| While most sporting events save their best for last, | | | | forever immortalized with hand prints, a right foot |
| NASCAR does things a little differently…instead | | | | print and an autograph in cement at the Daytona 500 |
| choosing to run their biggest, richest and most | | | | Champions Walk of Fame. |
| prestigious race as the first race of each new | | | | |
| season. | | | | Much like the first race, the Daytona 500 continues |
| | | | | to carve out a history of exciting finishes. The 2007 |
| The Daytona 500 truly is the Great American Race, | | | | race saw Kevin Harvick nipping Mark Martin at the |
| featuring 43 of the world’s best stock car | | | | finish line by a mere .020 seconds to win the closest |
| drivers taking 200 laps around on the famed 2.5 mile | | | | Daytona 500 since the advent of computer scoring in |
| tri-oval at Daytona International Speedway. | | | | 1993. |
| | | | | Of course, the race is only one of the focal points of |
| Now more than 50 years after the inaugural Daytona | | | | any trip to Daytona and Central Florida. Over the |
| 500 back on February 22, 1959, the event remains | | | | past decade, Daytona 500 Experience, formally |
| NASCAR’s most focal event. | | | | known as DAYTONA USA, "The Official At the |
| | | | | traction of NASCAR," has been delivering magical |
| That first 500 mile Daytona race was referred to as | | | | motorsports memories to both hard-core race fans |
| the "500-Mile International Sweepstakes" and offered | | | | and casual observers through an exciting variety of |
| the 59-car field a posted award amount of $67,760. | | | | hands-on activities, challenging thrills and one-of-a-kind |
| | | | | sights. |
| A crowd of 41,000 was in attendance to witness the | | | | |
| beginning of what is now the biggest racing event on | | | | When visiting Daytona, it only makes sense to make |
| the calendar in Daytona. That race came right down | | | | a pit stop in nearby Orlando, FL where you’ll find |
| to the wire, so close that the winner was too close | | | | an endless array of equally exciting thrills at the Walt |
| to call. Johnny Beauchamp went to Victory Lane and | | | | Disney World® Resort, SeaWorld® Orlando and |
| soaked up the winner’s adoration although the | | | | Universal Studios® Resort. |
| results were posted as Unofficial. Then, 61-hours | | | | |
| later, Lee Petty was declared the official winner | | | | From high flying roller coasters to hundreds of other |
| thanks to a clip of newsreel footage that proved | | | | rides and attractions, Orlando remains the theme |
| Petty to be the winner by a few scant feet. | | | | park capital of the world. |
| | | | | Look for discount Orlando vacation packages and |
| Today, the Daytona 500 is the “Super Bowl” | | | | discount Daytona 500 and Orlando theme park |
| of racing, posting multi-million dollar awards with the | | | | tickets online at Or check out the discount Orlando |
| winner garnering $1.5 million or more. Yet it is the | | | | accommodations and more at |
| prestige of winning at Daytona that keeps | | | | |
| NASCAR’s best drivers coming back year after | | | | With the 52nd Annual Daytona 500 race coming up |
| year. Each year, the Daytona 500 winning car is put | | | | February 14, 2010, now’s the time to start |
| on display inside the Daytona 500 Experience – | | | | revving your engines for a fun-filled vacation to |
| the official attraction of NASCAR – for race fans | | | | Daytona and Orlando, FL. |
| to view and photograph. And the winning driver is | | | | |