February has 28 days in it, (ok, 29 if it’s a leap year), but there’s one
day that really matters to NASCAR fans.
Valentine’s Day?
Nope.
President's Day?
Un uh.
Start of Mardi Gras?
Not even close!
Daytona
Day!
The Daytona 500 is the most iconic NASCAR race held all year. Ask any true NASCAR junkie, it’s sweeter than Valentine’s Day, more historic than President's Day, and a much better use of pavement than Mardi Gras.
Cars roaring around the track at high speeds, and even though they always turn
left, is so action packed it’s nearly impossible to take your eyes off the
screen.
The Daytona 500 is the final race of Speedweeks, which is the string of
races that take place during January and February. This prestigious race is
the unofficial championship race in NASCAR, which is unique because the
sports community tends to associate championships as end-of-season events.
There are still plenty of points to be had after this monumental race, but
it’s by far the biggest one of the competitive season.
FUN FACT:
Trevor Bayne (2011) is the youngest winner of the race (20 years, 0 months,
1 day), while Bobby Allison (1988) is the oldest to win the race, checking
in at 50 years, 2 months and 11 days old.
The race is 200 laps and covers a whopping 500 miles! It’s like driving
from Denver, Colorado to Lincoln, Nebraska, or Pittsburgh, PA to Knoxville,
TN! Who knew turning left for multiple hours would be so invigorating and
exciting to watch!? Go ahead, sit back, relax and root on your favorite
driver.
Here's another amazing number: The Daytona 500 gets a global
viewing audience of 20 million, on average. That’s a lot of people watching
these brave drivers zip around the track. No matter who you are rooting
for, you can be sure you're probably not the only
one.
TRIVIA:
Here are three questions to test your knowledge of the most prestigious
racing event.
1) What driver drove the #17 car and won the Daytona 500 on,
coincidentally, his 17
th try?
A. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
B. Matt Kenseth
C. Darrell Waltrip
D. Fred Herb
2) When did the Daytona International Speedway open?
A. November of 1957
B. September of 1958
C. January of 1958
D. February of 1959
3) Who is the Grand Marshal for this year’s race?
A. Donald Trump
B. Owen Wilson
C. Denzel Washington
D. Tom Hanks
(Scroll down for the answers)
This year’s race is on Sunday, February 18 and begins at 2:30 ET. You can watch the race on FOX
and if you’re hosting a NASCAR party, make sure to have plenty of snacks
and beer!
Check out our NASCAR and racing party supplies and decorations by clicking
here
!
TRIVIA ANSWERS:
1 - C
2 - D
3 - B
