February 15, 2009 will be a very important day for most men. No, it’s not the time to get that forgotten Valentine’s Day gift. It’s the Daytona 500! It’s racing time! It’s time to enjoy another chance to get Daytona 500 tickets and see the best drivers compete.
With Daytona 500 tickets in hand, spectators get to enjoy the Daytona International Speedway in sunny Daytona Beach, Florida. For those who don’t know much about the event or have never enjoyed Daytona 500 tickets, it is the most-watched and most competitive auto race run.
The ‘500’ printed on those coveted Daytona 500 tickets represents 500 miles. For 200 laps, the race captivates viewers on television and in person. This annual competition is the most important event on NASCAR’s annual calendar. The Daytona 500 is NASCAR’s first race of the year. Since 1995, ratings for the event have been television’s highest in auto racing, beating even the Indianapolis 500. Most fans would agree as to why: it’s adrenaline pumping auto racing at its best.
YOU MUST HAVE TICKETS TO TRULY ENJOY THE DAYTONA 500 EXPERIENCE
The weather in Daytona Beach, Florida in February certainly helps draw the annual crowds that it does. Quite a few fans of the Daytona 500 plan almost a year in advance to make the trip. Daytona 500 tickets go on sale well in advance, and there is a reason – the fans want to plan their trip for the Daytona 500 experience well ahead of time.
Hotels, businesses and vendors wait for the second or third Sunday in February every year in anticipation of big spenders. Although packages can be expensive – to the tune of thousands per person – most include Daytona 500 tickets, pit passes, hotel accommodations and welcome gifts.
NASCAR wanted the trip to the Daytona 500 to be an all-inclusive experience, not just an event. As a result, they created the Daytona 500 Experience (formerly known as Daytona USA). In this experience which you will find outside the Speedway itself, guests will find interactive games for children and adults, a pit stop competition and three motion simulators. There is also an IMAX Theatre, of course playing a NASCAR film, as well as a gift shop, snack bar, welcome center and electronic game center.
Daytona 500 tickets also allow you to visit interactive motorsports exhibits and other series events. Now the price of the Daytona 500 tickets makes much more sense. NASCAR has taken the time and effort to bring ticket holders an entire day’s worth of fun and activities.
THE DAYTONA 500 IS MORE THAN JUST A RACE
The Daytona 500 race is arguably the most prestigious event in the sport of racing today. The Daytona 500 is an international spectacle. The Daytona 500 is NASCAR’s signature event and it kicks off the NASCAR Sprint Cup season every year. Daytona 500 tickets grant you access to be a part of that history. There is nothing quite like the energy of a Daytona 500 crowd, especially when the winning car makes that checkered flag wave.
You get to see the winner earn the Harley J. Earl Trophy in Victory Lane. Not only does the winning driver get the trophy and honor of being the winner of the Daytona 500, but the winning car is displayed for one year at the Daytona 500 Experience adjacent to the Daytona International Speedway.
In 2008, the Daytona 500 celebrated its 50th year. To celebrate this golden anniversary, a year prior in March 2007, NASCAR held a competition to find the best design for the Daytona 500 tickets that year. The competition called “Celebrity Tickets for Charity” included submissions by celebrities. All of the proceeds were donated to the Jeff Gordon Foundation. Comedian and game show host Jeff Foxworthy won the competition and was the designer of the Daytona 500 tickets for 2007.
Indiana native Ryan Newman took the trophy home in the 2008 race, winning over $1.5 million. Who will win next year? The best and most exciting way to find out is with a pair of Daytona 500 tickets. Since 1959, the Daytona 500 has been entertaining audiences. Daytona 500 tickets are always in demand, and they always sell out as fast as the race itself! Those Daytona 500 tickets are certainly worth more than their weight in gold when it comes to an amazing live experience.
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