Daytona Beach: Racing on the Sand

The hard-packed sand of Ormond Beach and Daytona Beach drew speed seekers as early as 1903. For decades, the beach hosted land speed record attempts; Sir Malcolm Campbell set a record there in 1935 before moving his efforts to the Bonneville Salt Flats later that year.

In 1936, the city of Daytona Beach staged a stock car race on a course that combined a stretch of beach with a parallel paved road, linked by sandy turns at each end. Milt Marion won. Among the other drivers was a young mechanic and service station operator named Bill France, who had moved to Daytona Beach from Washington, D.C., a few years earlier.

A course like no other

The beach-road course was famously unpredictable. Tides dictated the schedule, the turns deteriorated as the race went on, and spectators watched from the dunes. France became involved in promoting races on the course and continued to do so after NASCAR's founding.

The beach-road course hosted its final NASCAR race in 1958. Daytona International Speedway opened in 1959, and its first Daytona 500 that February ended in a photo finish; Lee Petty was declared the winner over Johnny Beauchamp after days of review.