NASCAR 2004:
It All Starts Right Here
Raceday is upon us again. February 15th, 2003 dawns the first rev of a Nextel Cup car in a points event, a field full of former Busch stars gone young-gun, and a brand new gasoline supplier flying the Sunoco banner. Ah, Daytona...you can almost smell the high-burning octane pouring through your TV set. But it's more than just your average cookie-cutter racetrack. Daytona boasts some of the greatest moments in NASCAR's short history, and also tries to hide from some of the sport's darkest of days. Almost more impressive than the races though, are the staggering specs of this legendary track. Fishwrench.com breaks down the numbers for you, one by one.
| Daytona International Speedway Specifications: |
|
| Superspeedway |
| 2.5-mile trioval |
| 40 feet wide with 12- to 30-foot apron |
|
| Turns |
| Banking: 31 degrees |
| Length: 3,000 feet |
| Radius: 1,000 feet |
|
| Trioval |
| Banking: 18 degrees (at start/finish line) |
|
| Frontstretch |
| Chute length: 1,900 feet (from turn to middle of trioval) |
| Total length: 3,800 feet |
| Banking: Minimal for drainage only |
|
| Backstretch |
| Length: 3,000 feet |
| Banking: Minimal for drainage only |
|
| Pit Road |
| Length: 1,600 feet |
| Width: 50 feet |
|
| Garage Area |
| 7 garages with 82 stalls (spaces for 164 cars) |
|
| Road Course |
| 3.56 miles (incorporates trioval superspeedway and non-banked infield section) |
| Infield course and chicane range from 30 to 50 feet wide |
| Speedway Facility |
| Total acreage: 480 acres |
| Infield: 180 acres (includes 44-acre Lake Lloyd) |
Pretty impressive stuff, but I still don't know where to get nachos.
Welcome to Speedweeks; welcome to Daytona.
Bob Wood
