What is Daytona International Speedway?
{{Update|date=December 2015}} [[File:NASCAR practice.jpg|thumb|right|250px|{{Center|Practice for a Daytona 500 race}}]] '''The Daytona International Speedway''' is a [[race track]] in [[Daytona Beach, Florida]]. It is where the two [[Auto racing|exhibition races]], the [[Advance Auto Parts Clash]], [[Can-Am Duel]], and the two points-paying races, the [[Daytona 500]] and [[Coke Zero Sugar 400]] is held. The track is also where the [[Rolex 24 at Daytona]] is held, and also two [[Xfinity Series]] races and one [[Camping World Truck Series]] race. == History == Daytona speedway was built in 1959. Races had been held on the hard [[sand]]y [[beach]] since 1902.<ref name=DK219>DK Publishing, Inc., ''Daytona'' (London: Dorling Kindersley, 2010), p. 219</ref> Racing on the beach ended in 1959 when Daytona International Speedway opened.<ref name=DK219/> [[Bill France, Jr.]] was behind the construction of the speedway. The first race was won by [[Lee Petty]] in a field of 59 cars.<ref name=DK219/> In 1962, the first major race on the road course was held. It was won by [[Grand Prix motor racing|Grand Prix]] driver [[Dan Gurney]] driving a red [[Lotus Cars|Lotus]].<ref name=CRN>{{cite web |url=http://caracingnews.com/pressrelease.aspx?cid=22805&lid=1&eid=248&clid=629&ctid=7 |title=T-MINUS 10 MONTHS: SPOTLIGHT ON DAN GURNEY |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=29 March 2011 |publisher=CarRacingNews.com |access-date=11 January 2015 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Near the end of the race and with a 2 minute lead, his engine failed.<ref name=CRN/> He coasted across the finish line to win.<ref name=CRN/> By the 1960s, the sportscar race was made into a 24 hour race. This required multiple drivers for each car and involved a long period of racing at night. Both races grew in [[popularity]] in the 1970s and 80s. Today the Daytona 500 is an important race in [[NASCAR]]. [[24 Hours of Daytona|The Rolex 24]], which is named that because it is sponsored by the [[Rol