| The Daytona International Speedway in Daytona | | | | qualifications will be added to the 35. Other top |
| Beach, Florida is home to some of the most | | | | qualifiers will fill the remaining spots to 43 and |
| significant NASCAR races there are. It is a 2.5-mile | | | | previous NASCAR champions without a spot will |
| track and can seat 168,000 fans. Other racing | | | | be given priority. |
| associations share the track too so it is not | | | | The Daytona International Speedway has seen its |
| exclusively a NASCAR facility. It is home to the | | | | share of exciting victories throughout its history. |
| race most Americans know because it has been | | | | For example, take the Daytona 500 victory in |
| around for so long: The Daytona 500. NASCAR | | | | 1976 where David Pearson just barely beat out |
| sponsors this event as the NEXTEL Cup - | | | | the King of Racing Richard Petty. The two actually |
| Daytona 500 - "The Great American Race." | | | | wrecked on their dart for the finish and both cars |
| In 2008, the 50th Annual NEXTEL Cup Daytona | | | | went into spins. Richard Petty's car stalled out |
| 500 race will be held. The NASCAR Daytona 500 | | | | when it went into the infield. Pearson managed to |
| is a 500-mile race that consists of 200 laps. This | | | | get his car over the finish line at 30 mph. All this |
| race will begin the NASCAR season on February | | | | excitement happened just 20 yards from the |
| 17th. The winner of the Daytona 500 gets | | | | finish line. |
| awarded the Harley J. Earl Trophy. Harley J. Earl | | | | The Daytona 500 has had its share of tragedies. |
| was an automobile designer who served as the | | | | In 2001 Dale Earnhardt was killed in a crash on the |
| second NASCAR commissioner. The Harley J. Earl | | | | last turn of the last lap of the race. Dale |
| Trophy will be plated in gold instead of silver for | | | | Earnhardt had won at this track 34 times. |
| the 2008 race. | | | | It was suspected that some car modifications |
| The NASCAR Daytona 500 has a unique qualifying | | | | allowing drivers to break faster caused this and |
| procedure. The top 35 teams from the previous | | | | they were discontinued in the rules after this fatal |
| year's competition are automatically qualified to | | | | race. The modifications made the cars more |
| compete in the current Daytona 500 race at the | | | | aerodynamic and allowed more cars to take the |
| Daytona International Speedway. There are | | | | lead during a race. The idea was to inject more |
| 150-mile qualifying races held one week before | | | | excitement into NASCAR racing at the Daytona |
| the big race and the two top drivers from the | | | | International Speedway as well as other tracks. |