2009 Daytona 500 Headquarters

2009 Daytona 500:

It has been called "The Great American Race" and "The Super Bowl of NASCAR." No matter what you call it there is no doubt that the Daytona 500 is the biggest, most-prestigous event on the NASCAR Sprint Cup calendar.

Daytona International Speedway:

The Daytona 500 is held at the Daytona International Speedway. DIS is in Daytona, Florida which is on the Atlantic coast in the central part of the state.

Daytona is a 2.5 mile tri-oval with 31 degrees of banking in the corners. The high speeds possible here mean that the cars must use restrictor plates in order to keep the speeds manageable.

Daytona 500 History:

The Daytona 500 has had some fantastic moments. From great fights to great finishes on the track you can check out the Top Ten Greatest Moments in Daytona 500 History.

Or you might want to check out the highlights from some recent years' Daytona 500.

• 1997 Daytona 500
• 1998 Daytona 500
• 1999 Daytona 500
• 2000 Daytona 500
• 2001 Daytona 500
• 2004 Daytona 500
• 2005 Daytona 500
• 2006 Daytona 500
• 2007 Daytona 500

2008 Daytona 500

2009 Daytona 500

Daytona 500 Qualifying:

Daytona is unique in the way that it sets the lineup for the Daytona 500. No other race on the Sprint Cup schedule has a qualifying process like this. You can see the full explanation of the Daytona 500 Qualifying Process here.

All Daytona 500 Winners:

This complete list of Daytona 500 winners reads like a who's who among the greatest NASCAR drivers of all time. From Richard Petty to Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon most of the great ones scored in Daytona.

2009 Daytona Coverage:

Friday February 6th

• Paul Menard Crashes in Opening Practice

Saturday February 7th

• Harvick Survives 2009 Budweiser Shootout to Claim Win

Sunday February 8th

• Martin Truex Jr. Wins Pole for 2009 Daytona 500

Thursday February 12th

• Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch Claim Gatorade Duels

Sunday February 15th

• Matt Kenseth Wins Rain-Shortened 2009 Daytona 500