Daytona International Speedway over time

By Staff Report | Published: 10 Jan, 2021 45

Daytona International Speedway

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ISC Archives via Getty Images

1947:

Daytona Beach, Florida, is the birthplace of NASCAR and the site of the upcoming Daytona 500, so let's look back on its history. On Dec. 14, 1947, Bill France Sr. led a group meeting at the Streamline Hotel, and NASCAR was incorporated the next year.

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ISC Archives via Getty Images

1947:

NASCAR's early leaders meet in the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach, Florida. Seated, left to right: Bob Richards, Freddie Horton, Jack Peters, Ed Bruce, Chick DiNatale, Harvey Tattersall Jr., Tom Galan, Alvin Hawkins, Bill Tuthill, Bill France Sr., Mildred Ayres, Joe Littlejohn, Jimmy Cox, Eddie Bland, Joe Ross, Sam Packard, Bill Streeter, Lucky Sauer. Standing, left to right: Larry Roller, Fred Dagavar, Bob Osiecki, Jimmy Quisenberry, Ed Samples, Marshall Teague.

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Getty Images

1949:

In the days prior to the building of Daytona International Speedway, racing was conducted on the actual sands of Daytona Beach, Florida. Huge crowds lined the dunes where the cars roared down the beach straightaway; others were seated in the corner wooden bleachers and along the inside perimeter of the beach road course.

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1957:

The property that was to be the site for groundbreaking of Daytona International Speedway and its completion during 1958. The inaugural Daytona 500 was held in February 1959.

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1957:

A concept rendering showing the configuration of the yet-to-be-built Daytona International Speedway.

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Feb. 13, 1958:

The groundbreaking ceremony for Daytona International Speedway was held in partial coordination with Speedweeks still being conducted on the beach. Actual ground clearing began Nov. 25, 1957.

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1958:

Equipment leveling out the lime rock stage in the building of Daytona International Speedway.

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1958:

A base rock and roller compactor tethered to a track crawler. Operators had to move each machine at the same speed. This is the last phase before asphalt paving.

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1958:

Before the asphalt was laid, Bill France Sr. and members of his NASCAR staff parked these cars on a turn of the under-construction Daytona International Speedway. France gambled nearly everything he owned in building the facility that is known as the World Center Of Racing.

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1958:

Bill France Jr. was intricately involved with Daytona International Speedway from the beginning, as shown here where he's helping prepare the surface for paving.

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1958:

Asphalt was dumped into a specially built conveyor then transferred to the paving machine. This operation required all equipment -- including two bulldozers, the crane and the paving machine -- to move in sync. Note the car boom section at the bottom, attached between the paver and the dozer, to secure the paver to the banking.

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1958:

Paving of the new Daytona International Speedway.

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1958:

Building of the wall barriers at Daytona International Speedway.

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1959:

Aerial view of Daytona International Speedway, newly completed.

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1959:

Bill France Sr. looks on from the track he created in Daytona Beach, Florida.

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1959:

The $8 reserved seat ticket for the inaugural Daytona 500 on Feb. 22, 1959.

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Feb. 22, 1959:

Johnny Beauchamp, driver of the No. 73 Ford, stands in Victory Lane in what he thought was his win (but was actually a photo-finish victory for Lee Petty) after the Daytona 500 at the Daytona International Speedway.

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Feb. 25, 1959:

Lee Petty, driver of the No. 42 Oldsmobile, poses in front of his car after winning the first 1959 Daytona 500 race at Daytona International Speedway. It took NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. three days to declare the winner.

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1962:

The view of the infield with cars from the late 1950s and early 1960s. Fans were able to purchase general-admission infield passes and watch the race by standing atop their cars.

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Feb. 23, 1964:

Richard Petty holds his trophy in Victory Lane at Daytona International Speedway after earning his first Daytona 500 win. Petty and his new hemi-engined Plymouth dominated the event, leading 184 of the 200 laps.

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Feb. 26, 1967:

Driver Mario Andretti drinks champagne in Victory Lane while sitting on his Holman-Moody No. 11 Ford after winning the Daytona 500.

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Feb. 14, 1971:

Part of the pre-race activities with RJ Reynolds Winston Brand before the running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

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Feb. 14, 1971:

Richard Petty, driver of the No. 43 STP Plymouth, celebrates in Victory Lane with his wife, Lynda, daughters, Sharon and Lisa, and son, Kyle, after winning the Daytona 500.

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Feb. 16, 1975:

The field lines up on pit road before the start of the Daytona 500.

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1978:

The outer banks of Daytona International Speedway during its first full repaving since it was built in 1958. This shows work around the outside circumference of the speedway.

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1978:

Layering of asphalt begins to cover the old speedway surface during repaving.

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1979:

A detail view of a piece of Daytona International Speedway after it was repaved.

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July 4, 1981:

Driver Dale Earnhardt sits on his car before the Firecracker 400 race at Daytona International Speedway.

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1988:

Davey Allison gets in a little fishing at the Lake Lloyd fishing tournament in the infield of Daytona International Speedway.

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1995:

A look at the Winston Tower at Daytona International Speedway. It's said to be the toughest ticket at the track as it's a section of seats at the apex of the tri-oval and directly in front of the start-finish line. The 50-yard line of the speedway, so to speak.

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1995:

A very large crowd exiting Daytona International Speedway, shopping at driver vendor stands for apparel and picking up copies of the souvenir program on their way.

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Feb. 16, 1997:

Jeff Gordon and crew chief Ray Evernham in Victory Lane after winning the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Gordon, then age 25, became the youngest driver to win the race at the time. That mark is now held by 2011 winner Trevor Bayne.

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Feb. 15, 1998:

Dale Earnhardt, driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet, celebrates with every crew member of every team on pit road after winning his first Daytona 500.

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2002:

Fans check out a statue of Dale Earnhardt that depicts his victory in the 1998 Daytona 500. The statue now sits just outside the main entrance to the track.

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Daytona International Speedway

2004:

The 2004 renovation of the infield, the first major renovation of the infield in the history of the track, resulted in the addition of Sprint FANZONE. In addition, at this time, a new vehicle and pedestrian tunnel was built under Turn 1. More than a decade later, the UNOH FANZONE remains a fan favorite and a must for all race fans looking to get closer to the drivers, teams and high-speed action.

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Daytona International Speedway

2010:

For only the second time in its history, Daytona International Speedway was repaved. In fact, the entire 2.5-mile tri-oval was repaved as well as the skid pads, apron and pit road. This photo shows all of the existing asphalt being removed, right down to the original 52-year-old lime rock base, which was leveled before repaving began.

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Getty Images

July 5, 2013:

Joie Chitwood III, president of Daytona International Speedway, Trevor Bayne, Lesa France Kennedy, Greg Biffle and Miss Sprint Cup pose for a photo during the Daytona Rising groundbreaking ceremony.

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Daytona International Speedway

Jan. 27, 2016:

International Speedway Corporation CEO and NASCAR vice chairperson Lesa France Kennedy and NASCAR chairman and CEO Jim France cut the ribbon to mark the debut of Daytona International Speedway's $400 million "re-imagining" efforts -- a high-tech, first-class motor-racing facility unlike anything else in the sport.

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Daytona International Speedway

2016:

This aerial photo shows the remarkable results of the $400 million reimaging of an American icon. Five expanded and redesigned entrances, or "injectors," lead fans to a series of escalators and elevators, transporting them to three different concourse levels.

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Daytona International Speedway

2016:

Gas cans become a work of art in the Sunoco Injector at Daytona International Speedway. Fan "injectors" at the speedway each have different themes and feature artwork and memorabilia.

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Matt Sullivan | Getty Images

2017:

The 2017 season was the last for Dale Earnhardt Jr., as the 15-time Most Popular Driver ended his full-time career. Earnhardt Jr. captured the pole in the July race at Daytona International Speedway, which was a favorite venue for him and his father. Earnhardt Jr. won four times at Daytona, twice in the famed Daytona 500.

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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Feb. 18, 2018:

Austin Dillon took the lead in the final corner of the white-flag lap to win the 2018 Daytona 500. Dillon took the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet back to Victory Lane in The Great American Race for the first time in his career, 20 years after Dale Earnhardt accomplished the feat.

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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Feb. 17, 2019:

Denny Hamlin celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series' 61st annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Feb. 17, 2020:

Denny Hamlin becomes the fourth driver -- joining Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough and Sterling Marlin -- to win the Daytona 500 in back-to-back years.

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Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images

2020:

The Daytona Road Course is added to the schedule to replace Watkins Glen International due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This marks the first time the infield course is run on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. In fact, all three national series will run the course that August. Plans had previously been announced to use the road course for the 2021 Busch Clash.

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Daytona International Speedway over time

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Feb. 13, 1958:

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