NASCAR prepares for the Daytona Road Course

NASCAR prepares for the Daytona Road Course

NASCAR prepares for the Daytona Road Course this weekend. For the first time in its 61-year history, Daytona International Speedway’s road course will host regular season points races in all three NASCAR national series.

News of the first NASCAR national series races on Daytona’s road course was announced earlier in July. The addition to the Cup Series schedule serves as a race realigned from NASCAR’s annual visit to Watkins Glen International. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, New York state health and safety regulations cannot allow for the previously scheduled NASCAR weekend to happen there at this time.

The iconic Daytona high-banked 2.5-mile superspeedway, where NASCAR’s best traditionally race (including twice this season) will instead be replaced just this weekend by the facility’s 3.61-mile, 14-turn road course.

And, while the vast majority of the drivers competing don’t have much experience on the track’s famous road course alternative – that incorporates both the speedway’s high-banked turns and a tight, technical infield section – there is a lot of excitement about the competitive possibilities.

For more than a decade NASCAR’s road courses featured a tight battle between the sport’s all-time road course aces – now-retired NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart who have a combined 17 wins at the Sonoma (Calif.) and Watkins Glen (N.Y.) courses where the series has traditionally competed.

Tommy Joe Martins

Tommy Joe Martins, sponsored by Ken Gilreath, will be racing his #44 AAN Adjusters Chevy Camaro this weekend as part of NASCAR Xfinity series: “In 2010 I discovered my love for super speedway racing when we ran the ARCA race at Daytona and finished 8th”.

He is currently in his fifth season of competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, moving to the No. 44 Chevrolet Camaro with Martins Motorsports for a full-time campaign. Martins has competed at the NASCAR national series level since 2009.

ABOUT DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. They will feature four different stock-car (and truck) circuits, including the big-league Cup Series.

For an added twist — both left and right — the races will take place on Daytona’s 3.56-mile road course that features 14 turns over a combination of the famed trioval and infield layout.

It begins on Aug. 14 (Friday) with ARCA, followed by a Saturday Xfinity Series race, capped by a Sunday doubleheader featuring NASCAR’s Trucks and Cup Series.