Daytona International Speedway

Daytona International Speedway at a glance

Location

Daytona Beach, Florida

Type

road course & oval

Length

2.5 mi (4.023 km)

Turns

4

Direction

counter-clockwise

Banking

31° in the turns, 18° at start/finish, 3° on the backstretch

Surface

asphalt

Opened

1959

Owner

NASCAR

Capacity

101,500

Address

1801 W International Speedway Blvd

Phone

+1-386-681-4185

Website

daytonainternationalspeedway.com

Track map and layout

Daytona is a 2.5-mile tri-oval, the template for modern superspeedway racing since it opened in 1959. Its 31-degree banked turns let stock cars run flat-out, which packs the field together and produces the drafting, pack racing and multi-car 'Big One' wrecks the track is famous for. A separate infield road course, incorporating part of the oval and the frontstretch, stretches the layout to roughly 3.56 miles with 12 turns and is used for endurance racing rather than pure speed. The 2013-2016 'Daytona Rising' project rebuilt the frontstretch grandstands into wide, tiered concourses with better sightlines, five entry 'injector' portals, and season-round-usable social and club spaces, changing the fan experience without touching the racing surface itself.

Named corners and sections

• Turn 1. First of the tri-oval's high-banked turns leading off the frontstretch; where the field first bunches up after the green flag.
• Bus Stop chicane. A tight chicane added to the infield road course near the entrance to pit road to slow cars for the road-racing configuration used in the Rolex 24.

Configurations

Events and race weekends

Daytona's calendar centers on Speedweeks each February, headlined by the Daytona 500, NASCAR's season-opening 'Great American Race,' preceded by the Busch Light Clash exhibition and the Duel qualifying races. The Rolex 24 at Daytona, IMSA's twice-around-the-clock endurance classic, runs on the road course in late January. NASCAR returns in August for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 night race, and the Daytona 200 motorcycle race and Daytona Supercross round out a year that also includes truck and Xfinity series support races.

Getting there and parking

Daytona Beach International Airport sits directly adjacent to the speedway property, a few minutes' drive from the main gates, and Orlando International Airport is about an hour southwest for travelers who want more flight options. The track is just off Interstate 95 and International Speedway Boulevard, making it an easy drive from anywhere in central Florida.

• Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB) · about 5 min drive
• Orlando International Airport (MCO) · about 60 min drive

Parking

Paid general parking lots surround the speedway and open on a day-of, first-come basis for most events; pricing and which lots open vary by race. Arriving early is strongly advised for the Daytona 500 and Coke Zero Sugar 400, when lots fill well before the green flag.

Book Daytona 500 parking and camping passes as far ahead as possible, since Speedweeks routinely sells out lots close to the track.

Hotels and camping near Daytona International Speedway

Most visitors stay in Daytona Beach itself, a few minutes from the track, or in nearby Ormond Beach and Port Orange for quieter options. Hotel rates spike sharply during Speedweeks in February and Bike Week, so booking months ahead is standard practice for the Daytona 500.

Where to look

Daytona Beach oceanfront, Ormond Beach and Port Orange, plus chain hotels along International Speedway Boulevard near the track.

Track days, driving experiences and lap records

The public cannot bring their own car onto the Daytona oval, but ride-along and driving experiences in real stock cars are available through the track's on-site partner program on select dates tied to the racing calendar. Guided track tours run daily outside event weeks, taking visitors down pit road and into Victory Lane. There is no regular open-track HPDE program at Daytona given its superspeedway configuration and NASCAR ownership.

Who runs days here

• NASCAR Racing Experienceboth

Typical cost: Ride-along experiences from roughly $190 for three laps; driving experiences from roughly $400; track tours around $26 for adults

Lap records

Spectator guide

The rebuilt frontstretch grandstands from the 'Daytona Rising' project give most seats wide concourses, more shade and better sightlines than the old bleacher-style stands. Turn seating and infield tickets offer cheaper alternatives with a different view of the draft forming through the corners.

Seating

Frontstretch grandstands (named sections along the main straight) offer full views of the tri-oval and start/finish line; turn grandstands give closer views of the high-banked corners where passes and wrecks often happen.

Best places to watch

Frontstretch sections near the tri-oval apex are prized for seeing pit stops and the finish; turn 1 and turn 4 seats put fans closest to the banking where drafting packs bunch up.

Bag policy

Clear-bag policy applies: bags must be clear plastic, vinyl or PVC no larger than 12 x 6 x 12 inches, or a small clutch bag no larger than 4.5 x 6.5 inches; per official event policy.

Weather

• Jan-Feb: Mild, highs near 70°F with cool evenings for the Rolex 24 and Daytona 500
• Aug: Hot and humid, highs near 90°F with a real chance of afternoon thunderstorms for the Coke Zero Sugar 400

History of Daytona International Speedway

Origins

Daytona International Speedway was built by NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. as a permanent home for stock car racing after the sport outgrew the beach-and-road course it had used at Daytona Beach since the 1930s. The 2.5-mile tri-oval opened in February 1959 with steeply banked turns designed to let cars run at sustained high speed, and the inaugural Daytona 500 that year finished in a photo finish between Lee Petty and Johnny Beauchamp so close it took three days to declare Petty the winner.

Building a legacy

Through the 1960s and 1970s the track became NASCAR's showcase venue, and the Daytona 500 grew into the sport's season-opening marquee event, nicknamed the 'Great American Race.' The Rolex 24 at Daytona, added on a road course configuration in 1966, established the track as a twice-a-year draw for both stock car and sports car fans, drawing manufacturers and endurance teams from Europe as well as the United States.

Tragedy and change

The track has also seen tragedy shape its safety record, most notably the 2001 death of seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt on the final lap of the Daytona 500, which accelerated NASCAR's adoption of the HANS device and SAFER barriers across the sport.

Modern era

A major renovation known as 'Daytona Rising,' completed in 2016 at a cost of roughly $400 million, rebuilt the frontstretch grandstands and added wide concourses, escalators and premium clubs while leaving the racing surface unchanged. Daytona today remains one of NASCAR's two restrictor-plate/superspeedway venues alongside Talladega, still hosting the Daytona 500, Coke Zero Sugar 400 and Rolex 24, and continues to anchor the sport's calendar as it has for more than six decades.

Frequently asked questions

Other tracks nearby

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• Palm Beach International Raceway · 163 mi · road course
• Roebling Road Raceway · 207 mi · road course