2008 Daytona 500

Congratulations to Ryan Newman, winner of the 50th annual Daytona 500! It may be a year away, but it's never to early to start looking for tickets to the 2009 Daytona 500. Sign up for our Ticket Alert now and be the first to get your tickets for the 2009 Daytona 500!

Before NASCAR was cool, there was Daytona, and it was very cool. Every February since 1959, this speedway has hosted the Daytona 500, the first and most exciting race of the Winston Cup (now Sprint Cup) racing season, the race where everyone is on equal footing and has the same hope of taking home the Cup.

Daytona International Speedway, on the Florida coast at Daytona Beach, has an advantage over most tracks in being available year round for racing events. The track itself is a tri-oval that sits on a complex covering 480 acres. The infield boasts the 44-acre Lake Lloyd. With the long season and the versatility of the setting, Daytona International Speedway has room in its schedule for motorcycle racing, as well as Historic Sportscar Racing and other events.

The Daytona 500, as the season opener for the Sprint Cup, features well-rested drivers in top form. For that reason, the result of the 200-lap race is always exciting and sometimes controversial. For example, in 1979, Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison were leading the race when they bumped each other on the final lap. They crashed in Turn 3, and while Richard Petty overtook them and won the race, Yarborough and Allison argued and eventually began a fistfight that included Bobby Allison, Donnie's brother.

Known as the 'Great American Race,' the Daytona 500 is watched by more people than any other motor race, including the Indianapolis 500. With 200,000 tickets sold and another 29 million people watching around the world, there is a lot of prize money, including as much as $1.4 million for the winner. Instant access to endorsements and competition for sponsorships are additional benefits of a victory at the biggest auto race in the world.

If you have tickets, you should keep in mind that Daytona Beach is just getting into the swing of spring breaks for college students when the race takes place. The timing promises lots of excitement for racing fans, who like to get out at night as well. At the speedway itself is Daytona USA, the official attraction of NASCAR. Here are a number of tourists attractions, including a simulator that makes you feel as if you were in a Daytona 500 race and Acceleration Alley, where you can compete in stock cars that are 80% of full size. So, even if you have not scored tickets, there is a lot to do at Daytona.

But what's keeping you from scoring tickets? Enjoy the race!