When CES did the infrastructure cabling for the Chicagoland Speedway, we had to pull out all the stops. This was the first speedway of its kind in the entire region, making it a landmark. This is effectively a full sized stadium: it seats up to 55,000 and hosts four day race weekends that see that stadium packed for days on end. We did the infrastructure cabling, connecting participants, stadium, and the outside world together. This is key to pulling off an event of this size.
We’ve all seen what happens when something goes wrong with the infrastructure at a sporting event. The Super Bowl between the 49ers and Ravens a few years ago suffered an electrical outage that lasted the better part of an hour. Millions changed the channel during that time, and thousands of fans in the stadium may have been scared, or struggled to figure out what was happening around them.
Look back to the ill-fated XFL, Vince McMahon’s challenger to the NFL a few years ago. After a surprising debut weekend, the league’s fate suffered when the telecast to their best game went out halfway through.
Keeping everyone in communication is important at an event this size. It’s obviously important for racing teams, but it’s also important for fans and workers at the stadium. It helps an event like this go off without a hitch, and it can make the difference between stadiums and even entire leagues making it to the next season. It’s also crucial that if something of immediate importance does happen – such as a bad crash or even a natural disaster – our infrastructure cabling will endure and allow everyone to access the communication they need.
We’re honored that Chicagoland Speedway entrusted us with such an important task, and we recognize how crucial it is to get it right both for everyday use and in the event it’s needed for something unexpected.