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The early roots of car racing can be traced back to Ormond Beach and a historic 1903 race between RansomE. Olds - father of the Oldsmobile - and Alexander Winton. Winton beat Olds in that 1st sanctioned time trial, known as the Ormond Challenge Cup.

Meeting at the Streamline Hotel in Daytona on Dec. 14, 1947, race promoter William “Big Bill” Henry Getty France and 18 other members of the racing industry formed the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR).

The following year, France opened a new 4.1 mi. track which ran along the beach. In 1959 France opened the high banked 2.5 mi. tri-oval track known as Daytona International Speedway, with the 1st Daytona 500 run on Feb. 22, 1959. Get off exit 261 and you can tour it.