This weekend, the NASCAR tour heads to the famed Daytona International Speedway for the second and final visit to the racetrack of 2013.
No, this race is not as immense as the first visit – the Daytona 500. There will be no mega TV ratings for this weekend, no hefty crowds that rival February, and the Danica hype will certainly be nowhere near the levels produced at the beginning of the year. However, in the general scheme of Daytona’s history, this weekend means just as much – in dissimilar ways.
For the actual competition aspect of NASCAR, this event represents an important time of the season. Daytona is the first of the repeat tracks on the schedule. After this weekend, teams will be facing many tracks for the second time of the year.
Daytona’s July race is considered the halfway point of the season. The crowning of a champion is approaching, so this portion of the year is always extremely imperative to the garage – performance must only increase if there is any hope for holding a trophy at season’s end.
Competition is not everything, especially with a place like this. The week of Independence Day is synonymous with Daytona racing. Back in the old days of the sport, the families of NASCAR would spend each Independence Day, no matter what day of the week, at the speedway. Drivers would battle it out in the morning, before the hot summer Florida temperatures would annex the atmosphere in the afternoon. Racing in the morning would turn to family time in the sun for the rest of the day. The roaring thunder of cars at Daytona would be replaced with the peaceful sounds of families enjoying the day at the beach. In a competitive environment, the July Daytona race brought some peace to the demands of racing.
Today, the increased competitive environment and demanding characteristics of NASCAR racing may reduce some of this family fun at the beach which once was the norm. Generally, racing has become more serious over the years. But even today, despite the change in times, this race weekend continues to provide importance. This country’s past, how it started, and the values that made it strong are all remembered on this special week, all while enjoying a tradition that despite time, has not weathered.
Daytona is more than just a 2.5 mile high-banked asphalt racetrack. Daytona, and this weekend of racing, is ultimately an American icon, a symbol of independence, an emblem of family, and a representation of American tradition.
