Daytona 500

Location: Daytona Beach, FL
Venue: Daytona International Speedway
Date: Sunday, February 20, 2011

The 2011 Daytona 500 is a 200-lap, 500 miles long race regarded by many as the most prestigious race on the NASCAR calendar.

Daytona Beach Package

Includes deluxe hotel accommodations in Daytona Beach, Sprint Tower tickets, a Daytona 500 Experience pass, event transfers, gifts and more.

Orlando Package

Includes deluxe hotel accommodations in Orlando, Sprint Tower tickets, a Daytona 500 Experience pass, event transfers, gifts and more.

Local Package

Includes Sprint Tower tickets, a Daytona 500 Experience pass, event transfers, gifts and more.

Event History

The Daytona 500 is a 200-lap, 500 miles long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule. In 2008, the race celebrated its 50th running.

The Daytona 500 is regarded by many as the most important and prestigious race on the NASCAR calendar, carrying by far the largest purse. Championship points awarded are equal to that of any other Sprint Cup race. It is also NASCAR's first race of the year.

Since 1995, U.S. television ratings for the Daytona 500 have been the highest for any auto race of the year, surpassing the traditional leader, the Indianapolis 500 which in turn greatly surpasses the Daytona 500 in in-track attendance and international viewing. The 2006 Daytona 500 attracted the sixth largest average live global TV audience of any sporting event that year with 20 million viewers.

The event serves as the final event of Speedweeks and is known as "The Great American Race" and the "Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing." It is held the second or third Sunday in February, and since 1971, has been loosely associated with Presidents Day weekend.

The winner of the Daytona 500 is presented with the Harley J. Earl Trophy in Victory Lane, and the winning car is displayed, in race-winning condition, for one year at Daytona 500 Experience, a museum and gallery adjacent to Daytona International Speedway.