Daytona International Speedway

1801 W International Speedway Blvd      Daytona Beach, FL

Noted as the "granddaddy" of all NASCAR tracks, Daytona International Speedway started its influence on the sport in 1947 as the Daytona Beach Road Course, just a short way from the site of today's track. The course, which consisted of a 3.1 to 4.2 stretch of sandy Florida beach, hosted the first official NASCAR race and was instrumental in the inauguration of the racing series.

William France, Sr., founder of NASCAR, later chose the site for the modern track in an attempt to create a premier event for the motor sport league. On August 16^th, 1954 a deal was reached with the City of Dayton to build the $3 million track. And on February 22^nd, 1959 the speedway opened to a crowd of more than 41,000 people, and has been the home to the Daytona 500 and Pepsi 400 races ever since.