in shape until it has set enough to hold its shape unaided. Concrete plants come in two main types, ready-mix plants and central mix plants. A ready-mix plant blends all of the solid ingredients, while a central mix does the same but adds water. A central-mix plant offers more precise control of

1680-518: A location had not been selected, developer Denis McGlynn was "confident" the track would open by 2000. In April, he expressed hopes of hosting NHRA and IndyCar events. On May 21, developers anticipated a site decision within "three or four weeks". Three days later, The Daily News Journal reported that McGlynn had narrowed down options to four sites, likely in Rutherford or Wilson County . However, by July, construction had been delayed, putting

1792-476: A mix which is too harsh, i.e., which does not flow or spread out smoothly, is difficult to get into the formwork, and which is difficult to surface finish. IndyCar IndyCar, LLC (stylized as INDYCAR ), is an auto racing sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana . The organization sanctions two racing series : the premier IndyCar Series with

1904-469: A mixture of calcium silicates ( alite , belite ), aluminates and ferrites —compounds, which will react with water. Portland cement and similar materials are made by heating limestone (a source of calcium) with clay or shale (a source of silicon, aluminium and iron) and grinding this product (called clinker ) with a source of sulfate (most commonly gypsum ). Cement kilns are extremely large, complex, and inherently dusty industrial installations. Of

2016-657: A new national championship racing series, the Indy Racing League . This resulted in a legal battle over the IndyCar trademark: In March 1996, CART filed a lawsuit against the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in an effort to protect their license to the IndyCar mark after the Indianapolis Motor Speedway had attempted to terminate it. In April, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway filed a separate lawsuit against CART to prevent them from further use of

2128-502: A number of attempts at a compromise board failed, IMS formed the Indy Racing League in 1994 , with the series being slated to begin racing in 1996 . CART had primarily sanctioned Indy car racing since 1979 , when the organization broke away from USAC. George blueprinted the IRL as a lower-cost open-wheel alternative to CART, which in his view had become technology-driven and dominated by a few wealthy multi-car teams. The IRL

2240-405: A number of manufactured aggregates, including air-cooled blast furnace slag and bottom ash are also permitted. The size distribution of the aggregate determines how much binder is required. Aggregate with a very even size distribution has the biggest gaps whereas adding aggregate with smaller particles tends to fill these gaps. The binder must fill the gaps between the aggregate as well as paste

2352-666: A proposal that included free cars and engine leases to Champ Car teams willing to run the entire 2008 IndyCar Series schedule in exchange for adding Champ Car's dates at Long Beach , Toronto , Edmonton , and Australia to the IndyCar Series schedule, effectively reuniting American open-wheel car racing . The offer was initially made in November 2007. On February 10, 2008, Tony George, along with IRL representatives Terry Angstadt and Brian Barnhart , plus former Honda executive Robert Clarke, traveled to Japan to discuss moving

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2464-650: A result of the closure of the Dover Motorsports-owned Memphis Motorsports Park , Dover Motorsports opted to move their NASCAR Truck Series date from Memphis to Nashville, with Nashville now having two Truck Series races. The track became publicized in 2011 when Joe Nelms, pastor of the Family Baptist Church, gave a pre-race invocation that praised his family and NASCAR and its sponsors in an eccentric manner that later became an internet phenomenon. The prayer

2576-482: A result of the complaints of slickness, McGlynn opted to resurface a part of the track between the first and second turns. The facility held its first IRL race on July 21, with Buddy Lazier winning the event. Both weekends both did not see sellout crowds. Six days after the IRL event, NASCAR announced that the track was awarded a second Busch Series weekend starting in 2002. The next month, the track held its first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event. In October 2009, as

2688-424: A semi-liquid slurry (paste) that can be shaped, typically by pouring it into a form. The concrete solidifies and hardens through a chemical process called hydration . The water reacts with the cement, which bonds the other components together, creating a robust, stone-like material. Other cementitious materials, such as fly ash and slag cement , are sometimes added—either pre-blended with the cement or directly as

2800-493: A simple, fast way of getting a basic idea of the properties of the finished concrete without having to perform testing in advance. Various governing bodies (such as British Standards ) define nominal mix ratios into a number of grades, usually ranging from lower compressive strength to higher compressive strength. The grades usually indicate the 28-day cure strength. Thorough mixing is essential to produce uniform, high-quality concrete. Separate paste mixing has shown that

2912-469: A surprise move, Dover Motorsports announced the return of NASCAR racing; this time with the NASCAR Cup Series. Nashville Superspeedway in its current form is measured at 1.330 mi (2.140 km), with 14 degrees of banking in the track's turns, nine degrees of banking in the track's frontstretch, and six degrees of banking in the track's backstretch. Varying sanctioning bodies have disputed

3024-414: A total of seven times, leading to increasing doubt on whether the facility would be renovated. In July, the company defaulted on their purchase, and by August, Dover Motorsports opted to reopen the sale of the track. On August 25, 2016, Dover Motorsports announced the sale of the property to Panattoni, a California-based development company for $ 44.7 million. The company stated that they planned to redevelop

3136-511: Is distinct from mortar . Whereas concrete is itself a building material, mortar is a bonding agent that typically holds bricks , tiles and other masonry units together. Grout is another material associated with concrete and cement. It does not contain coarse aggregates and is usually either pourable or thixotropic , and is used to fill gaps between masonry components or coarse aggregate which has already been put in place. Some methods of concrete manufacture and repair involve pumping grout into

3248-559: Is then blended with aggregates and any remaining batch water and final mixing is completed in conventional concrete mixing equipment. Workability is the ability of a fresh (plastic) concrete mix to fill the form/mold properly with the desired work (pouring, pumping, spreading, tamping, vibration) and without reducing the concrete's quality. Workability depends on water content, aggregate (shape and size distribution), cementitious content and age (level of hydration ) and can be modified by adding chemical admixtures, like superplasticizer. Raising

3360-399: Is usually reinforced with materials that are strong in tension, typically steel rebar . The mix design depends on the type of structure being built, how the concrete is mixed and delivered, and how it is placed to form the structure. Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general usage. It is a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar , and many plasters . It consists of

3472-530: The Champ Car World Series before acquiring the latter. Today, IndyCar is owned by Roger Penske via Penske Entertainment Corp., a subsidiary of Penske Corporation . Penske purchased IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from Hulman & Co. in November 2019. The term "Indy Car" began as a nickname for the cars that competed in the USAC's Championship Division of open-wheel racing in

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3584-719: The Indianapolis 500 as its centerpiece, and the developmental series Indy NXT . IndyCar is recognized as a member organization of the FIA through the Automobile Competition Committee for the United States . The sanctioning body was formed in 1994 under the name Indy Racing League by Hulman & Company , which also owned the Indianapolis Motor Speedway complex, and began competition in 1996 . The trademark name INDYCAR

3696-673: The Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi . Moving that race, or postponing it, would be required in order to accommodate the Long Beach Grand Prix , which was scheduled for the same weekend. Optimism following the meeting was high. In February 2008, Indy Racing League founder and CEO Tony George and owners of the Champ Car World Series completed an agreement to unify the sport for 2008. The result

3808-522: The Nashville metropolitan area were made in a joint announcement between Dover Downs Entertainment (last known as Dover Motorsports) and Gaylord Entertainment (now known as Ryman Hospitality Properties), with hopes of the track hosting Winston Cup races. If successful, the track would be the first track to host Winston Cup races in Middle Tennessee since 1984, though the chance of success

3920-480: The construction industry , whose demand is ever growing with greater impacts on raw material extraction, waste generation and landfill practices. Concrete production is the process of mixing together the various ingredients—water, aggregate, cement, and any additives—to produce concrete. Concrete production is time-sensitive. Once the ingredients are mixed, workers must put the concrete in place before it hardens. In modern usage, most concrete production takes place in

4032-473: The "CART PPG Indy Car World Series" despite the body not sanctioning the 500. In 1992, during an attempt by CART to broaden their board membership, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway registered the camel case trademark IndyCar with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and licensed it to CART as their new trade name. In 1996, Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Tony George launched

4144-552: The 1990s and with hopes to bring back the NASCAR Cup Series to the Nashville area . The track opened in 2001 to host IndyCar and the second-tier NASCAR Busch Series (now known as the NASCAR Xfinity Series). However, a decade later, all major racing left the track due to poor attendance caused by the failure to obtain a Cup Series race, and was left desolate and abandoned for nearly a decade. In 2020, in

4256-679: The Fairgrounds. In early 2020, NASCAR Cup Series drivers, such as Clint Bowyer and Chase Elliott , began calling for the series' return to the Nashville area. However, they called for the series to race at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway due to its closeness to the Nashville metropolitan area compared to the Nashville Superspeedway. In June of that year, Dover Motorsports announced that

4368-432: The Fairgrounds. According to McGlynn, renovating the facility would cost an estimated $ 8–10 million. After an inspection that deemed the track in "phenomenal shape", in August, Dover Motorsports appointed Erik Moses to run the track. The facility was able to hold its first large-scale events in November, along with gaining confirmation of scheduled dates for its NASCAR events in 2021. The next month, Dover Motorsports rebranded

4480-510: The Indy 500, although CART drivers predominantly competed in the race and points that drivers scored during the event counted towards the CART drivers' championship. George felt that his opinions regarding increasing costs and revenue sharing were being ignored, while CART team owners felt George used his influence over USAC to have a disproportionate impact on the general operation of the sport. After

4592-420: The IndyCar Series for the 2003 racing season. CART, beset by team departures and other financial issues, filed for bankruptcy that year; a trio of former CART team owners were selected by the bankruptcy court to purchase CART's assets, which they used to reorganize the Champ Car World Series . The two series were unified for the 2008 season, with the unified series using the IndyCar Series name. Post-unification,

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4704-521: The IndyCar Series opted to change their location for the race to the Nashville Superspeedway after it was found that their course layout for 2024 would interfere with construction at the New Nissan Stadium , which was near the street course. As of September 2024, the fastest official race lap records at Nashville Superspeedway are listed as: Concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bonded together with

4816-621: The IndyCar Series) races in June 2000, with the inaugural iteration of the event taking place on July 21, 2001. The event lasted until 2008; although event organizers entered negotiations to renew for the 2009 season, by August 2008, negotiations had broken down, failing to renew their contract. In 2024, despite successful runnings of the Music City Grand Prix that took place on a street course in downtown Nashville since 2021,

4928-542: The NASCAR Xfinity Series) and the third-tier NASCAR Truck Series held races at the facility until the track's first closure in 2011. Both series returned to the facility during the track's reopening in 2021. Since 2021, the track hosts a NASCAR Cup Series weekend: the Ally 400 , which replaced a Cup Series weekend from the Dover Motor Speedway . The track announced its first Indy Racing League (now known as

5040-497: The Rutherford County plot was preferred, the company considered moving the entire project solely to Wilson County due to about 230 acres of land not being sold by disinterested property owners. On October 20, with the Rutherford County plan receiving increased criticism and adamant holdouts, Dover Downs announced the project would proceed solely in Wilson County. After a two-week delay for Wilson County officials to review

5152-415: The United States, deriving from the sport's most popular competition, the Indianapolis 500 . The division's link with Indianapolis soon resulted in the term surpassing the official term "championship car" (or its short form "champ car") in common use and promotions. The term continued to be used by the USAC's replacement as the dominant governing body for open-wheel racing, CART, which called its main series

5264-643: The absence of reinforcement, its tensile strength was far lower than modern reinforced concrete , and its mode of application also differed: Modern structural concrete differs from Roman concrete in two important details. First, its mix consistency is fluid and homogeneous, allowing it to be poured into forms rather than requiring hand-layering together with the placement of aggregate, which, in Roman practice, often consisted of rubble . Second, integral reinforcing steel gives modern concrete assemblies great strength in tension, whereas Roman concrete could depend only upon

5376-472: The addition of a SAFER barrier. The accident caused renewed discussion over the safety of the Next Gen car NASCAR had been using since 2022, which had seen multiple injuries within its first year, along with further criticism from NASCAR senior vice president of competition Elton Sawyer for the lack of a proper barrier. When the track first opened in 2001, the second-tier NASCAR Busch Series (now known as

5488-480: The ceremony, an analysis ran by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation found that building the 3,100-acre complex would seriously harm the habitat of the endangered Tennessee coneflower , with fears of destroying a major glade . As a result of this finding, CRASH attempted to tack on allegations of environmental destruction; the idea was repelled by track supporters, who claimed that

5600-630: The cisterns secret as these enabled the Nabataeans to thrive in the desert. Some of these structures survive to this day. In the Ancient Egyptian and later Roman eras, builders discovered that adding volcanic ash to lime allowed the mix to set underwater. They discovered the pozzolanic reaction . The Romans used concrete extensively from 300 BC to AD 476. During the Roman Empire, Roman concrete (or opus caementicium )

5712-454: The company planned to hold future NASCAR Cup Series races at the track by the next year, reopening the track. The decision was seen as a surprise by local Nashville media, as while the facility could be repaired within a year, the location of the track to the Nashville area made it less desirable than the Fairgrounds. However, due to simpler approval processes to resume racing at the Nashville Superspeedway, Dover Motorsports opted to choose it over

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5824-526: The concrete at the time of batching/mixing. (See § Production below.) The common types of admixtures are as follows: Inorganic materials that have pozzolanic or latent hydraulic properties, these very fine-grained materials are added to the concrete mix to improve the properties of concrete (mineral admixtures), or as a replacement for Portland cement (blended cements). Products which incorporate limestone , fly ash , blast furnace slag , and other useful materials with pozzolanic properties into

5936-399: The concrete can cause the initially placed material to begin to set before the next batch is added on top. This creates a horizontal plane of weakness called a cold joint between the two batches. Once the mix is where it should be, the curing process must be controlled to ensure that the concrete attains the desired attributes. During concrete preparation, various technical details may affect

6048-461: The concrete quality. Central mix plants must be close to the work site where the concrete will be used, since hydration begins at the plant. A concrete plant consists of large hoppers for storage of various ingredients like cement, storage for bulk ingredients like aggregate and water, mechanisms for the addition of various additives and amendments, machinery to accurately weigh, move, and mix some or all of those ingredients, and facilities to dispense

6160-608: The county. The local Wilson County Sports Authority, the Tennessee Department of Transportation , and Dover Downs Entertainment agreed to raise $ 15 million for renovations concerning the track's infrastructure, which was approved by the Tennessee General Assembly in March 1999. Due to the delays, in April, the track announced that the opening year had been pushed back to 2001. By May, the track itself, which now had

6272-528: The crack from spreading. The widespread use of concrete in many Roman structures ensured that many survive to the present day. The Baths of Caracalla in Rome are just one example. Many Roman aqueducts and bridges, such as the magnificent Pont du Gard in southern France, have masonry cladding on a concrete core, as does the dome of the Pantheon . After the Roman Empire, the use of burned lime and pozzolana

6384-536: The death of Tony Renna in testing at Indianapolis, the IRL made additional changes to reduce speeds and increase safety. IndyCar was the first racing series to adopt the SAFER soft wall safety system, which debuted at the Indianapolis 500 and has now been installed at almost all major oval racing circuits. The SAFER system research and design was supported and funded in large part by the Hulman-George family and

6496-429: The degradation in quality especially apparent during the Indianapolis 500, which saw a dramatic decline in prestige. The IRL began to draw top teams from CART starting in 2002, contributing to the latter's bankruptcy , replacement by the Champ Car World Series in 2003, and ultimate demise and absorption by the IRL in 2008. After absorbing Champ Car, the IndyCar Series became what the CART series from which it separated

6608-523: The facility and rezone the area into a "logistics and distribution park", with the company initially retaining the track. However, by late 2017, the company sent concept plans to instead purchase the land in phases. In March, a parcel spanning approximately 147 acres was finalized for a price of $ 5.1 million, with hopes to build an industrial park. The next year, in July, Panattoni bought another parcel of around 132 acres for $ 6.37 million. By November of that year,

6720-416: The facility run year-round, hosting both motorsports and technology-based events. However, the sale confirmation was delayed multiple times. In September, an extension was give until October 25 for NeXovation to further inspect the facility. In March 2015, after paying $ 400,000, the company was able to further extend their deadline. By the end of May, The Tennessean reported that the deadline had been extended

6832-454: The facility to Nashville-based technology company NeXovation for $ 45.8 million, with the buyer hoping to renovate the track. According to journalist Larry Woody , speculation arose that the CEO of the company, Robert Sexton, had hopes of continuing original plans for the complex or to turn the track into a testing facility. In an interview with The Tennessean , Sexton stated that he wanted to make

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6944-516: The facility. The first Cup Series race was run at the track on June 20, with Kyle Larson winning the event. In late 2021, track ownership changed hands when SMI bought out Dover Motorsports for a total of $ 131.5 million. The next year, on November 15, Moses stepped down from his position as general manager to become the CEO of the Fiesta Bowl . Two weeks later, the track appointed its vice president of events and operations, Matt Greci, to fill in

7056-431: The finished product. Construction aggregates consist of large chunks of material in a concrete mix, generally a coarse gravel or crushed rocks such as limestone , or granite , along with finer materials such as sand . Cement paste, most commonly made of Portland cement , is the most prevalent kind of concrete binder. For cementitious binders, water is mixed with the dry cement powder and aggregate, which produces

7168-571: The flower could survive the construction regardless and that CRASH paid no mind of the flowers until the finding was released. By January 2000, the NASCAR Busch Series (now known as the NASCAR Xfinity Series) stated that in 2001, they would move from its race at the Fairgrounds to Nashville Superspeedway, along with the longstanding flagship race of the Fairgrounds, the All-American 400. Four months later, developers began to work on

7280-489: The foundations of the track, hoping to open in April 2001. That same month, in an abrupt transition, the track switched general managers; Cliff Hawks, the executive director of the Fairgrounds, replaced Joe Ernest. With the additions of Chicagoland Speedway and Kansas Speedway to the Cup Series schedule, the chances of the track's hopes of getting a Cup Series date dwindled heavily despite McGlynn stating otherwise. In June, multiple developments were announced; construction of

7392-681: The gaps to make up a solid mass in situ . The word concrete comes from the Latin word " concretus " (meaning compact or condensed), the perfect passive participle of " concrescere ", from " con -" (together) and " crescere " (to grow). Concrete floors were found in the royal palace of Tiryns , Greece, which dates roughly to 1400 to 1200 BC. Lime mortars were used in Greece, such as in Crete and Cyprus, in 800 BC. The Assyrian Jerwan Aqueduct (688 BC) made use of waterproof concrete . Concrete

7504-477: The industrial park was opened as the Speedway Industrial Park. Discussion about the track being revitalized for racing was denied by Panattoni, with the decision to resume motorsports events at the track seen as highly unlikely. In December 2019, Woody reported that Speedway Motorsports, LLC (SMI) CEO Marcus Smith initially displayed interest of buying the track, but instead decided to pursue

7616-554: The interlinking of the silicates and aluminate components as well as their bonding to sand and gravel particles to form a solid mass. One illustrative conversion is the hydration of tricalcium silicate: The hydration (curing) of cement is irreversible. Fine and coarse aggregates make up the bulk of a concrete mixture. Sand , natural gravel, and crushed stone are used mainly for this purpose. Recycled aggregates (from construction, demolition, and excavation waste) are increasingly used as partial replacements for natural aggregates, while

7728-467: The lack of run-offs on oval tracks, coupled with higher speeds due to the long straights and banked turns, means that there is far less margin for error. Car design was attributed as a leading cause of early injuries, and the series made improvements to chassis design to address those safety concerns. Following a series of spectacular high-profile accidents in 2003 , including American racing legend Mario Andretti and former champion Kenny Bräck , as well as

7840-465: The length of the track; NASCAR 's official measurement is at 1.33 mi, while IndyCar measures the track at 1.333 mi (2.145 km). Along with the main track, an infield road course was built with the main track's construction. According to The Daily News Journal , the course measured 1.300 mi (2.092 km), and held its first races in July 2001. The track is served by Interstate 840 and Tennessee State Route 452 . State Route 452

7952-409: The main track along with an infield road course that is used to make a " roval ". The complex initially planned to expand further to include a drag strip, short track, and a dedicated road course; however, these plans were scrapped. Initial plans for the track were announced in 1997 by Dover Downs Entertainment (last known as Dover Motorsports) as part of a rise of popularity in stock car racing in

8064-406: The making of mortar. In an English translation from 1397, it reads "lyme ... is a stone brent; by medlynge thereof with sonde and water sement is made". From the 14th century, the quality of mortar was again excellent, but only from the 17th century was pozzolana commonly added. The Canal du Midi was built using concrete in 1670. Perhaps the greatest step forward in the modern use of concrete

8176-427: The mark. Eventually a settlement was reached in which CART agreed to give up the use of the IndyCar mark following the 1996 season and the IRL agreed not to use the name before the end of the 2002 season. CART returned to branding as simply CART for 1997, and resurrected the term "champ car" to describe their vehicles. Following a six-year hiatus, the Indy Racing League announced it would rename their premier series

8288-531: The material. Mineral admixtures use recycled materials as concrete ingredients. Conspicuous materials include fly ash , a by-product of coal-fired power plants ; ground granulated blast furnace slag , a by-product of steelmaking ; and silica fume , a by-product of industrial electric arc furnaces . Structures employing Portland cement concrete usually include steel reinforcement because this type of concrete can be formulated with high compressive strength , but always has lower tensile strength . Therefore, it

8400-419: The mix, are being tested and used. These developments are ever growing in relevance to minimize the impacts caused by cement use, notorious for being one of the largest producers (at about 5 to 10%) of global greenhouse gas emissions . The use of alternative materials also is capable of lowering costs, improving concrete properties, and recycling wastes, the latest being relevant for circular economy aspects of

8512-478: The mixed concrete, often to a concrete mixer truck. Modern concrete is usually prepared as a viscous fluid, so that it may be poured into forms. The forms are containers that define the desired shape. Concrete formwork can be prepared in several ways, such as slip forming and steel plate construction . Alternatively, concrete can be mixed into dryer, non-fluid forms and used in factory settings to manufacture precast concrete products. Interruption in pouring

8624-441: The mixing of cement and water into a paste before combining these materials with aggregates can increase the compressive strength of the resulting concrete. The paste is generally mixed in a high-speed , shear-type mixer at a w/c (water to cement ratio) of 0.30 to 0.45 by mass. The cement paste premix may include admixtures such as accelerators or retarders, superplasticizers , pigments , or silica fume . The premixed paste

8736-441: The mixture to improve the physical properties of the wet mix, delay or accelerate the curing time, or otherwise change the finished material. Most concrete is poured with reinforcing materials (such as steel rebar ) embedded to provide tensile strength , yielding reinforced concrete . In the past, lime -based cement binders, such as lime putty, were often used but sometimes with other hydraulic cements , (water resistant) such as

8848-402: The position. In 2023, during the 2023 Ally 400 , the track drew complaints from driver Ryan Blaney , who crashed during the race, hitting the track's inside barrier in the accident. The inside barrier had no SAFER barrier , a safety addition added to track walls widely implemented after the death of Dale Earnhardt . He later described the impact as the "hardest [hit] of my life", advocating for

8960-595: The project at risk. However, the News Journal reported that a 1,600-acre (650 ha) plot of land owned by Harding University in northern Rutherford County was under consideration, along with a second undisclosed site. By month’s end, the company began efforts to purchase the land and other smaller parcels. The project received mixed reactions from property owners in Rutherford County, with some refusing to sell. To further compound issues, many local residents voiced concerns about traffic and noise, with guarantees of

9072-438: The project hadn't started, putting the hopes of the track holding major events and economic growth for Wilson County businesses under doubt. At the end of its construction, Dover Downs was recorded to have spent $ 125 million on the initial phase of the project. The track officially opened to the public on April 7, 2001, for an open house event. Five days later, after a short electrical worker pay dispute that lasted for three days,

9184-506: The properties or increase the performance envelope of the mix. Design-mix concrete can have very broad specifications that cannot be met with more basic nominal mixes, but the involvement of the engineer often increases the cost of the concrete mix. Concrete mixes are primarily divided into nominal mix, standard mix and design mix. Nominal mix ratios are given in volume of Cement : Sand : Aggregate {\displaystyle {\text{Cement : Sand : Aggregate}}} . Nominal mixes are

9296-468: The quality and nature of the product. Design mix ratios are decided by an engineer after analyzing the properties of the specific ingredients being used. Instead of using a 'nominal mix' of 1 part cement, 2 parts sand, and 4 parts aggregate (the second example from above), a civil engineer will custom-design a concrete mix to exactly meet the requirements of the site and conditions, setting material ratios and often designing an admixture package to fine-tune

9408-550: The rezoning plans, the request was set for a hearing on November 7, with expanded plans to include a dragstrip , road course , dirt track, and a short track. The officials voted on December 21, approving the rezoning 22–3. This raised concerns over the future of Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway , valued as a historic site despite aging facilities. In February 1999, a group opposing the track, County Residents Against Racetrack Havoc (CRASH), sued Wilson County, alleging zoning violations and subsequent potential delays in construction against

9520-494: The road course began, the addition of an Indy Racing League (IRL) race, and the release of a new logo. The next month, although NASCAR stated they had no plans to hold a Cup Series race at the track, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) announced hopes to host events at the complex in 2002. Track paving was completed in early November, with tickets going on sale within the same month. By January 2001,

9632-411: The strength of the concrete bonding to resist tension. The long-term durability of Roman concrete structures has been found to be due to its use of pyroclastic (volcanic) rock and ash, whereby the crystallization of strätlingite (a specific and complex calcium aluminosilicate hydrate) and the coalescence of this and similar calcium–aluminium-silicate–hydrate cementing binders helped give the concrete

9744-497: The surface of concrete for a decorative "exposed aggregate" finish, popular among landscape designers. Admixtures are materials in the form of powder or fluids that are added to the concrete to give it certain characteristics not obtainable with plain concrete mixes. Admixtures are defined as additions "made as the concrete mix is being prepared". The most common admixtures are retarders and accelerators. In normal use, admixture dosages are less than 5% by mass of cement and are added to

9856-535: The surfaces of the aggregate together, and is typically the most expensive component. Thus, variation in sizes of the aggregate reduces the cost of concrete. The aggregate is nearly always stronger than the binder, so its use does not negatively affect the strength of the concrete. Redistribution of aggregates after compaction often creates non-homogeneity due to the influence of vibration. This can lead to strength gradients. Decorative stones such as quartzite , small river stones or crushed glass are sometimes added to

9968-435: The track announced additional suites from its initial 24 to accommodate higher demand. The track itself was completed the next month. The first test runs took place in early March, drawing positive reviews from testers Tim Steele and Shawna Robinson . Final approvals of zoning changes for the project were approved in the same month, essentially killing appeals made by CRASH. However, by this point, most development planned for

10080-441: The track had a reported capacity of 50,000, with hopes of expanding to 150,000 according to a 2001 report by The Daily News Journal . In the 1990s, a boom period of large-capacity and modern tracks that correlated with the rise of NASCAR occurred, with nationwide efforts being made to build tracks to lure a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race weekend. In November 1997, initial plans for a $ 25–30 million, 50,000-seat track to be built in

10192-543: The track opened to drivers and teams for practice and qualifying sessions. It drew mixed reception from drivers of the NASCAR Busch Series ; drivers such as Todd Bodine and Bobby Hamilton expressed concerns about a lack of grip, while others such as Kevin Harvick hoped that the track would gain grip as time progressed. The track held its first races on April 13 and 14, with Ken Schrader and Greg Biffle winning ARCA Re/Max Series and Busch Series events, respectively. As

10304-400: The tri-oval, being built. The company hoped to sell the track to another company. Although rumors were spread that the IndyCar Series would return in 2013, the closure continued into 2013 and 2014. In March 2014, Dover Motorsports representative Gary Camp stated that the only activities occurring at the facility was for testing. On May 30, 2014, Dover Motorsports announced that the company sold

10416-655: The various ingredients used to produce a given quantity of concrete, the cement is the most energetically expensive. Even complex and efficient kilns require 3.3 to 3.6 gigajoules of energy to produce a ton of clinker and then grind it into cement . Many kilns can be fueled with difficult-to-dispose-of wastes, the most common being used tires. The extremely high temperatures and long periods of time at those temperatures allows cement kilns to efficiently and completely burn even difficult-to-use fuels. The five major compounds of calcium silicates and aluminates comprising Portland cement range from 5 to 50% in weight. Combining water with

10528-439: The water content or adding chemical admixtures increases concrete workability. Excessive water leads to increased bleeding or segregation of aggregates (when the cement and aggregates start to separate), with the resulting concrete having reduced quality. Changes in gradation can also affect workability of the concrete, although a wide range of gradation can be used for various applications. An undesirable gradation can mean using

10640-527: The water through a process called concrete hydration that hardens it over several hours to form a hard matrix that binds the materials together into a durable stone-like material that has many uses. This time allows concrete to not only be cast in forms, but also to have a variety of tooled processes performed. The hydration process is exothermic , which means ambient temperature plays a significant role in how long it takes concrete to set. Often, additives (such as pozzolans or superplasticizers ) are included in

10752-524: Was Smeaton's Tower , built by British engineer John Smeaton in Devon , England, between 1756 and 1759. This third Eddystone Lighthouse pioneered the use of hydraulic lime in concrete, using pebbles and powdered brick as aggregate. A method for producing Portland cement was developed in England and patented by Joseph Aspdin in 1824. Aspdin chose the name for its similarity to Portland stone , which

10864-415: Was and its related European open-wheel formula counterparts: former prominent CART teams such as Chip Ganassi Racing and Team Penske are frequent race winners, there is a strong contingent of foreign-born drivers, the cars are increasingly electronic and aero dependent and the schedule includes more road and street courses than oval tracks. On January 23, 2008, Tony George offered Champ Car management

10976-402: Was built as part of a project by the Tennessee Department of Transportation in 2000 in order to accommodate traffic for the track. According to The Tennessean , as of 2021, the track has a permanent seating capacity of 25,000, with potential to increase to 40,000 for NASCAR races with temporary grandstands. In 2023, a capacity with the temporary grandstands was reported at 38,000. At its peak,

11088-626: Was built largely of concrete, and the Pantheon has the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. Concrete, as the Romans knew it, was a new and revolutionary material. Laid in the shape of arches , vaults and domes , it quickly hardened into a rigid mass, free from many of the internal thrusts and strains that troubled the builders of similar structures in stone or brick. Modern tests show that opus caementicium had as much compressive strength as modern Portland-cement concrete (c. 200 kg/cm  [20 MPa; 2,800 psi]). However, due to

11200-565: Was designed only to run on oval tracks, in order to promote American drivers from the midget and sprint car ranks to graduate to IndyCar racing, the same way that IndyCar legends A.J. Foyt , Mario Andretti , Johnny Rutherford , and the Unsers ( Al Unser, Sr. and Bobby Unser ) had in the 1960s. Starting with the first IRL season, the league proclaimed that 25 of the 33 spots in the Indy 500 starting grid would be reserved for cars from full-time IRL teams. In 1996, CART retaliated by scheduling what

11312-602: Was greatly reduced. Low kiln temperatures in the burning of lime, lack of pozzolana, and poor mixing all contributed to a decline in the quality of concrete and mortar. From the 11th century, the increased use of stone in church and castle construction led to an increased demand for mortar. Quality began to improve in the 12th century through better grinding and sieving. Medieval lime mortars and concretes were non-hydraulic and were used for binding masonry, "hearting" (binding rubble masonry cores) and foundations. Bartholomaeus Anglicus in his De proprietatibus rerum (1240) describes

11424-489: Was introduced for the 2012 season. IndyCar collaborated with DreamWorks Animation to launch comedy film Turbo in 2013. Bernard was fired in October 2012, and replaced by Mark Miles . Driver safety has also been a major point of concern, with a number of drivers seriously injured, particularly in the early years of the series. There have been five fatal crashes in the history of the series. Compared to road racing venues,

11536-408: Was later announced on August 12, to take place on the 26th of the same month. The track was officially named "Nashville Superspeedway" on the 25th. Groundbreaking took place as scheduled. However, just before the groundbreaking ceremony, CRASH accused Dover Downs and Wilson County of "fail[ing] to follow its ordinances" and a lack of notice of intent to rezone, adding to their lawsuit. Three days after

11648-452: Was made from quicklime , pozzolana and an aggregate of pumice . Its widespread use in many Roman structures , a key event in the history of architecture termed the Roman architectural revolution , freed Roman construction from the restrictions of stone and brick materials. It enabled revolutionary new designs in terms of both structural complexity and dimension. The Colosseum in Rome

11760-573: Was met with heavy skepticism due to the track's small capacity. In the early planning stages, although track developers expressed desires to build the track and prioritize finding a location within Davidson County , they couldn't find a suitable 1,200-acre site, with developers getting suggestions to look outside Davidson County. Developers later stated that they planned to build an initial track that could hold 50,000, with potential to expand to 150,000 to 200,000 if needed. By March 1998, although

11872-403: Was met with mixed reception; it drew criticism from ESPN reporter David Newton for "put[ting] the spotlight on anybody but himself", while Bleacher Report writer Richard Langford praised it, stating that the invocation had "managed to produce something memorable without being disrespectful". By 2011, the track faced a litany of issues. The track had a recorded $ 21 million in bond debt from

11984-611: Was officially adopted on January 1, 2011. The sport of open-wheel car racing, also historically referred to as championship car racing or Indy car racing, traces its roots to as early as 1905. It is the fourth major sanctioning body to govern the sport of Indy car racing, following the American Automobile Association 's AAA Contest Board , the United States Auto Club (USAC), and Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), and operated alongside

12096-498: Was pioneered by the Nabatean traders who occupied and controlled a series of oases and developed a small empire in the regions of southern Syria and northern Jordan from the 4th century BC. They discovered the advantages of hydraulic lime , with some self-cementing properties, by 700 BC. They built kilns to supply mortar for the construction of rubble masonry houses, concrete floors, and underground waterproof cisterns . They kept

12208-622: Was quarried on the Isle of Portland in Dorset , England. His son William continued developments into the 1840s, earning him recognition for the development of "modern" Portland cement. Reinforced concrete was invented in 1849 by Joseph Monier . and the first reinforced concrete house was built by François Coignet in 1853. The first concrete reinforced bridge was designed and built by Joseph Monier in 1875. Prestressed concrete and post-tensioned concrete were pioneered by Eugène Freyssinet ,

12320-453: Was supposed to become its new showcase event, the U.S. 500 , at Michigan International Speedway on Memorial Day , the traditional date for the Indy 500. The new 1997 technical rules featured less expensive chassis and "production-based" engines that were purchased rather than leased, but most importantly, were technically incompatible with CART specifications. The IRL's early seasons consisted of sparse schedules and inexperienced teams, with

12432-460: Was that the Champ Car World Series was suspended except for the Long Beach Grand Prix . Many of the former Champ Car teams moved to the IndyCar Series using equipment provided by the IRL. Randy Bernard was announced as the new IRL CEO in February 2010. In 2011, the sanctioning body dropped the Indy Racing League name, becoming IndyCar to reflect the merged series. The new Dallara DW12 racecar

12544-625: Was used for construction in many ancient structures. Mayan concrete at the ruins of Uxmal (AD 850–925) is referenced in Incidents of Travel in the Yucatán by John L. Stephens . "The roof is flat and had been covered with cement". "The floors were cement, in some places hard, but, by long exposure, broken, and now crumbling under the feet." "But throughout the wall was solid, and consisting of large stones imbedded in mortar, almost as hard as rock." Small-scale production of concrete-like materials

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