Daytona Beach became the “Birthplace of Speed ” in the early 1900s after two men argued about who had the fastest horse carriage. These two men decided to race on the hard-packed sand along the Atlantic Ocean, and this would soon cause an uproar of a need for speed among the 61,000 residents.
On April 4th, 1953, Bill France Sr. set in motion his plans of bringing the future of racing to Daytona Beach, Florida with a proposal to construct a speedway facility. France signed a contract with the City of Daytona Beach and Volusia County officials to begin building what will now be known as the Daytona International Speedway. This will later house the premier race in NASCAR that has been held annually since 1959, the Daytona 500.
Famous for its 31-degree highbanks, the Daytona International Speedway is known for its 2.5 mile tri-oval tracks. Not only is the track known for its higher speeds, but the angled high banks also allow the fans in the stands to be able to see the cars race around more easily. The racetrack was such a spectacle to see compared to the beach-road course that racers previously had to race on.
The first inaugural Daytona 500 happened on February 2nd, 1959, and took place in front of a crowd of over 41,000 spectators. The race was a close race, one can say a race that was too close to call. Johnny Beauchamp went on to win the inaugural race, or so they thought. 61 hours after the race had concluded, newsreel footage revealed that Lee Petty nipped Beauchamp at the finish line by approximately two feet to win the race.
The Daytona 500 is a household name amongst all the other NASCAR-hosted races. In 1998, Dale Earnhardt Sr. won his first and only Daytona 500 during his 20th attempt. Tragedy struck three years later when Dale Earnhardt Sr. passed away during the same race. However, that July, NASCAR returned to the Daytona 500, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his first career Daytona victory, exactly 11 years to the date after his late father had won his first and only Daytona 500.
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