Daytona 500 Race Information

The Daytona 500 is the marquee race in NASCAR racing.The race has grown into one of the biggest spectacles in American sports, watched by millions of viewers around the world.

  1. Significance

    • Billed as "The Great American Race," the Daytona 500 is also known as the "Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing" because of its significance. It attracts the largest crowds and TV viewership of the season.

    History

    • Although the first official Daytona 500 was run at the Daytona International Speedway in 1959, racing in Daytona Beach began in 1936 on a course that included sections of highway and Daytona Beach.

    Time Frame

    • The 2010 Daytona 500 is scheduled for February 14, 2010, but there are several other racing events before the NASCAR Sprint Cup event that make up what is called Speedweeks.

    Size

    • The Daytona 500 traditionally sells out the 168,000 seats around the track's grandstands, along with tens of thousands of fans who pack the track's infield in campers and RVs.

    Expert Insight

    • "It's the ultimate race," said three-time Daytona 500 winner Jeff Gordon following his 2005 Daytona 500 victory. "There's just no better place to win at than Daytona."