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| Llake Lloyd |
This week I was lucky enough to visit the Daytona International Speedway. Here's some pics and comments!
Daytona: Home of Nascar's biggest race, Nascar itself, and Brian France's closet full of commemorative spoons.
This gives you an idea just how HIGH the banking is in the turns. 31 degrees is nothing to sneeze at! (Well, it was for me, but that's because I'm allergic to good weather). And yes, it really DOES look that narrow in person.
The flagman's stand and start-finish line. Its pretty amazing when you think about all the great drivers who have won here. And Jimmy Spencer.
The front-stretch grandstand. You can see where they've started the "Daytona Rising" renovation project, which was hyped by our tour guide about 3 times per minute. Eventually the entire front-stretch grandstand will be replaced.
And THIS is the backstretch grandstand. The Daytona Rising renovations will see this entire grandstand disassembled, removed, and repurposed at other tracks nationwide. Just think--soon you could be at Kansas Speedway sitting on the very seats where your crazy uncle puked in 1994!
This is a model of what Daytona International Speedway will look like after the Daytona Rising renovation project. Although I'm a little worried that a race would only have about eight cars in it.
One of the Sunoco sign towers. Nascar puts its officials up in here to keep an eye on the competition. Before Sunoco took over as the Official Fuel of Nascar, these were much bigger (and much MUCH cooler) orange 76 balls.
Inside the drivers' meeting room. Basically, this is the place where drivers are told safety information, track-specific rules, and how to avoid staring at Derrike Cope.
See? You can't turn away, can you?