Hammers aim to raise the roof
12.00pm Update
Obviously the Air Roof plan may be a little ahead in the future, but the Hammers are working hard to develop the future of the club and the sport in Essex, and look forward to an enjoyable season with our fans in 2017. Our next event is the Meet the riders night which takes place at 7.00pm next Friday (the 9th) of April in the Garden Suite at the Park Inn hotel. Full details can be found here.
Original story:
As the Vortex Lakeside Hammers count down the days to the launch of their National League campaign, which starts in just less than two weeks, the club have also been planning ahead by exploring the potential development of a fully inflatable stadium cover, known as an Air Roof.
Hammers Co-Promoter Jon Cook commented “We’re always looking to the future, both on the track as we work with new, up and coming talent, and off the track too.”
“We’ve been looking at a new innovative track covering method which involves an inflatable membrane, stretching over the top of the Raceway, secured to a lightweight steel framework. The system and the technology involved could best be described as a cross between airships and poly-tunnels”
Cook continued “The entire membrane is made from recycled plastic, which is great for our environmental footprint, and rather than being dependant on trackstaff to put in position, the air roof simply inflates with a flick of a switch. We are also fortunate in that The Raceway is built in a natural bowl, so with the clearance this provides, the height of the metal framework is minimal, and we can keep all of the existing facilities in place below the roof.”
Fellow Hammers Co-Promoter Kelvin Tatum, who has seen many stadiums as he has travelled the world both as a rider and a commentator, added;
“Once fully inflated, the expansive area of the roof would make a truly impressive sight both inside and from above. In terms of financing the project, the external surface area alone will provide additional revenue opportunities, such as roof naming rights, as a range of branding would be visible to the flights which pass over The Raceway on their way to and from Southend Airport.
This really is a stadium solution out of the top drawer”
Image: An artists impression of the Air Roof