Race fans will have the opportunity to attend part of Daytona International Speedway’s recently announced historic weekend in which NASCAR’s top national series will compete for the first time on the storied 3.56-mile DAYTONA Road Course. Tickets are on sale now for a limited number of fans as part of a highly anticipated doubleheader on Sunday, Aug. 16, featuring the NASCAR Cup Series as well as the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.
The 12-turn, high-banked, trioval/infield DAYTONA Road Course will see the Gander Trucks in a 153-mile event beginning at 12 Noon ET, while the Cup Series (231 miles) is set to take the green flag later in the day at 3:00 pm. ET. The races will be held on the same high-speed, demanding road course as the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA, North America’s most prestigious sports car race that has been competing since 1962. To reserve a place in history, fans are urged to get their tickets, which start at $49 (both races included) for adults and $10 for kids 12 years old and younger, today by visiting www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com, calling 1-800-PIT-SHOP or clicking here.
The limited number of fans for the doubleheader of action is in accordance with public health officials and local, state and federal authorities on amended safety protocols and procedures that will provide a safe experience for all fans in attendance. Frontstretch seating is available, plus there are options for infield camping guests.
Tickets also remain on sale for the Saturday, Aug. 29 Coke Zero Sugar 400, which will take place under the lights on the 2.5-mile trioval. A summertime staple since 1959, the switch of the race from July to August this year makes this the Cup Series Regular Season Finale prior to the start of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Tickets also start at $49 for adults and $10 for kids 12 and under. Limited infield camping is also available. Special pricing options are available for the “August Double,” featuring both DAYTONA Road Course events (Cup and Gander Trucks) and the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
To ensure social distancing between groups, fans who have already purchased tickets to the event have been reseated in comparable new locations, and new, lower ticket pricing has been applied. All guests who attend both weekends will be screened before entering the facility, required to wear face coverings and maintain six-feet of social distancing throughout the venue. Full protocols can be found here.
“For us to be able to host two event weekends in August on the most famous race track in the world – on two different circuits – is going to be historic for our fans,” said Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile. “It’s going to be a challenge for the drivers, too.
“In recent weeks, we have had fans back at Talladega Superspeedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, and here in Daytona with the IMSA WeatherTech 240, all adhering to health and safety protocols and enjoying a fun day at the race track. We’re looking forward to seeing fans back for unprecedented NASCAR action on the DAYTONA Road Course and high banks.”
The DAYTONA Road Course weekend will also consist of the ARCA Menards Series on Friday, Aug. 14 (MAVTV, 5:00 p.m. ET), as well as the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Saturday, Aug. 15 (NBCSN, 3:00 p.m. ET). Both events will be held without fans in attendance. The Xfinity Series will also make a return trip to challenge Daytona’s 2.5-mile trioval layout with no fans in attendance during the Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola on Saturday, Aug. 28 (NBCSN, 7:30 p.m. ET).
The NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series events, along with the ARCA event on the DAYTONA Road Course, are realigned races that were originally scheduled to be held at Watkins Glen International while the Gander Trucks race was originally scheduled for Iowa Speedway.
Competition on the DAYTONA Road Course will be unlike any other challenge drivers have faced at Daytona International Speedway. In contrast to the tightly packed competition on the speedway’s famed 2.5-mile high-banked trioval, drivers will utilize approximately three-quarters of the layout along with the challenging infield portion of the road course. That translates into 12 turns instead of the usual four and entails the high-speed entrance into Turn 1, as drivers dive left off the front straight to begin the twists and turns the infield offers. Drivers will put their skills to the test in the (east) International and west Horseshoe turns, and the tricky negotiation of the backstretch chicane, prior to a climb back atop the banking in Turn 3.
Current NASCAR drivers who have competed in the Rolex 24 on the DAYTONA Road Course include Kyle Busch, who was a participant earlier this year, and his brother Kurt, who was part of the event in 2005 and 2008, when he wound up third-place overall. Two-time DAYTONA 500 champion Jimmie Johnson, a seven-time starter in the Rolex 24, has two runnerup finishes in the event, in 2005 and 2008 while others include Kevin Harvick (2002), Matt Kenseth (2005), Clint Bower (2013), Timmy Hill (2012) and Michael McDowell, who has driven in five Rolex 24 races. Kyle Busch and Martin Truex, Jr., lead active drivers with road course wins in the NASCAR Cup Series with four each while Chase Elliott has three.
— Daytona International Speedway —
