Jump to content

Daytona International Speedway

Coordinates: 29°11′8″N 81°4′10″W / 29.18556°N 81.06944°W / 29.18556; -81.06944
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Susan Davis (talk | contribs) at 18:02, 31 May 2022 (→Video games). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Daytona International Speedway
The Daytona International Speedway Logo.
Location1801 West International Speedway Blvd,
Daytona Beach, Florida 32114
Time zoneUTC-5 (UTC-4 DST)
Capacity101,500–167,785 (w/ infield, depending on configuration) 123,500 (grandstand capacity)
OwnerDaytona Beach Racing & Recreational Facilities District[1]
OperatorNASCAR
Broke ground1957; 67 years ago (1957)
Opened1959; 65 years ago (1959)
Construction costUS$3 million
ArchitectCharles Moneypenny
William France, Sr.
Major events
Websitehttp://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/
NASCAR Tri-Oval (1959–present)[2][3]
SurfaceAsphalt
Length2.500 miles (4.023 km)
Turns4
BankingTurns: 31°
Tri-oval: 18°
Back straightaway: 2°
Race lap record0:40.364 (United States Colin Braun, Roush Yates Ford EcoBoost 3.5L GDI V6tt, 2013, Daytona Prototype)
Sports Car Course (1985–present)[3]
SurfaceAsphalt
Length3.560 miles (5.729 km)
Turns12
BankingOval turns: 31°
Tri-Oval: 18°
Back straightaway: 2°
Infield: 0° (flat)
Race lap record1:33.724 (Spain Álex Palou, Cadillac DPi-V.R, 2022, DPi)
NASCAR Road Course (2020–present)
SurfaceAsphalt
Length3.570 miles (5.745 km)
Turns14
BankingOval turns: 31°
Tri-Oval: 18°
Back straightaway: 2°
Infield: 0° (flat)
Race lap record1:55.677 (United States Chase Elliott, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, 2021, NASCAR Cup)
Motorcycle Course (2005–present)
SurfaceAsphalt
Length2.950 miles (4.748 km)
Turns12
BankingOval turns: 31°
Tri-Oval: 18°
Back straightaway: 2°
Infield: 0° (flat)
Race lap record1:37.546 (United States Ben Spies, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2007, AMA Superbike)
Sports Car Course (1984)[2]
SurfaceAsphalt
Length3.869 miles (6.228 km)
Race lap record1:45.209 (United Kingdom Derek Bell, Porsche 962, 1984, IMSA GTP)
Sports Car Course (1975–1983)[2]
SurfaceAsphalt
Length3.840 miles (6.180 km)
Race lap record1:45.360 (United States Danny Ongais, Lola T600, 1982, IMSA GTP)
Sports Car Course (1959–1974)[2]
SurfaceAsphalt
Length3.810 miles (6.132 km)
Turns7
Race lap record1:41.250 (United States Mark Donohue, Ferrari 512 M, 1971, Group 5)
Dirt Flat Track
SurfaceDirt
Length.25 miles (.40 km)
Turns4
BankingFlat
Short Oval
SurfaceAsphalt
Length.40 miles (.64 km)
Turns4
BankingFlat
Race lap record0:20.129 (Nate Monteith, Monteith Racing, 2013, Whelen All-American Series)

Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, the most prestigious race in NASCAR as well as its season opening event. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts races of ARCA, AMA Superbike, IMSA, SCCA, and Motocross. The track features multiple layouts including the primary 2.500 mi (4.023 km) high-speed tri-oval, a 3.560 mi (5.729 km) sports car course, a 2.950 mi (4.748 km) motorcycle course, and a 1,320 ft (402.3 m) karting and motorcycle flat-track. The track's 180-acre (72.8 ha) infield includes the 29-acre (11.7 ha) Lake Lloyd, which has hosted powerboat racing. The speedway is operated by NASCAR pursuant to a lease with the City of Daytona Beach on the property that runs until 2054.[1][4]

The track was built in 1959 by NASCAR founder William "Bill" France Sr. to host racing that was held at the former Daytona Beach Road Course. His banked design permitted higher speeds and gave fans a better view of the cars. Lights were installed around the track in 1998, and today it is the third-largest single-lit outdoor sports facility. The speedway has been renovated four times, with the infield renovated in 2004 and the track repaved in 1978 and 2010. The track is 50 miles north of Orlando.

On January 22, 2013, the fourth speedway renovation was unveiled. On July 5, 2013, ground was broken on "Daytona Rising" to remove backstretch seating and completely redevelop the frontstretch seating. The renovation was by design-builder Barton Malow Company in partnership with Rossetti Architects. The project was completed in January 2016, and cost US $400 million. It emphasized improved fan experience with five expanded and redesigned fan entrances (called "injectors"), as well as wider and more comfortable seats, and more restrooms and concession stands. After the renovations were complete, the track's grandstands had 101,500[5] permanent seats with the ability to increase permanent seating to 125,000.[6][7] The project was finished before the start of Speedweeks in 2016.

Track history

Construction

NASCAR founder William France Sr. began planning for the track in 1953 as a way to promote the series, which at the time was racing on the Daytona Beach Road Course.[8] France met with Daytona Beach engineer Charles Moneypenny to discuss his plans for the speedway. He wanted the track to have the highest banking possible to allow the cars to reach high speeds and to give fans a better view of the cars on track. Moneypenny traveled to Detroit, Michigan to visit the Ford Proving Grounds which had a high-speed test track with banked corners. Ford shared their engineering design of the track with Moneypenny, providing the needed details of how to transition the pavement from a flat straightaway to a banked corner. France took the plans to the Daytona Beach city commission, who supported his idea and formed the Daytona Beach Speedway Authority.[9]

The tri-oval after the 2010–2011 repaving

The city commission agreed to lease the 447-acre (180.9 ha) parcel of land adjacent to Daytona Beach Municipal Airport to France's corporation for $10,000 a year over a 50-year period. France then began working on building funding for the project and found support from a Texas oil millionaire, Clint Murchison, Sr. Murchison lent France $600,000 along with the construction equipment necessary to build the track. France also secured funding from Pepsi-Cola, General Motors designer Harley Earl, a second mortgage on his home and selling 300,000 stock shares to local residents. Ground broke on construction of the 2.5-mile (4.0 km) speedway on November 25, 1957.[9]

To build the high banking, crews had to excavate over a million square yards of soil from the track's infield.[10] Because of the high water table in the area, the excavated hole filled with water to form what is now known as Lake Lloyd, named after Joseph "Sax" Lloyd, one of the original six members of the Daytona Beach Speedway Authority. (The lake was stocked with 65,000 fish, and France arranged speedboat races on it.)[11] 22 tons of lime mortar had to be brought in to form the track's binding base, over which asphalt was laid. Because of the extreme degree of banking, Moneypenny had to come up with a way to pave the incline. He connected the paving equipment to bulldozers anchored at the top of the banking. This allowed the paving equipment to pave the banking without slipping or rolling down the incline. Moneypenny subsequently patented his construction method[citation needed] and later designed Talladega Superspeedway and Michigan International Speedway. By December 1958, France had begun to run out of money and relied on race ticket sales to complete construction.[9]

The tri-oval during the 2015 Daytona 500 with nearly completed grandstand in the background.

The first practice run on the new track was on February 6, 1959. On February 22, 1959, 42,000 people attended the inaugural Daytona 500.[9] Its finish was as startling as the track itself: Lee Petty beat Johnny Beauchamp in a photo finish that took three days to adjudicate.[12] When the track opened it was the fastest race track to host a stock car race, until Talladega Superspeedway opened 10 years later.[citation needed] On April 4, it hosted a 100 mi (160.9 km) Champ Car event which saw Jim Rathmann beat Dick Rathmann and Rodger Ward, at an average speed of 170.26 mph (274.01 km/h), at the time the fastest motor race ever.[12] It was the occasion of Daytona's first fatality: George Amick, attempting to overtake for third late in the race, hit a wall and was killed.[12] April 5, a scheduled 1,000 km (620 mi) sports car event (shortened to 560 mi (900 km) by darkness) was won by Roberto Mieres and Fritz d'Orey, who shared a Porsche RSK, which proved more durable than more potent competition.[12]

The tri-oval in 2017 after Daytona Rising was completed.

Lights were installed around the track in 1998 to run NASCAR's July race, the Coke Zero 400 at night. The track was the world's largest single lighted outdoor sports facility until being surpassed by Losail International Circuit in 2008.[citation needed] Musco Lighting installed the lighting system, which took into account glare and visibility for aircraft arriving and departing nearby Daytona Beach International Airport, and costs about $240 per hour when in operation.[13]

Layouts

Tri-oval

Map of the speedway

Daytona's tri-oval is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long with 31° banking in the turns and 18° banking at the start/finish line. The front straight is 3,800 feet (1,158.2 m) long and the back straight (or "superstretch") is 3,000 feet (914.4 m) long. The tri-oval shape was revolutionary at the time as it greatly improved sight lines for fans. It is one of the two tracks on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit that uses restrictor plates to slow the cars down due to the high speeds, the other being Talladega Superspeedway.[14]

On July 15, 2010, repaving of the track began. This came almost a year earlier than planned due to the track coming apart during the 2010 Daytona 500. The project used an estimated 50,000 tons[vague] of asphalt to repave 1.4 million square feet (130,000 m2) including the racing surface, apron, skid pads and pit road. Because of good weather, the project was completed ahead of schedule.[15]

On October 9, 2013, Colin Braun drove a Daytona Prototype car prepared by Michael Shank Racing to set a single-lap record on the tri-oval configuration of 222.971 miles per hour (358.837 km/h).[16] During NASCAR events, it takes less than a minute for the cars to complete a lap around the 2.5-mile tri-oval course.

Road courses

Map of the 24-hour road course configuration
Start of the 2011 Rolex 24 at Daytona

While the more famous 24 Hours of Le Mans is held near the summer solstice, Daytona's endurance race is held in winter (meaning more of the race is run at night). The track's lighting system is limited to 20% of its maximum output for the race to keep cars dependent on their headlights.[17]

The 3.81-mile (6.13 km) road course was built in 1959 and first hosted a three-hour sports car race called the Daytona Continental in 1962.[18] The race length became 2,000 km (1,200 mi) in 1964,[12] and in 1966 was extended to a 24-hour endurance race known as the Rolex 24 at Daytona. It was shortened again to six hours in 1972 and the 1974 rendition of the race was cancelled entirely.[12]

In 1973, a very sharp chicane was added at the end of the backstretch, approaching oval turn three.

In 1984[19] and 1985,[20] the layout was modified, re-profiling road course turns 1 and 2, and moving what is now turn 3 (nicknamed the "International Horseshoe") closer to its preceding turns. Also, the chicane on the backstretch was modified. A new entry leg was constructed approximately 400 feet (120 m) earlier, resulting in a longer, three-legged, "bus stop" shape. Cars would now enter in the first leg, bypass the second leg, and exit out of the existing third leg. Passing would now be possible inside the longer chicane. The construction resulted in a final length of 3.56 miles (5.73 km) for the complete road course.

In 2003, the backstretch chicane was modified once again. The middle leg was repaved and widened, and now cars would enter through the first leg, and exit out of the second leg. The existing third leg was abandoned. This allowed cars a cleaner entry into oval turn three. After favorable results, in 2010 the third leg was demolished and removed permanently.

Map of the Moto-Course

In 2005, a second infield road course configuration was constructed, primarily for motorcycles. Due to fears of tire wear on the banked oval sections, oval turns 1 and 2 were bypassed giving the new course a length of 2.95 miles (4.75 km). The Daytona SportBike that runs the Daytona 200 however, uses the main road course except for the motorcycle Pedro Rodríguez Hairpin (tighter than the one used for cars; the car version is used as an acceleration lane for motorcycles).[21]

On September 26 and 27, 2006, the IndyCar Series held a compatibility test on the 10-turn, 2.73-mile (4.39 km) modified road course, and the 12-turn 2.95-mile (4.75 km) motorcycle road course with 5 drivers. The drivers who tested at the track were Vítor Meira, Sam Hornish Jr., Tony Kanaan, Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon. This marked the first time since 1984 that open wheel cars have taken to the track at Daytona.[22] On January 31 – February 1, 2007, IndyCar returned for a full test involving 17 cars.[23]

Map of NASCAR road course.

On July 8, 2020, NASCAR announced that it would race the Daytona road course in all of its national series for the first time in mid-August (with the Cup Series racing the Go Bowling 235), due to current COVID-19 pandemic health restrictions in New York state (requiring 14 days self-isolation on arrival from other states) preventing the use of Watkins Glen International.[24] On July 30, a modification of the course to add a chicane near the exit of Turn 12 (NASCAR Turn Four) was announced, lengthening the course to 3.61 miles.[25]

Supercross

During Daytona Beach Bike Week, a supercross track is built between the pit road and the tri-oval section of the track. Historically the track has used more sand than dirt, providing unique challenges to riders.[citation needed] The 2008–2013 track configurations were designed by former champion, Ricky Carmichael.[26]

Daytona has hosted an AMA Supercross Championship round uninterruptedly since 1971.[27]

Flat track and infield kart track

Popular dirt-track races in karting and flat-track motorcycle racing had been held at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium but in 2009, the city announced the stadium was replacing its entire surface with FieldTurf, and thereby eliminating the flat-track racing at the stadium. To continue racing, speedway officials built the Daytona Flat Track, a new quarter-mile dirt track outside of turns 1 & 2 of the main superspeedway. It seats 5,000 in temporary grandstands and opened in December 2009 for WKA KartWeek. From 2010 to 2016, it also hosted the AMA Grand National Championship, before it was moved in 2017 to the tri-oval section and became a TT course.[28]

There is also a short paved kart/autocross track in the infield just inside of turn 3. The SCCA holds autocross on this track in addition to hosting sprint karting races during KartWeek.

Short track

In February 2012, it was announced that a 0.4-mile (0.6 km) short track would be constructed along the backstretch of the Speedway's main course, for NASCAR's lower-tier series to compete at during Speedweeks called the UNOH Battle at the Beach, which is similar to the Toyota All-Star Showdown, formerly held at Irwindale Speedway.[29] The first races were held on that track in February 2013. The track was shortened to a 1,980-foot (603.50 m) oval in 2014 by shorter straightaways. The future of racing at the short track is unknown after 2015 with the grandstands on the back straightaway being demolished as a part of the Daytona Rising project.

Football

In the fall of 1959, the track hosted several high school football games for the Father Lopez Green Wave in the first year of the school's football program.

The track hosted four college football games featuring the Daytona-based Bethune–Cookman Wildcats in 1974 and 1975. In early 2014 track president Joie Chitwood expressed a desire to bring football back to the track.[30]

Video games

In 1994, Sega released an arcade game called Daytona USA, using their Model 2 Arcade hardware. It was developed by their famed "AM2" development team. It featured a fully detailed 3D model of the circuit for the very first time. The soundtrack for the game included vocals by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi. It is widely considered to be one of the most successful and influential racing games of all time. Daytona USA spawned many sequels, both in the arcades and on various home videogame consoles. The latest version, Daytona Championship USA, was released to arcades in 2017.

iRacing.com have laser-scanned the facility twice. The first in 2008, and 2011 once the repave was completed. Both are available in official racing series. There has been no word to when and if it will be re-scanned now that the Daytona Rising project has now been completed.[31]

Both the oval layout and Rolex 24 Hour layout are available in both PlayStation 3 video games Gran Turismo 5 and Gran Turismo 6, and in the PlayStation 4 game Gran Turismo 7. Daytona International Speedway is also featured in Forza Motorsport 6 and Forza Motorsport 7 for the Xbox One and Windows 10.

Real Racing 3's second NASCAR update featured the Daytona International Speedway as a new circuit coming in three layouts. In addition to the oval and Rolex 24 Hour layouts in Gran Turismo, there also exists a Daytona 200 layout in the game.

Fatalities

Main article: List of Daytona International Speedway fatalities

A total of 40 people have been fatally injured in on-track incidents: 23 car drivers, twelve motorcyclists, three go-kart drivers, one powerboat racer, and one track worker. The most notorious death was that of Dale Earnhardt, who was killed on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 on February 18, 2001.[32]

Fan amenities

The former Earnhardt Grandstand at Daytona International Speedway, which was changed into one of the injectors after Daytona Rising

UNOH Fanzone

The UNOH Fanzone is an access package similar to pit passes for fans to get closer to drivers and race teams. The fanzone was built in 2004 as part of a renovation of the track's infield.[33] Fans are able to walk on top of the garages, known as the "fandeck", and view track and garage activity. Fans can also view race teams working in the garage, including NASCAR technical inspection, through windows. The garage windows also include slots for fans to hand merchandise to drivers for autographs. The fanzone also includes a live entertainment stage, additional food and drink areas and various other activities and displays.[34]

The 2004 renovation of the infield, headed by design firm HNTB,[35] was the first major renovation of the infield in the history of the track.[36] In addition to the fanzone, a new vehicle and pedestrian tunnel was built under turn 1. The tunnel posed a challenge to engineers because it was to be built under the water table. Another challenge came during construction when three named hurricanes passed by the track, flooding much of the excavation work. The infield renovation involved landscaping and hardscaping, such as a new walkway along the shore of Lake Lloyd, and the construction of 34 new buildings, including garages and fueling stations, offices and inspection facilities, and a club. The renovation project received a 2005 Award for Excellence from Design-Build Institute of America.[36] Following the success of the UNOH Fanzone at Daytona, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway each built a similar infield fanzone.[citation needed] On December 9, 2016, the speedway announced that the University of Northwestern Ohio purchased entitlement rights to the fanzone, and that the area will be named 'UNOH Fanzone'.[37]

Budweiser Party Porch

The Budweiser Party Porch was a 46-foot-high (14.0 m) porch located along the backstretch of the track. It was built on top of a portion of the backstretch grandstands and includes a 277-foot-wide (84.4 m), 33-foot-tall (10.1 m) sign, the largest sign in motorsports.[citation needed] The porch featured tables, food and drinks, offering fans a "fun-filled" atmosphere that breaks fans away from the confines of grandstand seating without sacrificing the view. Below the porch was an interactive fan zone featuring amusement rides, a go-kart track, show cars and merchandise trailers.[38] After the 2015 racing season, the Party Porch was torn down with the backstretch grandstands as part of the DAYTONA Rising project.

Events

Current

2.5-mile superspeedway

The start of the 2015 Daytona 500
The 2018 Coke Zero Sugar 400

Road course

Other

Former

Track records

As of February 2015, track records on the 2.5 miles (4.0 km) tri-oval are as follows.[45]

Record Year Date Driver Car Make Time Speed/Avg Speed
NASCAR Cup Series
Qualifying 1987 February 9 Bill Elliott Ford 42.783 210.364 mph (338.548 km/h)
Race (500 miles - 1 Lap) 2020 February 17 Erik Jones Toyota 43.682[46] 206.034 mph (331.580 km/h)
Race (400 miles) 1980 July 4 Bobby Allison Mercury 2:18:21 173.473 mph (279.178 km/h)
Race (250 miles) 1961 July 4 David Pearson Pontiac 1:37:13 154.294 mph (248.312 km/h)
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Qualifying 1987   Tommy Houston Buick 46.298 194.389 mph (312.839 km/h)
Race (300 miles - 1 Lap) 2019 February 16 Jeffrey Earnhardt Toyota 45.554[47] 197.568 mph (317.955 km/h)
Race (250 miles) 2003 July 4 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 1:37:35 153.715 mph (247.380 km/h)
NASCAR Truck Series
Qualifying 2015 February 20 Spencer Gallagher Chevrolet 47.332 190.146 mph (306.010 km/h)
Race (250 miles - 1 Lap) 2019 February 15 David Gilliland Toyota 46.008[48] 195.618 mph (314.817 km/h)
IROC
Race (100 miles) 1996 February 16 Dale Earnhardt Pontiac 47.926 187.793 mph (302.224 km/h)
ARCA Menards Series
Qualifying 1987 February 8 Bill Venturini Chevrolet 44.954 200.209 mph (322.205 km/h)
Race (200 miles) 1998 February 8 Kenny Irwin, Jr. Ford 1:18:20 153.191 mph (246.537 km/h)
ARCA Menards Series East
Qualifying 1989 February 18 Kenny Wallace Pontiac 46.810 192.271 mph (309.430 km/h)
Race (300 miles) 1995 February 18 Chad Little Ford 1:59:25 150.732 mph (242.580 km/h)
USAC IndyCar
Qualifying 1959 April 4 Dick Rathman Kurtis 51.970 173.21 mph (278.754 km/h)
Race (100 miles) 1959 April 4 Jim Rathman Watson 52.861 170.261 mph (274.009 km/h)

As of January 2022, fastest official race lap records on the road course layouts are listed as:

Category Time Driver Vehicle Date
Current Layout: 5.729 km (1985–present)
DPi 1:33.724[49] Álex Palou Cadillac DPi-V.R 2022 24 Hours of Daytona
LMP2 1:35.532[49] Paul-Loup Chatin Oreca 07 2022 24 Hours of Daytona
GTP 1:38.495[50] Masahiro Hasemi Nissan R91CP 1992 24 Hours of Daytona
DP 1:39.180[51] Sébastien Bourdais Chevrolet Corvette DP 2014 24 Hours of Daytona
WSC 1:40.545[52] Max Papis Ferrari 333 SP 1998 24 Hours of Daytona
LMP3 1:42.133[49] Felipe Fraga Ligier JS P320 2022 24 Hours of Daytona
LM GTE 1:42.168[53] Jesse Krohn BMW M8 GTE 2020 24 Hours of Daytona
LMPC 1:42.716[54] Patricio O'Ward Oreca FLM09 2017 24 Hours of Daytona
TA1 1:43.289[55] Chris Dyson Ford Mustang 2019 Daytona Trans-Am round
GT3 1:44.541[53] Marcos Gomes Ferrari 488 GT3 2019 24 Hours of Daytona
GTS 1:49.604[56] Robby Gordon Ford Mustang 1993 24 Hours of Daytona
MotoAmerica Supersport 1:49.959[57] Brandon Paasch Triumph Street Triple RS 2022 Daytona 200
TA2 1:50.470[55] Sam Mayer Chevrolet Camaro 2019 Daytona Trans-Am round
GTP Lights 1:51.009[58] Parker Johnstone Spice SE91P-Acura 1992 24 Hours of Daytona
GTO 1:51.774[59] Darin Brassfield Ford Thunderbird 1985 3 Hours of Daytona
GT4 1:52.952[60] Spencer Pumpelly Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport 2022 BMW M Endurance Challenge at Daytona
TCR Touring Car 1:58.100[61] Mikey Taylor Audi RS 3 LMS TCR 2021 BMW Endurance Challenge at Daytona
GTS-2 2:00.432[62] Wolfgang Land Porsche 911 Carrera (993) 1995 24 Hours of Daytona
GTU 2:01.031[63] Jay Cochran Porsche 911 Turbo 1994 24 Hours of Daytona
Mazda MX-5 Cup 2:07.207[64] Preston Pardus Mazda MX-5 (ND) 2021 Daytona Mazda MX-5 Cup round
NASCAR Road Course: 5.745 km (2020–present)
NASCAR Cup Series 1:55.677[65] Chase Elliott Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 2021 O'Reilly Auto Parts 253
NASCAR Xfinity Series 1:58.106[66] Ty Gibbs Toyota Supra NASCAR 2021 Super Start Batteries 188
NASCAR Truck Series 2:00.689[67] Ben Rhodes Toyota Tundra NASCAR 2021 BrakeBest Select 159
Sports Car Road Course: 6.228 km (1984)
GTP 1:45.209[68] Derek Bell Porsche 962 1984 3 Hours of Daytona
GTO 1:53.984[68] Wally Dallenbach, Jr. Ford Mustang 1984 3 Hours of Daytona
GTU 2:03.027[68] Elliot Forbes-Robinson Porsche 924 Carrera 1984 3 Hours of Daytona
Sports Car Road Course: 6.180 km (1975–1983)
GTP 1:45.360[69] Danny Ongais Lola T600 1982 3 Hours of Daytona
GTX 1:46.342[70] Danny Ongais Porsche 935 K3/80 1980 Daytona Finale 250 Miles
GTO 1:53.700[69] John Greenwood Chevrolet Corvette 1982 3 Hours of Daytona
Group 4 1:56.070[71] Peter Gregg Porsche 934 1977 24 Hours of Daytona
GTU 2:02.418[70] Walt Bohren Mazda RX-7 1980 Daytona Finale 250 Miles
Sports Car Road Course: 6.132 km (1959–1974)
Group 5 (Sports Car) 1:41.250[72] Mark Donohue Ferrari 512 M 1971 24 Hours of Daytona
Group 4 1:48.700[73] Jo Siffert Porsche 917K 1970 24 Hours of Daytona
Group 5 (Prototype) 1:49.604[74] Mike Hailwood Mirage M6 1973 24 Hours of Daytona
Group 6 1:54.000[75] Jo Siffert Porsche 908L 1969 24 Hours of Daytona
Group 3 2:08.200[76] Dave MacDonald Shelby Daytona Coupe 1964 2000 km of Daytona


Weather and climate

Daytona has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), which enables year-round use of the facility. Light frosts are in theory possible, but unlikely, during the 24-hour event's nighttime under clear conditions, but general racing conditions are mild also during winter. With a dry season taking place during the winter months, the 500 generally has good odds of being run without rain delays. The summer event under the floodlights is more likely to undergo disturbances, due to the rainy tendencies of the hot, muggy, and humid summers. Due to the complete difference of seasons, the two NASCAR Cup races at Daytona see vastly different track conditions.

Climate data for Daytona Beach Int'l, Florida (1981–2010 normals,[77] extremes 1923–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 92
(33) 		89
(32) 		92
(33) 		96
(36) 		100
(38) 		102
(39) 		102
(39) 		101
(38) 		99
(37) 		95
(35) 		90
(32) 		88
(31) 		102
(39)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 81.7
(27.6) 		83.4
(28.6) 		86.8
(30.4) 		89.5
(31.9) 		93.6
(34.2) 		95.1
(35.1) 		96.1
(35.6) 		95.4
(35.2) 		92.4
(33.6) 		89.5
(31.9) 		85.1
(29.5) 		82.5
(28.1) 		97.5
(36.4)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 68.4
(20.2) 		70.7
(21.5) 		74.5
(23.6) 		79.2
(26.2) 		84.7
(29.3) 		88.4
(31.3) 		90.2
(32.3) 		89.6
(32.0) 		86.9
(30.5) 		82.0
(27.8) 		76.0
(24.4) 		70.4
(21.3) 		80.1
(26.7)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 47.3
(8.5) 		50.1
(10.1) 		54.2
(12.3) 		58.6
(14.8) 		65.4
(18.6) 		71.4
(21.9) 		73.0
(22.8) 		73.4
(23.0) 		72.2
(22.3) 		65.9
(18.8) 		57.3
(14.1) 		50.5
(10.3) 		61.7
(16.5)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 29.6
(−1.3) 		33.3
(0.7) 		38.4
(3.6) 		44.6
(7.0) 		54.8
(12.7) 		65.2
(18.4) 		68.4
(20.2) 		69.5
(20.8) 		65.2
(18.4) 		51.1
(10.6) 		41.7
(5.4) 		32.8
(0.4) 		27.2
(−2.7)
Record low °F (°C) 15
(−9) 		24
(−4) 		26
(−3) 		32
(0) 		40
(4) 		52
(11) 		60
(16) 		63
(17) 		52
(11) 		39
(4) 		25
(−4) 		19
(−7) 		15
(−9)
Average rainfall inches (mm) 2.74
(70) 		2.78
(71) 		4.24
(108) 		2.18
(55) 		3.13
(80) 		5.83
(148) 		5.83
(148) 		6.40
(163) 		6.96
(177) 		4.21
(107) 		2.69
(68) 		2.63
(67) 		49.62
(1,260)
Average rainy days (≥ 0.01 in) 7.5 7.3 8.2 5.8 6.8 13.3 12.8 14.0 13.5 10.6 7.7 7.5 115.0
Mean daily sunshine hours 7.0 8.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 8.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 8.2
Percent possible sunshine 64 73 75 69 64 64 64 69 67 64 64 70 67
Source 1: NOAA[78][79]
Source 2: Weather Atlas (sunshine data)[80]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Daytona International Speedway.
  • Main Entrance at night (prior to renovation)
    Main Entrance at night (prior to renovation)
  • Cars practicing in 2004
    Cars practicing in 2004
  • Old Flagstand
    Old Flagstand
  • Grandstand (prior to renovation)
    Grandstand (prior to renovation)
  • Paul Revere 250 restart after a caution
    Paul Revere 250 restart after a caution
  • View from the former backstretch grandstands at night
    View from the former backstretch grandstands at night
  • Endurance kart race
    Endurance kart race
  • Racetrack skidmarks and view of old grandstand
    Racetrack skidmarks and view of old grandstand
  • View of Lake Lloyd
    View of Lake Lloyd
  • Infield garages
    Infield garages
  • Infield view from President's Row
    Infield view from President's Row
  • View of Victory Lane from a skybox
    View of Victory Lane from a skybox
  • Statue of Dale Earnhardt Sr. holding his winner's trophy
    Statue of Dale Earnhardt Sr. holding his winner's trophy
  • Rolex Clock at the garage
    Rolex Clock at the garage

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Horowitz, Etan (February 18, 2006). "A new lease on Daytona". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d "Daytona - RacingCircuits.info". Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Daytona Motorsport Magazine". Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  4. ^ Lane, Mark (August 5, 2018). "Little-known special district leases land under the Daytona International Speedway". Times Herald-Record. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  5. ^ "DAYTONA Rising". www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  6. ^ Reed, Steve (January 22, 2013). "Daytona International unveils plans for upgrade". Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
  7. ^ "Daytona Rising". Daytona International Speedway. Archived from the original on June 20, 2013. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  8. ^ Hawkins, Jim (2003). "Big Bill's Dream for America's Speed Capital". Tales from the Daytona 500 (illustrated ed.). Sports Publishing LLC. pp. 13–14 of 200. ISBN 978-1-58261-530-1. Retrieved September 28, 2009.
  9. ^ a b c d Aumann, Mark. "How Daytona International Speedway was created". Nascar.com.
  10. ^ "World Marks Likely at New Daytona Track". The Indianapolis Star. January 4, 1959. p. 21. Retrieved July 22, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  11. ^ Kettlewell, Mike. "Daytona", in Northey, Tom, ed. World of Automobiles (London: Orbis, 1974), Volume 5, p.503.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Kettlewell, p.503.
  13. ^ "Daytona International Speedway". Musco Lighting. Archived from the original on March 7, 2009. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  14. ^ "Track Facts". Daytonainternationalspeedway.com. Archived from the original on October 16, 2012. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  15. ^ "Goodyear Tire Test on Daytona's New Racing Surface Set For Dec. 15–16". Daytona International Speedway. November 20, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  16. ^ "Braun Sets Daytona Speed Record". Motor Racing Network. Concord, North Carolina. October 9, 2013. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
  17. ^ "Race Profile – 24 Hours of Daytona". Sports Car Digest. January 23, 2009. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  18. ^ "Daytona International Speedway". na-motorsports.com. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  19. ^ http://wsrp.ic.cz/imsa1984.html#1 Archived September 19, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ http://wsrp.ic.cz/imsa1985.html#1 Archived April 8, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ Adams, Dean (August 12, 2004). "Daytona Changes Course". Superbikeplanet.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2012. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  22. ^ "IRL Begins Testing at Daytona Road Course". Daytona International Speedway. September 26, 2006. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  23. ^ "IndyCar Series Kicks Off Two-Day Test at Daytona". Daytona International Speedway. January 31, 2007. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  24. ^ "NASCAR reveals rest of 2020 regular-season schedule". NASCAR.com. July 8, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  25. ^ "Daytona Road Course to have chicane; plus race lengths". Official Site Of NASCAR. July 30, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  26. ^ "Ricky Carmichael Designs Daytona Supercross By Honda Course For Second Straight Year". Daytona International Speedway. January 30, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  27. ^ "2015 AMA Supercross media guide" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 13, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  28. ^ "AMA Flat Track: DIS to Construct Dirt Track". Speed. July 31, 2009. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  29. ^ Haddock, Tim (February 15, 2012). "Source: Daytona building short track". ESPN. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  30. ^ Newcomb, Tim (January 21, 2012). "Source: Daytona International Speedway hopes to host college football game after renovation". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on April 29, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  31. ^ "IRacing Tracks Archive".
  32. ^ "Auto racing fatalities list". USA Today. February 18, 2001. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012.
  33. ^ Hembree, Mike (July 28, 2009). "NASCAR fans get in the 'zone' at Daytona International Speedway". Scene. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  34. ^ "Sprint FANZONE". Daytona international Speedway. Archived from the original on December 26, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  35. ^ "Daytona Speedway". HNTB. Archived from the original on December 31, 2010. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
  36. ^ a b Engdahl, David. "Daytona International Speedway Renovation". American Institute of Architects. Retrieved November 22, 2010.[permanent dead link]
  37. ^ "UNOH to Serve as Entitlement Partner of Fanzone". daytonainternationalspeedway.com. Daytona International Speedway. December 9, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  38. ^ "Budweiser Party Porch Is The Place To Be on the Superstretch for the 52nd Annual Daytona 500". The Catchfence. February 9, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  39. ^ a b c "Daytona International Speedway – travel – ESPN". Sports.espn.go.com. January 14, 2011. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
  40. ^ a b c "Events Calendar". Daytona International Speedway. Archived from the original on August 5, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
  41. ^ "Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200". Daytona International Speedway. Archived from the original on December 26, 2010. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
  42. ^ "2011 Rolex Series". Grand-am.com. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
  43. ^ "Daytona Supercross by Honda". Daytona International Speedway. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
  44. ^ "2001 DaytonaUSA.com 150 – 51's Third Turn". thethirdturn.com. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  45. ^ "Race Results at Daytona International Speedway". racing-reference.info. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  46. ^ "2020 Daytona 500". Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  47. ^ "NASCAR XFINITY 2019 Daytona". Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  48. ^ "NASCAR Truck 2019 Daytona". Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  49. ^ a b c "2022 Rolex 24 At Daytona Official Results" (PDF). Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  50. ^ "Daytona 24 Hours 1992". Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  51. ^ "2014 Daytona 24 Hours". Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  52. ^ "Daytona 24 Hours 1998". Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  53. ^ a b "2020 Rolex 24 At Daytona Official Results" (PDF). Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  54. ^ "2017 Rolex 24 At Daytona Official Results by Class" (PDF). Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  55. ^ a b "Trans Am Championship Presented by Pirelli - Round 12: November 13 - 16 2019 - Daytona International Speedway - TA SGT GT Round 11 (Official Race Results)" (PDF). Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  56. ^ "Daytona 24 Hours 1993". Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  57. ^ "2022 MotoAmerica Daytona 200 Supersport Race Results" (PDF).
  58. ^ Cite error: The named reference 1992_daytona24h was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  59. ^ "Daytona Finale 3 Hours 1985". Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  60. ^ "2022 BMW M Endurance Challenge at Daytona Provisional Results" (PDF). Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  61. ^ "2021 BMW Endurance Challenge at Daytona Official Results" (PDF). Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  62. ^ "Daytona 24 Hours 1995". Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  63. ^ "Daytona 24 Hours 1994". Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  64. ^ "2021 Mazda MX-5 Cup Daytona International Speedway Race 2 Official Results (45 Minutes)" (PDF). Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  65. ^ "2021 Nascar Cup Series O'Reilly Auto Parts 253 At Daytona Session Facts". Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  66. ^ "2021 Super Start Batteries 188 Lap Results". Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  67. ^ "2021 BrakeBest Select 159 Lap Results". Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  68. ^ a b c "Daytona Finale 3 Hours 1984". Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  69. ^ a b "Daytona Finale 3 Hours 1982". Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  70. ^ a b "Daytona Finale 250 Miles 1980". Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  71. ^ "Daytona 24 Hours 1977". Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  72. ^ "1971 Daytona 24 Hours". Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  73. ^ "Daytona 24 Hours 1970". Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  74. ^ "Daytona 24 Hours 1973". Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  75. ^ "Daytona 24 Hours 1969". Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  76. ^ "Daytona 2000 Kilometres 1964". Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  77. ^ Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1981 to 2010.
  78. ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  79. ^ "Station Name: FL DAYTONA BEACH INTL AP". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  80. ^ "Daytona Beach, Florida, USA – Monthly weather forecast and Climate data". Weather Atlas. Retrieved April 3, 2017.

29°11′8″N 81°4′10″W / 29.18556°N 81.06944°W / 29.18556; -81.06944

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Daytona_International_Speedway&oldid=1090841991"