Description
By: Bob Zeller .
The story of stock car racing at Daytona Beach, Florida is rich with color and characters.
It all began in the 1930s, when drivers competed on a makeshift track of hard-packed beach sand on one side and a public roadway on the other. But as the race grew in popularity, Bill France, NASCAR's founder, recognized the need for a permanent speedway. After enduring years of roadblocks and complications, France eventually produced through his vision and determination the Daytona International Speedway, a revolutionary track that reshaped the racing world when it opened in 1959. With its steeply banked turns and long straightaways, Daytona allowed drivers to reach speeds that were previously far beyond their reach. It was also where drivers first discovered the effects of aerodynamics and drafting that would become such an essential part of racing tactics in the decades to come.
When the 1959 Daytona 500 ended in a photo finish it launched a tradition of ultra-competitive racing that continues to this day. For fans everywhere, the 500 has become America's most popular race, with more than 200,000 in attendance and millions more watching on television. For drivers, it is a career-defining event, personified by Richard Petty, who made his name by winning an astonishing seven times, and Dale Earnhardt, who until 1998 was equally famous for not winning, despite victories in 11 Twin 125 qualifying races. Over the years the lure of Daytona has also attracted drivers better known for their open-wheel exploits, including 500 winners A. J. Foyt and Mario Andretti.
Six decades of Daytona 500 competition come to life in this evocative, beautifully illustrated history. In addition to telling the full story of each year's race, author Bob Zeller explores the race's origins on the beach-and-road course and chronicles the effect that the track had on drivers, cars, and competition. The book features hundreds of photographs, including many exciting rare and obscure images from inside the ISC Publications-Archives.
For all of us, Daytona is an unforgettable spectacle that plays out once a year on a Sunday in February. In words and images, Daytona 500: An Official History celebrates the world's great racing event.
