Daytona Meets Ferrari and Pirelli
Daytona is a lively town on the Atlantic coast of Florida, well known for Spring Break festivities and an easygoing populace. But while its sandy shores attract up to 10.2 million visitors each year, the beach is not Daytona's most celebrated landmark. That status is reserved for the Daytona International Speedway, which is perhaps the most famous racetrack in the NASCAR circuit and home to dozens of other prestigious motorsports competitions each year. For decades, up to 101,500 eager spectators have witnessed their fair share of glorious moments, fiery collisions, and come-from-behind upsets on this impressively large track, and there's plenty more spectacle to be excited for in 2022.
Daytona International Speedway – as we know it today – opened in 1959 and was the dream and brainchild of Bill France Sr., who worked with City of Daytona Beach and Volusia County officials to bring the "World Center of Racing" to life. The track's most recognizable and celebrated race, the 500-mile DAYTONA 500 (hence the name), took place for the first time in February of that year, and the winner of the inaugural race was actually too close to call. The official champion, Lee Patty, was finally declared almost three days after crossing the finish line with a historic margin recorded as only two feet from the second-place finisher.
More than 60 years on, the Daytona International Speedway regularly hosts races for other top tier racing series in the U.S. and around the world, including ARCA, AMA Superbike, IMSA, SCCA and Motorcross. This year the Ferrari Challenge North America, fitted by Pirelli, will join them under the iconic checkered flag of Daytona, uniting three historic names for an unforgettable moment on April 8.
Pirelli ushers in its 30th year as the provider of the prestigious Ferrari Challenge Championship. A collaboration since the race's inception, the two iconic Italian brands have been racing together as long as Daytona has been around, since the 1950s.
While Daytona is most well-known for its 2.5-mile long, high-speed tri-oval track used by high-octane NASCAR drivers, it converts to several other shapes and distances for other competitions including a 3.5- mile sports car course, a 2.95-mile motorcycle route, and a quarter-mile karting and motorcycle flat-track. Not only that, but the speedway also plays host to certain watersports thanks to the sizeable Lake Lloyd located within the spacious inner field that's surrounded by the track.
Expect some differences for the route awaiting the Ferrari racers this April, though, and forget the lake (though it would make for an interesting twist). The track is 5430 meters of exciting twists and turns, with challenging curves tilted to 31 degrees. This year's Challenge in Daytona will welcome Ferrari USA drivers Michael Louli, Jeffrey Nunberg, Brett Jacobson, Todd Coleman and Todd Johnson to the track. In addition, the NA Series not only brings these pro-drivers to the course, but allows Ferrari owners the opportunity to race or watch the power of Ferrari and Pirelli unleashed on this legendary racing track.
Click here for more information on Ferrari Racing Days at Daytona – April 8-10, 2022. Three days that will add even more to the history of this iconic track.
