NASHVILLE, Tenn (WTVF) — The streets of Downtown Nashville are changing as racing fans get ready for the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix Indy Race and Festival.
Construction crews are ripping out the asphalt in Nissan stadium parking lots to lay down concrete for the paddock and pit lanes.
Crews are also doing preparations along the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge.
The day three-day event is estimated to bring in anywhere between $30 to $35 million to Nashville.
And all preparations to roads and parking lots for the race will cost the city nothing and will be replaced at no cost when the event is over.
"We are 60 days out from cars being in the race track here in Nashville," said Jason Rittenberry, chief operating officer for Music City Grand Prix. "For us, that means we’re having to get Nissan Stadium parking lot as well as our city streets prepared to be a racecourse for these 200 miles an hour Indy cars."
This temporary street circuit takes racers by Nissan Stadium, over the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge into downtown, the first motorsports course of its kind in the world to cross a major body of water.
"There was definitely a desire to bring this racing back and to do it on the city streets. That’s what’s going to be so excited about it," said Rittenberry.
For three days in August, the streets of downtown will be filled with music, food, and racing.
So far tickets have been sold to race fans in 46 states and the District of Columbia. Rittenberry says they've also sold tickets to fans in Europe and Mexico.
Tickets are still for sale, the event goes from August 6-8.
