From March 9 to 11, the DAYTONA 200, the 81nd edition of America's most historic motorcycle race, which has challenged the world's best motorcycle racers for more than seven decades and whose history has grown from the hard sands of Daytona Beach to the iconic "World Center of Racing”! The opportunity to revisit a little history…
The Daytona 200 is a 200-mile motorcycle race held annually since 1937 in Daytona Beach, Florida. The race was first run on the Daytona Beach Road Course, a 3,2-mile track that included both the beach and the adjacent road. The first Daytona 200 race took place on January 24, 1937 and was won by Ed Kretz on an Indian motorcycle.
However, as this race becomes more and more dangerous and difficult to manage, Bill France Sr. decided in 1953 to build a dedicated running track, returning the beach to almost its original use.
Bill France Sr. had in fact realized that the days of racing on the beach were numbered due to the increasing use of it by a rapidly growing population and huge crowds coming to enjoy the pleasures of the ocean. Bill France Sr. put its plans in motion on April 4, 1953 with a proposal to build a permanent speedway facility. On August 16, 1954, he signed a contract with Daytona Beach city and Volusia County officials to build what would become the
Daytona International Speedway, the “World Center of Racing”. In 1957, land clearing began for the Speedway. The circuit was built on a 480-acre site that had previously been a tomato farm, and the cost of construction was then approximately $3 million.
The famous banked banks were included in the track design in order to achieve high speeds and make it easier for fans to see the cars racing around the 2,5-mile tri-oval.
Racing moved from the beach course to the Daytona International Speedway in 1959 and the first car race, the DAYTONA 500, was held on February 22 in front of a crowd of more than 41, won by Lee Petty in a photo finish, two years before the terrible crash that would end his career at the same place.
In 1959, cars included both hardtops and convertibles (this was the only DAYTONA 500 that included convertibles).
The Daytona 200 was incorporated into the AMA Grand National Championship in 1961, but the motorcycle race continued to be held on the beach until 1965. In 1966, the race was moved to the brand new Daytona International Speedway, where it was held. has held since then.
Over the years, Daytona International Speedway has undergone numerous renovations and upgrades to adapt to changing safety standards and the demands of modern racing.
Besides NASCAR and the Daytona 200 motorcycle race, the Daytona International Speedway has also hosted other races, including, the Rolex 24 at Daytona endurance race and the Daytona Supercross. Daytona International Speedway has been the site of many historic motorsports moments, including the first NASCAR race won by a female driver (Danica Patrick during the 500 Daytona 2013 qualifying race), the closest finish in Daytona 500 history (in 2016, when Denny Hamlin beaten down Martin Truex Jr. of 0,010 seconds) and the tragic death of Dale Earnhardt Sr. during the Daytona 500 in 2001.
Over the years, the Daytona 200 has also been won by some of the biggest names in motorcycle racing, including Jarno Saarinen, Patrick Pons, Kenny Roberts, Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini, Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey and Miguel Duhamel.
The most successful drivers in Daytona 200 history are Scott Russell, who won the race five times between 1992 and 1995, and Miguel Duhamel, who also won five times between 1991 and 2005.
The Daytona 200 was run as part of the AMA Pro Road Racing Series, and the race featured a variety of categories, including Superbikes, Formula Xtreme and Daytona SportBikes in the past, Supersport today.
The Daytona 200 took place in 2019 but was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, for 7 thousandths of a second, Brandon Pasch repeats his 2021 victory on a Triumph during an 80th edition postponed many times due to rain.
In 2023, MotoAmerica, home of AMA Superbike and North America's premier motorcycle road racing class, is partnering with DAYTONA to host the DAYTONA 200.
Join MotoAmerica Superbike and Supersport riders
Jake Gagne, Cam Petersen, Josh Herrin, Josh Hayes, Sam Lochoff, Richie Escalante, as well as pilots from all over the world.
In addition to the DAYTONA 200, the MotoAmerica weekend at DAYTONA will be the opening round of the 2023 MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Championship, REV'IT! Twins Cup Championship and the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship. This will be the second time that these last three categories will race on the superspeedway banking.
Today, like some legendary sites like Le Mans, Indianapolis or Suzuka, the Daytona International Speedway remains one of the most important and popular sites in motor sports, attracting fans and drivers from all over the world. .
