QUICK VIEW: Car culture has been a dominant Daytona influence since the early days of the automobile. The Daytona area was one of the first to embrace speed racing. Today, automobiles and speed remain synonymous with Daytona.
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We are Rainman and Tricia ... and we are the Road Hackers!
As Road Hackers, we specialize in building itineraries that allow us to discover interesting stories all over the world.
These amazing stories are usually well known to local communities, but aren't generally familiar to international tourists.
The origin of the Daytona Car Culture is not common knowledge to most visitors. Holiday makers tend to focus on the beaches, nightlife, and the Daytona International Speedway.
Touring Daytona, without understanding the greater context of Daytona Car Culture, leaves many questions unanswered.
Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach allow cars to drive on their beaches ... but why?
Why is the Daytona 500 such a huge annual event in the United States?
Why is the World Center of Racing and Motorsports Hall of Fame of America located in Daytona Beach?
Why was NASCAR founded--and still headquartered--in Daytona Beach?
On a recent extended stay in the Daytona area, we set out to answers to these questions. Along the way, we discovered a fascinating story about American culture at its best.
We were interested to learn more about the Daytona Beach area
Of course, our quest also required an awesome visit to the Daytona International Speedway!
Join us as we take this interesting journey.
The Daytona Car Culture Story
The following summary provides a good foundation for understanding the origins of the Daytona Car Culture:
Car Culture and Beach Culture have been dominant influences in the Daytona area since the arrival of the automobile in 1902.
The Daytona area (Ormond Beach to Ponce Inlet) became one of the most important destinations for motorsport pioneers. Racing enthusiasts and automobile inventors came from all over the world--France, England, Germany and the United States.
The early motorized vehicles used steam, gasoline, and electric engines.
Ormond Beach became known as the "Birthplace of Speed," because so many speed records were set there.
Ormond Beach is considered the Birthplace of Speed
Ormond Beach had the first gasoline alley (Ormond Garage) in the United States--a place where racers and mechanics were housed between speed time trials. Today, the Ormond Garage is memorialized by a historic marker near the original location.
The original races were held on a course between Ormond Beach and Daytona Beach. At low tide, the long, straight, hard-packed beaches provided the perfect surface for attempts at land speed records. The beach was 500 ft/150 m wide at low tide.
A number of automobile and motorcycle land speed records were set on the Ormond - Daytona course (1902 - 1935).
Cars have been an important cultural fixture in the Daytona area since the early 1900s
The Ormond - Daytona course had its first world land speed records in 1904--both automobile and motorcycle.
In 1906, Fred Marriott used a steam-powered automobile (The Stanley Rocket) to set the first significant land speed record on the Ormond - Daytona course (127.6 mph/205.4 km/h).
Malcolm Campbell set the last world speed record in 1935 (276.82 mph/445.49 km/h).
In the 1920s and early 30s, bootleggers used the Daytona beaches to test and race their custom-built stock cars--they needed fast cars to evade the police during Prohibition.
Cars are still a common sight in designated areas on Daytona Beach
A formal race track, the Daytona Beach & Road Course (Ponce Inlet), replaced the original Ormond - Daytona course in 1936.
The Daytona Beach & Road Course was a 3.2 mile/5.1 km track designed for stock car racing. The track was expanded to 4.2 miles/6.8 km in the 1940s.
NASCAR was founded in Daytona Beach in 1947. The headquarters are still in Daytona Beach today.
The Daytona International Speedway replaced the Daytona Beach & Road Course when it opened in 1959.
The Daytona International Speedway is world renowned for the Daytona 500 stock car race (February) and Daytona Bike Week (March).
Cars are still allowed to drive and park on most Daytona area beaches--subject to speed and safety restrictions (10 mph/16 km/h speed limit).
Signs indicating a Traffic Lane and the Speed Limit is necessary on a beach that allows vehicles
Daytona Car Culture at Its Best!
The Daytona International Speedway is, no doubt, the ultimate Daytona Car Culture icon.
A visit to Daytona Beach just wouldn't be complete without a tour of this world famous track! We had to see what all the fuss was about.
Neither of us was much of a NASCAR fan. So, we weren't quite sure what to expect.
Having done our Daytona Car Culture research, we felt better equipped to fully appreciate the Speedway.
Daytona Beach welcomes visitors, including immediate signage to NASCAR Drive
The official SpeedwayTour would be the perfect orientation for first-timers like us.
Things didn't start off too well. We mistakenly parked in the general stadium parking area and had to walk almost a mile to get to the Tours Center Building. Lesson learned!
Luckily, a tour leaves every hour, and we were able to switch our tour departure time with ease.
Pro Tip: The Tours Center has its own parking area next to the tour departure area. Don't go to general parking!
The Daytona International Speedway is a must-see for visitors to the area
From start to finish, this 60-90 minute tour was packed with fun and excitement. Boarding the open-air trolley, we could feel the energy building.
For most of the group, this was a once-in-a-lifetime visit to hallowed ground. The feeling was contagious!
The excitement was building as we waited for the trolley tour to begin
Our tour trolley began by making its way around the exterior of the towering stadium.
As the enormous seating area came into full view, the scale of the facility was overwhelming. Daytona Speedway has a crowd capacity of 101,500! That's a small city!
Themulti-colored seats are purposely designed to make the standslook full for TV viewers.
The stadium seating is multicolored, so the stands always look full for TV cameras
Our tour guide was quite entertaining as he shared some of the track history and interesting facts.
The track's 31-degree gradient was a surprise to witness firsthand. The gradient, curvature, and wall barrier are all part of a sophisticated safety system that protects drivers.
According to our guide, race drivers regularly hit that wall at speeds of 200 miles per hour. The goal is to make sure the vehicle and driver survive with minimal damage and injury.
The wall is called aSAFERbarrier, which stands for Steel and Foam Energy Reduction. The inner wall is made up of nine miles of hollow square tubing, and the exterior wall is concrete.
The wall along the steep gradient of the track provides safety for high speed crashes
Leaving the track, we headed through an underground tunnel that took us to the interior area reserved for racers and pit crews. The walls of the tunnel were lined with colorful graphics celebrating NASCAR history.
Our first stop was an absolute highlight! Getting off the trolley, we were only a few yards from the world famous DaytonaVictory Lane.
The history of the Daytona 500 was all over Victory Lane!
Even our tour guide seemed excited to be here.
We were treated to photo/video opps with all the iconic Victory Lane props. Directly across from Victory Lane, we could see the race track and the enormous stadium. What a powerful experience for the winning drivers!
Our first stop was at the iconic Victory Lane for photo opps
Daytona usually allows tour guests access to the starting line and pit crew area. Unfortunately--or fortunately--there were cars on the track that day. So, we were left peering through the fence.
Driving away from Victory Lane, we were excited to learn that our next stop would be the stadium. The group would have a birds-eye view of the track and the NASCAR drivers practicing their time trials.
What a powerful experience!
As we climbed the tall escalators into the stadium, we began to hear the intense thundering sound of the engines as they roared around the track. 'So Exciting!
The roaring sound of the race cars got much louder as we reached the top of the stadium
These high-performance race vehicles can generate engine noise up to 140 decibels. Imagine 43 cars on the track on race day!
In case you were wondering, the United States limits workplace decibel level to no more than 85 decibels. Extended exposure to levels over 85 decibels can cause hearing loss. Noise over 110 decibels can cause immediate hearing loss in some instances.
Our vantage point was perfectly positioned to see the start line and the pit crew area. All eyes were glued on the track as car after car bellowed by with awesome power. We could feel the stadium vibrate.
What a thrilling moment!
Our perfect view of the start/finish line
Race day must be over-the-top! The ambience of 100,000 fans, 43 roaring engines, the drama of the race, and the smells of the track must be intoxicating.
We thoroughly enjoyed our micro-experience!
On the way out of the stadium, there were several displays, including a replica of the 31 degree track banking gradient. Testing the slope in person is quite an experience--it's really steep!
Next, we set off for the World Center of Racing and Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.
Get your cameras ready!
There were so many exhibits to see at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
The Hall of Fame was packed with exhibits. The experience was a little overwhelming at first. Historical artifacts covered every inch of the exhibit space.
Of course, the Daytona Beach area has a prominent place as a backdrop for the whole story!
One of the most popular exhibits showcased the recent Daytona 500 winner. The actual car is on display and very accessible for photos/video.
You bet ... we took several posed photos!
We had to have a pic with Michael McDowell's winning race car
The car that wins the Daytona 500 is usually displayed for a full year--ending on the day of the next Daytona 500 race.
Here are some of the major themes featured at the Hall of Fame:
American Land Speed Records
American Stock Cars
American Motorcycles
American Drag Racing
American Power Boating
The Motorsports Hall of Fame exhibits had something for every fan
Our final stop was the Daytona Speedway gift shop, aptly called the Pit Stop. Fans were excited to buy their favorite racing memorabilia.
We also felt like fans as we left the Pit Stop. But that wasn't the end. There was one more very pleasant surprise! 'The colorful Daytona 500 Champion's Walk of Fame!
The bright red Walk of Fame immediately catches the eye. A lengthy red carpet-like walk showcases the signatures, hand prints, and footprints of all the Daytona 500 winners since 1996.
The Champion's Walk of Fame, with signatures, handprints, & footprints of past Daytona 500 winners
The most recent winner of the Daytona 500 is memorialized every August.
What a fitting finish to a highly informative and entertaining tour!
We may not have started out as race fans, but we left with a new-found sense of respect for the sport and an understanding of the contagious excitement it generates...
Our visit to the Daytona International Speedway had brought everything full circle ... and provided the final piece of the puzzle that explains the Daytona Car Culture.
Our tour mascot, Reny, waves the checkered flag for a strong finish in Daytona Beach!
There's no doubt that Daytona Car Culture begins and ends with a genuine love for the automobile.
Understanding this uniquely American story made for a richer experience as we continued our visit to the Daytona area.
Here's hoping you enjoyed this deep dive into the Daytona Car Culture mystique.
