Daytona International Speedway is the home of "The Great American Race" -- the Daytona 500. The Daytona 500 is the biggest, richest and most prestigious race in America and annually kicks off the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.
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 nine major weekends of racing activity, featuring everything from NASCAR to the Rolex Sports Car Series to the American Motorcyclist Association and the World Karting Association, the Speedway is also 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 Official Attraction of NASCAR," 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. Among the activities inside the award-winning attraction include the Pepsi IMAX Theatre, which shows "NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience" and "Daytona 500: The Movie," three different motion simulators, the Ford 16-Second Pit Stop and the Daytona 500-winning car.
DAYTONA USA is open daily except for Christmas Day. In addition to the attraction, guests may experience the Speedway Tour or visit the Daytona 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, compete for five days in December. Among the racing stars that have competed in go-karts at the Speedway include Tony Stewart, Bobby Labonte, Scott Pruett, Brian Vickers and Jamie McMurray.
After a jam-packed month of race car testing in January, Speedweeks arrives.
Its diversity includes sports car drivers 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.
A diverse group of events are held through the balance of the year, including two other major professional weekends, as well as Sports Car Club of America amateur sports car races; antique and classic car shows held in the spring and fall by the Daytona Beach Racing and Recreational Facilities District; the Police Motorcycle Skills Championship; various charity and community athletic events such as walk-a-thons, bike-a-thons and dinners; receptions; and picnics.
Daytona International Speedway Specifications
Superspeedway
2.5-mile trioval
40 feet wide with 12- to 30-foot apron
Turns
Banking: 31 degrees
Length: 3,000 feet
Radius: 1,000 feet
Tri-oval
Banking: 18 degrees (at start/finish line)
Frontstretch
Chute length: 1,900 feet (from turn to middle of trioval)
Total length: 3,800 feet
Banking: Minimal for drainage only
Backstretch
Length: 3,000 feet
Banking: Minimal for drainage only
Pit Road
Length: 1,600 feet
Width: 50 feet
Garage Area
NEXTEL CUP Garages (spaces for 74 cars)
Busch Series Garages (spaces for 74 cars)
Alternate garage pad (spaces for 54 18-wheelers)
Road Course
3.56 miles and 2.95 miles (incorporates tri-oval superspeedway and non-banked infield section) Infield course and chicane range from 30 to 50 feet wide
Speedway Facility
Total acreage: 480 acres
Infield: 180 acres (includes 29-acre Lake Lloyd)
Full schedule can be found here... http://www.daytonaspeedway.com