|
When
attending a NASCAR race, a race fan has
their traditional pre-race activities such
as visiting souvenir haulers and displays,
enjoying their favorite race fare and tailgating
with their friends.
It’s
a schedule that a race fan performs before
any Sprint Cup Series race. But the Daytona
500 isn’t just any race and Daytona International
Speedway isn’t just any track.
The Daytona
500, nicknamed “The Great American Race,”
is the biggest, richest and most prestigious
race in America and one every fan must experience
in person.
 The
Daytona 500 is a culmination of DIRECTV
Speedweeks, a 10-day festival of speed which
includes the Camping World 300 Nationwide
Series race, the Chevy Silverado 250 NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series race, the Gatorade
Duel At Daytona qualifying races, the Budweiser
Shootout, ARCA 200 ARCA RE/MAX Series race
and Daytona 500 Qualifying.
Traditionally
a sell out since the inaugural event in
1959, the Daytona 500 has become more than
just the kick-off event to the NASCAR Sprint
Cup Series. It’s become a sporting spectacle.
And then
there is the racing. The Daytona 500 has
produced many of the most memorable moments
in the history of NASCAR.
From the
famous fight between Donnie and Bobby Allison
and Cale Yarborough in 1979 to the three-wide
photo finish of the inaugural 1959 Daytona
500, something special always happens at
the Daytona 500.
Most recently in
2007, the 49th annual Daytona 500 produced
the closest finish since the advent of electronic
scoring with Kevin Harvick nosing Mark Martin
at the start/finish line by .020 seconds.
In the
50th running of the Daytona 500, Ryan Newman
passed Tony Stewart on the last lap to win
the most anticipated event in racing history
and hoist the gold Harley J. Earl trophy
in the air.
Newman’s name is now
on a list with other legendary Daytona 500
champions such as Lee and Richard Petty,
Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Cale Yarborough,
David
Pearson, Bobby and Davey Allison,
Dale Earnhardt Sr., Dale Earnhardt Jr.,
Darrell Waltrip, Buddy Baker, Jeff Gordon,
Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick.
Who will be the champion of the 51st
Daytona 500 in 2009? We will just have to
wait and see. But race fans don’t want to
wait too long to purchase their tickets.
|
