Dover installs new scoring pylon for MBNA weekend.

It's down with the old and up with the new at Dover International Speedway, as the circuit completes the installation is complete on a new scoring pylon in time for the forthcoming MBNA race weekend.

At 94-feet tall, the new pylon is more than twice the size of the old one. Located near the start/finish line in the infield, it will feature 17 total positions -- the top 15 drivers, with the bottom two spots scrolling through the rest of the field. The old pylon, originally installed in the mid-'70s, displayed only the top five positions, and was disassembled and removed earlier this week.

The new four-sided scoring pylon features rotating backlit panels with the logos of June's race sponsor MBNA, the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and Dover International Speedway. It also displays the lap speed of the race leader. All numerals are three-feet-tall and illuminated.

"This is just another way for us to improve the experience for the fan at Dover International Speedway," said Dover Motorsports executive VP Jerry Miraglia, "The state-of-the-art display provides three times as much information as our previous scoring pylon, and will be visible from all of our 140,000 seats."

MBNA recently announced the name and theme of the upcoming NEXTEL Cup race at Dover International Speedway. 'The MBNA 400 - a salute to heroes' will be held on 6 June - the 60th anniversary of D-Day. Pre-race activities will honour those Americans whose heroism in the liberation of Europe earned them the title of 'the Greatest Generation'.

Pre-race activities on race day will include a fly-over of World War II-era military aircraft, including the world's only B-29 bomber still in flight. D-Day veterans will participate in pre-race ceremonies and Peter Thomas, the former voice of the History Channel and a veteran of Omaha Beach, will read General Dwight Eisenhower's Order of the Day of 5 June 1944.

As Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, Eisenhower issued this order on the eve of the D-Day invasion. The order includes the inspiring line "we will accept nothing less than full victory." American Idol star Clay Aiken will sing the national anthem.