Like Grace land to Elvis devotees, the Daytona International Speedway is the Mecca of must-visit destinations for stock car racing fans. It's also the place where dreams are born and die for the NASCAR drivers who chase glory here every year during the track's signature event, the Daytona 500.
The Great American Race, as the Daytona 500 is known, kicks off the Winston Cup season every February, drawing the largest crowd in motor sports with more than 200,000 people in attendance. But stock car racing isn't the only high-speed action that plays out on the 3.56-mile track.
Ten major weekends of racing activity throughout the year include the AMA Super bike series during Bike week in early March and the World Carting Association finals every December. Other noteworthy races are the Pepsi 400, which takes places under the lights every Independence Day weekend, and the Rolex 24 during Speed week.
Massive is an understatement when describing the sheer size of this venue, which holds 165,000 permanent seats The track's impressive features include a 3,000-foot-long backstretch, 31-degree banking turns and the 2.5-mile tri-oval Super Speedway. During race-less stretches, the crowds continue to pour into the speedway to visit Daytona USA, an on-site motor sports attraction that dishes up the thrills with motion simulators and guided tours of the track.
