Times-Villager > Business

When stock car drivers are zooming around the half-mile or quarter-mile oval tracks at Wisconsin International Raceway, the last thing they want to worry about is safe lighting.
A recent major upgrade of the facilityąs lighting system by Werner Electric Supply Co. has increased driver safety and improved viewing for fans, as well as reduced energy costs.
“The bottom line is the new lights make for better racing,” said Roger Van Daalwyk, who owns and operates the raceway.” The new lighting creates better visibility for the drivers and that makes for tighter racing and fewer crashes. There are literally no shadows. The drivers and fans really like the upgrade.”
The new lighting system includes 120 metal halide fixtures that deliver two to three times the illumination of the old quartz lighting system, which consisted of 90 fixtures that were installed when the track was built in 1966. The new metal halide lamps will last six times longer than the old quartz lamps, which had become expensive to replace. The new lights also use 25 percent less energy on a lamp-to-lamp basis.
The new light fixtures for the two tracks and pit area needed to be configured and positioned in a way that delivers maximum lighting for all areas without shadows and without shining light directly into the eyes of drivers or fans. Part of the solution involved the strategic placement of glare guards on 51 of the 120 new light fixtures.
A study of the track topography examined the height and distance angles of every light pole. From this, a computer program was used to develop a lighting map that laid out specific details on the type (flood or spot), number and angle of each light for each pole. In addition, each light has its own fuse, which ensures the integrity of the entire system.
“Lighting athletic fields, gymnasiums and other outdoor and indoor sports venues is a growing specialization for us,” said Dan Ebben, lighting manager for Werner. “While each venue is different, our goal is always the same. And that’s to bring together the best combination of visibility and cost-effectiveness.”
Werner Electric Supply Co. is a wholesale distributor of electrical technologies and services including industrial automation, lighting, electrical equipment and data communication products.