When it comes to NASCAR tracks, there’s no name that looms larger than Daytona International Speedway. The “World Center of Racing” opens up the NASCAR Cup Series season once again in 2021 with the Daytona 500. “The Great American Race” is the culmination of what is the biggest week for the sport on an annual basis. Where the NFL season ends with the Super Bowl, the NASCAR season begins with its “Super Bowl” in the Daytona 500.
The following provides a quick briefing on historic Daytona International Speedway, the site of all NASCAR activity during the ongoing opening week.
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Daytona International Speedway Overview
Daytona International Speedway opened in 1959. The track is and has always been 2.5 miles long, making it the fourth-largest track on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit. The turns are banked at 31 degrees and the tri-oval is 18 degrees. Dale Earnhardt Sr. has the most career wins of any driver at Daytona with 34.
The fastest Daytona 500 in the 62-year history of the race came in 1980. Buddy Baker won with an average speed of 177.602 mph. Among active drivers, Denny Hamlin has won the most Daytona 500 wins with three. He is the only active driver with more than one triumph. Hamlin is also the two-time defending champion having won in both 2019 and ’20.
Currently, Daytona International Speedway hosts six points-paying races each year between the three national NASCAR series. The Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400 and Bluegreen Vacations Duels are all contested at the NASCAR Cup Series level. The Beef It’s What’s for Dinner 300 and Wawa 250 are Xfinity Series races, while the NextEra Energy 250 is run by the NASCAR Truck Series. An outline of the entire Speedweeks 2021 weekend schedule at Daytona is included below.
Speedweeks 2021 at Daytona International Speedway | Weekend Schedule
Bluegreen Vacations Duel
Series: NASCAR Cup
Date: Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021
Start Time: 7 p.m. EST
Coverage: FS1
Distance: Each Duel is 150 miles
Laps: Each Duel is 60 laps
NextEra Energy 250
Series: NASCAR Gander Outdoor Trucks
Date: Friday, Feb. 12, 2021
Start Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
Coverage: FS1
Distance: 250 miles
Laps: 100
Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. 300
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Date: Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021
Start Time: 5 p.m. EST
Coverage: FS1
Distance: 300 miles
Laps: 120
Daytona 500
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Date: Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021
Start Time: 2:30 p.m. EST
Coverage: FOX
Distance: 500 miles
Laps: 200
