Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home to the biggest and greatest race in all of NASCAR, "The Great American Race", the Daytona 500. Today the facility has a seating capacity of almost 168,000 spectators.

It hosts races of motor vehicles of various kinds, including go-karts, motorcycles (on and off road), sports cars, modified pickup trucks, and stock cars. The track features multiple layouts including a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) high speed tri-oval, a 3.56 miles (5.73 km) sports car course, and a 2.95 miles (4.75 km) motorcycle course, with a new .25 miles (0.40 km) karting and flat-track motorcycle racing circuit scheduled to open in December 2009. The track's 180-acre (73 ha) infield includes the 29-acre (12 ha) Lake Lloyd, which has hosted powerboat racing.

The facility is also used for an annual spring car show and swap meet, and a Thanksgiving street rod meet, some of the largest of their kind, and various 5,000 metres (3.1 mi) races around the track, as there have been three different layouts. In 2008, the city of Daytona Beach ran its first half marathon, utilizing the track as the start and finish line, around the Daytona 500 Experience, and Bethune-Cookman University. Daytona's warm climate lends itself to hosting the unofficial start of the racing year with Speedweeks and the 24 Hours of Daytona race in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.

Then the racing begins for the Sprint Cup Series with the Budweiser Shootout and the Gatorade Duel. The ARCA RE/MAX Series Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 is held the same day as the Budweiser Shootout, a few hours prior to the Shootout. The Camping World Truck Series begins with the NextEra Energy Resources 250.

The Nationwide Series begins with the Camping World 300 and then it is back to the Sprint Cup in "The Great American Race", the Daytona 500. The Sprint Cup Series also features the Coke Zero 400 in July at Daytona. It also contains an attraction called the Daytona 500 Experience.

The winning car from the Daytona 500 is placed inside the attraction building each year. NASCAR was founded by William France Sr. and a small group of fellow race promoters at Daytona Beach, Florida in 1947.

The original premiere event in the series was held at the Daytona Beach Road Course. France began planning a new track for the premiere event in his fledgling series in 1953. On August 16, 1954 he signed a contract with city officials to create this new track that would become famous as the Daytona International Speedway.

Ground was broken on November 25th, 1957. The soil underneath the banked corners was dug from the infield of the track, and the large hole in the infield filled with water from the high water table and is now known as Lake Lloyd. France wanted fans to have an optimal view of the cars traveling through the turns, so had the banking constructed as steeply as possible (31-degrees being the steepest grade asphalt could be laid with 1950's technology).

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