Fans Invited to World Center of Racing to Witness the Most Anticipated Cars in the History of the Sport, Which Will Make Points Debut in Feb. 20 DAYTONA 500
DAYTONA BEACH, FL (Dec. 15, 2021) – In anticipation of the 2022 points-race debut of NASCAR’s ‘Next Gen’ car in NASCAR’s most prestigious race – the Feb. 20 DAYTONA 500 – fans can visit iconic Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday, Jan. 11, to get a ‘FREE’ first look at the machines that will bring the ‘stock car’ look back to NASCAR.
The World Center of Racing will be open to fans during the first day of what will be a two-day test session (Jan. 11-12) for the NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen cars on Daytona’s 31-degree banking. Fans will be able to witness the action from 12:00-8:00 p.m. ET in select frontstretch seating as well as the infield UNOH Fanzone which will allow an ‘up-close’ look at the teams as they prepare the cars to go on track.
Both parking and admission will be free of charge. For frontstretch seating, fans will park in the midway (accessible from Turn 1 Drive) and enter the venue at the Axalta Injector. For those going to the UNOH Fanzone, they will enter at Gate 40 off of Williamson Blvd. and follow signage to the infield parking areas and entrance to the UNOH Fanzone. Guests can pre-register to save time at the gates by logging onto https://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/next-gen-test.
“With the level of excitement and energy around the Next Gen cars competing during DAYTONA Speedweeks Presented By AdventHealth and the 64th annual DAYTONA 500, the January 11th test will offer a special, FREE preview event for our local community, as well as for loyal, diehard fans from all over the country,” said Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher. “It’s a great way for them to see these historical race cars plus experience our iconic Speedway. It will be such a rewarding feeling to see fans from our area – as well as those who travel to Daytona to get a sneak peek – in our frontstretch seating and UNOH Fanzone during the test, and then a packed house just over a month later for the DAYTONA 500.”
The January Daytona test will mark the second time the Next Gen car has been on the 2.5-mile’s asphalt as Daytona’s initial test for the anticipated cars was held earlier this year in September.
The Next Gen car, a collaboration of the brightest engineering minds in racing and the automotive industry, is designed to give the drivers greater control. It will put an emphasis back on race strategies, team personnel and vehicle setups while returning the ‘stock car’ look to NASCAR with the new Toyota TRD Camrys, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s and Ford Mustangs. The cars, which were designed to look like the models available to fans in showrooms across the country, will utilize the latest technology to maximize performance, improve safety and provide incredible racing for fans.
A limited number of frontstretch seating tickets remain for the DAYTONA 500, and race fans need to act now to take advantage of a host of DAYTONA 500 Holiday packages, which are on sale for a limited time, offering up to 30% off for DAYTONA Speedweeks Presented By AdventHealth events.
During DAYTONA Speedweeks Presented By AdventHealth events, the Next Gen cars will hit the track in full competition on Thursday, Feb. 17 during the Bluegreen Vacations Duel at DAYTONA qualifying races.
For ticket information on the 2022 DAYTONA 500 and the Bluegreen Vacations Duel races, as well as other Speedweeks Presented By AdventHealth events (Friday, Feb. 18 NextEra Energy 250 for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series; Saturday, Feb. 19 doubleheader – The Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 for the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the Lucas Oil 200 Driven by General Tire for the ARCA Menards Series), log onto www.DAYTONA500.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP. Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for the latest speedway news.
About Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the World Center of Racing, boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. In addition to at least nine major event weekends, the Speedway grounds are also used extensively for events that include concerts, civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training. The iconic venue will be the site of a host of motorsports events early in 2022, beginning with AHRMA Classic Motofest and the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA in January, and the 64th DAYTONA 500, which will debut the first points race for NASCAR’s ‘Next Gen’ car as part of Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth, in February. The tradition-rich 81st Annual Bike Week At DAYTONA returns in March, featuring DAYTONA Supercross and the DAYTONA 200, and in May with the Heroes Honor Festival. Later in the summer during Independence Day weekend, the track, in association with Torneos, will host Soccer Fest before the NASCAR Cup Series returns for the final race of the regular season with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Aug. 27.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour), one local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series) and three international series (NASCAR Pinty’s Series, NASCAR Peak Mexico Series, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).
