Daytona International Speedway/DAYTONA 500 Experience
You don’t have to be a racing fan to enjoy a visit to the Daytona International Speedway, 4 miles west of the beach. Opened in 1959 with the first Daytona 500, this 480-acre complex is one of the key reasons for the city’s fame. The track presents about nine weekends of major racing events annually, featuring stock cars, sports cars, motorcycles, and go-karts, and is used for automobile and motorbike testing and other events the rest of the year. Its grandstands can accommodate more than 146,000 fans.
The NASCAR Racing Experience lets speed chasers drive an actual NASCAR race car on the track, with no lead car to follow, no instructor riding with you. Yikes. Pass slower cars and speed to the finish line. The need for speed isn’t cheap—a five-minute ride costs $411.39 and it goes all the way up to a 48-minute ride, which will set you back $3,327.49. Scared of driving but want an experience? Riding shotgun with pro-racing instructors cost $193.59 for three laps around the track, and $387.19 for six. Buckle in and buckle down!
For those who would rather walk around the speedway, daily, 60-minute tours are given from 9:30am until 3pm for $26 for adults, $21 for kids 5 to 12 and include admission into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. A VIP Tour takes you into the NASCAR Archives & Research Center and press box, the Axalta Injector, the speedway’s infield and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. Tickets are $56 for all ages. Both tours include a digital photo package.
You don’t have to be a racing fan to enjoy a visit to the Daytona International Speedway, 4 miles west of the beach. Opened in 1959 with the first Daytona 500, this 480-acre complex is one of the key reasons for the city’s fame. The track presents about nine weekends of major racing events annually, featuring stock cars, sports cars, motorcycles, and go-karts, and is used for automobile and motorbike testing and other events the rest of the year. Its grandstands can accommodate more than 146,000 fans.
The NASCAR Racing Experience lets speed chasers drive an actual NASCAR race car on the track, with no lead car to follow, no instructor riding with you. Yikes. Pass slower cars and speed to the finish line. The need for speed isn’t cheap—a five-minute ride costs $411.39 and it goes all the way up to a 48-minute ride, which will set you back $3,327.49. Scared of driving but want an experience? Riding shotgun with pro-racing instructors cost $193.59 for three laps around the track, and $387.19 for six. Buckle in and buckle down!
For those who would rather walk around the speedway, daily, 60-minute tours are given from 9:30am until 3pm for $26 for adults, $21 for kids 5 to 12 and include admission into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. A VIP Tour takes you into the NASCAR Archives & Research Center and press box, the Axalta Injector, the speedway’s infield and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. Tickets are $56 for all ages. Both tours include a digital photo package.
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