DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR drivers share their thoughts on what makes the Daytona 500 so great.
WPTV reporter Kendall Hyde spoke with some of the biggest names in the sport about the significance of the event and the track where it all began.
Since 1959, the Daytona 500 has been the heartbeat of the sport called NASCAR.
“It’s Daytona. What else do you need to know about it?” said Joey Logano, winner of the 2015 Daytona 500. “I mean, the history of our sport is written here. When you come in here, you know what it’s about.”
NASCAR driver Kyle Larson shared the same sentiment.
“They made this a prestigious event,” Larson said. “The purse, the trophy, the crowd, the atmosphere here is second to none.”
The legendary track covers approximately 500 acres and features the famous 31-degree high banks, allowing drivers to reach top speed while fans get great views of the 2.5-mile circuit.
There can only be one winner and for Martin Treux Jr. he is hoping the track he fell in love with as a child brings him luck on Sunday.
“This is the biggest thing of the year,” said Treux, a 20-time Daytona 500 racer. “It also starts a new season, which is kind of interesting, and it's always just the excitement of the off-season preparation and you come here to see what you've got.”
For some drivers, this route is nothing but fond memories.
“Winning,” Logano said with a laugh.
For others, it's all about changing their luck.
“I came second here once, cool, I think. I would have liked to win, but it was a decent result,” said NASCAR driver Chase Elliot. “We crashed on the others, so there wasn’t much good.”
“I guess second place isn't a nice memory, but we achieved the closest goal in history here,” said Treux. “It was cool. I just wish we were on the other side.”
With so much history behind each driver on this track, expect fireworks this weekend.
Daytona 500 coverage begins Sunday at 2:30 p.m. on WFLX FOX 29.
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