Daytona International Speedway has hosted the "Great American Race," the Daytona 500, and the "Mid-Summer Classic," the Pepsi 400, annually since 1959. Each year the "World Center of Racing" hosts a two-week festival of speed known simply as Speedweeks. Every February, Speedweeks culminates with one the world's premier sporting events, the Daytona 500, the "crown jewel" of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Other Speedweeks' events include the premier races in many different types of racing disciplines and series. They include sports car racing's Rolex 24 At Daytona, NASCAR's all-star Bud Shootout At Daytona, the Gatorade 125-Mile Qualifying Races and the NASCAR Busch Series' NAPA Auto Parts 300, and the Daytona 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, new for 2000. In July, one the sport's most anticipated NASCAR Winston Cup Series events takes center stage at Daytona, the nighttime running of the Pepsi 400. Daytona International Speedway's grandstands have moe than 165,000 permanent seats. DAYTONA USA, "The Ultimate Motorsports Attraction," and the official attraction of NASCAR, is also located at the world-famous speedway and is open daily. Daytona International Speedway has hosted the "Great American Race," the Daytona 500, and the "Mid-Summer Classic," the Pepsi 400, annually since 1959. Each year the "World Center of Racing" hosts a two-week festival of speed known simply as Speedweeks. Every February, Speedweeks culminates with one the world's premier sporting events, the Daytona 500, the "crown jewel" of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Other Speedweeks' events include the premier races in many different types of racing disciplines and series. They include sports car racing's Rolex 24 At Daytona, NASCAR's all-star Bud Shootout At Daytona, the Gatorade 125-Mile Qualifying Races and the NASCAR Busch Series' NAPA Auto Parts 300, and the Daytona 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, new for 2000. R.I.P. DALE EARNHARDT #3, ALWAYS AND FOREVER THE INTIMIDATOR........
The era of NASCAR superspeedway racing began at Darlington Raceway on Sept. 4, 1950, with the inaugural running of the Pepsi Southern 500, which has grown into a legend in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Every driver who has strapped on a helmet and climbed behind the steering wheel has wanted to win at Darlington because the toughest is most desirable. For those few select drivers who have won races at the "Granddaddy" of superspeedways, there is a priceless satisfaction in knowing they've conquered the unique egg-shaped oval "Too Tough To Tame." While its past is filled with history and tradition, Darlington Raceway continues to grow in leaps and bounds for the future. New ultra-modern grandstands and new convenient parking areas and suites continue to make Darlington Raceway a part of our southern heritage, a showplace in NASCAR racing. Darlington Raceway also houses the NMPA Stock Car Hall of Fame/Joe Weatherly Museum, a priceless collection of historic race cars and driver memorabilia. Darlington truly is a NASCAR tradition.
The 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened in 1909 as an automotive testing and competition facility at a time when the burgeoning car industry was thriving in Indiana. When its first series of races -- including motorcycles and many types of cars -- caused the track's original crushed stone and tar surface to break up, the Speedway immediately was repaved with 3.2 million bricks. It has been known as the "Brickyard" ever since. Interestingly, most of those bricks remain in place today under the Speedway's modern asphalt surface. Since 1911, the speedway has been home to the famed Indianapolis 500. In August 1994, the NASCAR Winston Cup Series visited the track for the inaugural Brickyard 400. A capacity crowd -- the largest ever to witness a NASCAR event -- watched Indiana native Jeff Gordon make history as the first Brickyard 400 winner. The track is unique in its configuration, with straightaways between Turns 1 and 2, as well as Turns 3 and 4. Despite its relative lack of banking, it is the site of some of the highest speeds in motorsports, and a legend among race fans and drivers alike the world over.Carl G. Fisher was the speedway's founder and sold it to World War I flying ace Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker in 1927. Rickenbacker sold it to Tony Hulman in late 1945. Early in Hulman's tenure the Indianapolis 500 grew to national prominence. Hulman's daughter, Mari Hulman George, is today the Indianapolis Motor Speedway chairman. Her son, Tony Hulman George, is the track president.
Pocono Raceway has long been recognized as one of NASCAR's most competitive speedways. Pocono's unique 2.5-mile tri-oval features three turns, each with a different degree of banking, and three straights, each with a different length. This combination produces fender-to-fender action in the turns, 200 mph slingshots on the long straights and photo-finish endings. The combination of the track's own challenges and the fact that the three turns each have their own, individual characteristics has resulted in a unique description; Pocono is often defined as the "superspeedway that drives like a road course."
NASCAR racing at Pocono is what great stock car racing is all about. Its great racing and location, in the heart of the Pocono Mountain resort area, have made Pocono Raceway a favorite destination for race fans and vacationers alike.
Talladega Superspeedway is the biggest, fastest, most competitive motorsports facility in the world. Records for both speed and competition have been established at Talladega.Built at a cost of more than four million dollars, the track opened as Alabama International Motor Speedway in September 1969. The first event there was the 'BAMA 400 Grand Touring race on Sept. 13, 1969. Ken Rush was the winner. The next day Richard Brickhouse won the first NASCAR Grand National (now NASCAR Winston Cup Series) race, the Talladega 500 (now the DieHard 500) by edging Jim Vandiver and Ramo Stott.With plenty of room to expand, Talladega has done just that, adding permanent seating in nine of the last 10 years, including 8,000 tower seats for 1997. It can now accommodate 108,000 seated guests and thousands more in the 215-acre infield. A world record of 221.160 mph for a close course was established at Talladega on Aug. 9, 1975 by Mark Donohue. The mark stood until 1986 when Rick Mears broke it in an IndyCar at Michigan Speedway. In 1987 Bill Elliott established a world stock car speed record when he ran at 212.809 mph in qualifying for the Winston 500. The track offers van tours to visitors daily during working hours except on days of racing, testing and special events. Adjacent to the track is the Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum, which is also open daily.