Daytona Car Racing 

Although there had been some forms of racing earlier, stock car

racing begin in Daytona Beach on March 8,1936. At that time a section of paved highway on A1A was sectioned off. Drivers raced two miles south, parallel to the ocean, and then turned a block to race back on the sandy beach. In the early days, the lap measured 3.2 miles, but it was lengthened to 4.2 miles late in the 1940's. This race helped fan interest in stock car racing and aided in forming the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR).

The track changed over the years, and the Daytona International Speedway became home for the Daytona 500 since its opener in 1959. The event is traditionally held in February as the season-opener to the Sprint Cup Series. It's run over the 2.5 mile oval for 200 laps to make up the 500 miles. Daytona winners read like a who's-who in stock racing and include such greats as Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Cale Yarborough, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Allison, Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. The race brings in people from all 50 states and more than 40 other countries, making it truly an international speedway.

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