Daytona 500 Track History:
Daytona International Speedway is the home of "The World's Greatest Race" -- the Daytona 500. Annually, the Daytona 500 attracts the largest audience in motorsports.
Although the Daytona 500 garners most of the attention, the enormous 480-acre motorsports complex boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe -- earning it the title of "World Center of Racing."
In addition to 10 major weekends of racing activity, featuring everything from 190 mph NASCAR NEXTEL Cup stock cars to 170 mph AMA Superbikes to 125 mph WKA go-karts, the Speedway is booked for more than two solid months each year for testing and development of various race vehicles. Motorized meandering aside, rarely a week goes by that the Speedway grounds are not used for events that include civic and social gatherings, car shows, athletic games, photo "shoots," production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training.
"The Speedway is a venue that is known throughout the world as a top-line race track -- a place where everyone in motorsports wants to claim a victory," said Speedway President Robin Braig. "However, we're also committed to being versatile enough and responsive enough to provide a site where community activities can successfully be held."
DAYTONA USA, which opened July 5 1996, has transformed Daytona International Speedway into a destination for tourists looking to acquaint themselves with the history of motorsports activity in the Daytona Beach area. This is a legacy that includes world land speed record attempts, stock car and motorcycle racing on the sands of Daytona Beach along with a complete range of motorized activity at the Speedway, which opened in 1959.
DAYTONA USA, "The Ultimate Motorsports Attraction," is a highly-interactive multi-million-dollar entertainment facility designed to broaden the entertainment and educational experience for visitors of all ages -- whether or not they are racing fans -- and strengthen Daytona's status as a destination.
DAYTONA USA is open daily except for Christmas Day. In addition to the attraction, guests may experience the 30-minute Western Auto's Parts America Speedway Tour or visit the Sega Speedway video entertainment center, Pit Shop souvenir and gift shop, Fourth Turn Grill and the Daytona Beach Area Welcome Center.
Daytona is indeed the site of a diverse mix of activities. Go-karts, which look deceptively similar to the machines that can be driven by families on holiday, circle Daytona's vast expanse at speeds averaging more than 100 mph, competing for five days in December. Scott Pruett, a top IndyCar driver, was a multiple winner in karts at Daytona before he graduated to full-size race cars.
After a jam-packed month of race car testing in January, no less than 16 days of on-track activity mark Speedweeks, a varied festival of competition. Its diversity includes sports car drivers from more than 20 foreign countries in the Grand American Rolex 24 At Daytona and stock car drivers competing in five different series.
This amazing variety is only table-dressing for the medley of personalities and machines that invade Daytona for Daytona 200 Week in March. Each year, racers and fans from around the world converge on the Speedway for the best in road racing, supercross and dirt track competition.