When given the chance, event traveling always tops destination traveling. While Daytona Beach is a great destination year-round, February’s Daytona 500 is easily the coolest time to experience the area. Although I am not a racing enthusiast myself, I am always looking for cool adventures. With the big race anchored right in the middle of February break, Daytona Beach seemed to be an ideal starting point for a short Atlantic road trip.

 

The plan was: drive into Daytona Beach the afternoon of the race and spend the 3 following days traveling up the Atlantic coast towards Charleston, South Carolina. NASCAR enthusiasts will plan months ahead to visit the historic race– I certainly did not. Upon arriving in Daytona Beach, I still had not purchased tickets. With a seating capacity of over 100,000 and another 50,000 people situated inside the speedway, I assumed finding a ticket would not be an issue. I was partially correct. While ticket supply was no issue, demand and prices were high. I cut my losses and bought a ticket between the starting line and turn 1. 

 

As I got close to the racetrack it was obvious that this was the largest event I had ever attended. The official race parking lots were backed up for almost a mile and the main avenue was swamped. I stopped for lunch at the nearby Applebee's which for one let me avoid stadium food prices, but more importantly got me parking for the event (An event hack is that restaurants with parking often let you keep a car there throughout the event). With that taken care of, I entered the racetrack. 

 

The Daytona International Speedway is a crazy sight to be seen. The stands seem to be endless and the track is massive. As we entered, some pre-race events such as a concert were just finishing up and racer announcements were beginning. The big event was just around the corner. After a squadron flyover and the national anthem, the cars began to go. The deafening engines made sure to grab my attention and the frequent pit stops, overtakes and bumps were enough to keep the race interesting. A sunset and crash towards the end of the race gave for some cool action shots. Some of my event photography can be seen below!

 

Once the race ended, we spent the night around the Daytona Beach area. The next morning, I participated in the NASCAR Driving Experience, where I was able to drive a stock car around the official Daytona track for 5 laps. I reached speeds of up to 140 mph and got a personalized go-pro video to document the trip!