The Daytona International Speedway is famous for its approximately 4 km-long tri-oval track built on the west coast of Florida.
The association between Daytona and motorsports dates back to the early 1900s, but the circuit itself was built in 1959, commissioned by Bill France Senior. The covered grandstand can hold up to 160,000 spectators and often does, especially for the international Daytona 500 NASCAR event. Endurance cars race in the surrounding area, thus lengthening the track to more than around 5.6 km.
Immediately after the start, drivers need to hit the brake and shift to the left towards the lake in the middle of the track. They then need to move back into position just before the second curve of the oval and enter the rear straight, along the chicane, before exiting again at turn 3 and accelerating to the chequered flag. With the curves tilted to 31 degrees, the setup is crucial.
While speed is key for cars that only run along the oval, the ones that race in the mixed (road and oval) configuration need to find perfect balance between speed and handling through the circuit's narrow hairpin bends.
