Fast Cars Meet Fast Network Speeds as Extreme Deploys Wi-Fi 6 at NASCAR Venues

By Greg Tavarez, TMCnet Editor  |  February 24, 2023

Sports venues are often crowded with thousands of fans. Those same fans are also trying to access the internet simultaneously, and they bring with them the expectations of having super-fast internet speeds for a more seamless experience to stay connected with friends, family and social media.

Wi-Fi 6 meets the needs of a higher network capacity and better performance to enhance the overall fan experience. Extreme, for example, is known for delivering services that connect devices, applications and people in new ways through its Wi-Fi 6 access points with cloud-driven Wi-Fi 6. Extreme delivers cloud-managed Wi-Fi 6 and analytics at Manchester United’s Old Trafford and Liverpool FC’s Anfield, and is the official Wi-Fi solution provider of the NFL.

So yeah, some big names in sports rely on Extreme for its Wi-Fi capabilities.

The same, until recently, could not be said about NASCAR (as some venues in rural areas did not offer Wi-Fi).

Well, not anymore. Five NASCAR racetracks now deliver Extreme’s Wi-Fi 6 network, including Darlington Raceway, Daytona International Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Richmond Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway. These racetracks are not small, either. Nearly 2,100 access points are deployed at Daytona International Speedway.

Still, with the new Wi-Fi 6 network, these racetracks offer fans the high bandwidth, high-performing Wi-Fi necessary to ensure they can seamlessly stream content as desired without missing key moments.

The fans are not the only ones who benefit, though. From the point of view of the IT teams at each racetrack, ExtremeAnalytics and ExtremeCloud IQ provide full visibility into network activity and performance, giving them access to insights that help venue officials make data-driven decisions to improve operational efficiencies. This includes identifying bottlenecks in venue foot traffic, when it’s necessary to open new concessions due to crowds, and detecting the usage of popular apps that could lead to commercial or marketing partnerships.

“The network is the central nervous system to power these next-generation services. The insights that NASCAR and our other customers can gain from our network analytics will enable them to make better decisions when it comes to improving the consumer experience and streamlining operations,” said Norman Rice, Chief Operations Officer at Extreme.

Beyond Wi-Fi, NASCAR is also improving digital amenities including mobile payments, digital ticketing and updated contactless point-of-sales systems. These are supported by the new Wi-Fi 6 network from Extreme, ensuring enough bandwidth for both operations and high-quality audio and video broadcast systems in addition to fan access.

“These five racetracks now have a network that can support adding more amenities for fans like in-seat concessions ordering, and our venue IT teams have confidence that they can easily monitor everything happening over the network so we can make real-time adjustments and ensure a seamless experience,” said John Martin, Vice President of Media and Event Technology, NASCAR.

He went on to say that these Wi-Fi technologies help NASCAR grow and modernize the fan experience for the next generation. Extreme, as a member of the NASCAR Technology Partner Platform, is transforming the racing industry with new levels of innovation and success by pushing technological boundaries.




Edited by Alex Passett
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