Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway in Florida: a steeply banked oval and a 3.56-mile road course for the 24 Hours.
Daytona International Speedway is in Daytona Beach, Florida. It opened on 22 February 1959, built by Bill France Sr., the founder of NASCAR, to move racing off the former Daytona Beach road course onto a banked track.[1],[2]
It has a 2.5-mile (4.023 km) tri-oval with turns banked at 31° and, inside it, a road course: the infield, used among other events for the 24 Hours of Daytona.[1],[2]
At a glance
| Town | Daytona Beach, Florida[1],[2] |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Layout | Road Course |
| Endurance series | IMSA |
| Period | 1959-present |
| Opened | 22 February 1959[1],[2] |
| Oval | 2.5 miles (4.023 km), turns banked at 31°[1],[2] |
| Current road course | 3.56 miles, 12 turns[1] |
Landmarks of the circuit
- The oval and its steep banking
- The tri-oval was designed for NASCAR: its turns are banked at 31° and the front straight at 18°.[1],[2]
- The infield and Lake Lloyd
- The infield covers 180 acres, including the 29-acre Lake Lloyd. It was renovated in 2004.[1],[2]
- The backstretch chicane
- A very tight chicane was added in 1973 at the end of the backstretch. In the 1984-1985 modifications it became a three-legged "bus stop", starting about 120 metres earlier.[1]
- The International Horseshoe
- Turn 3, called the International Horseshoe, was moved closer to the corners before it during the 1984-1985 works.[1]
Key dates
- 1959 — The track opens on 22 February; NASCAR's Daytona 500 has been held there since 1959.[1],[2]
- 1962 — First endurance race on the road course: the three-hour Daytona Continental.[1]
- 1966 — The race becomes a 24-hour event: the 24 Hours of Daytona, now known as the Rolex 24.[1]
- 1984-1985 — Turns 1 and 2 are reprofiled and the chicane becomes a bus stop: this is the 3.56-mile road course still used.[1]
- 1998 — Lighting is installed around the track.[1],[2]
- 2016 — The "Daytona Rising" works end, renovating the grandstands for 400 million dollars.[1]
In the game
This circuit is part of the Circuit game: a heavily zoomed photo of one of its landmarks that you have to recognise. Play Circuit
Sources
The numbers in brackets refer to the sources listed at the bottom of the page.