DAYTONA International Speedway Tours in Daytona, Florida

While visiting Daytona Beach earlier this year, we knew there was one stop in the city that boasts the “World’s Most Famous Beach” that we had to go check out…The DAYTONA International Speedway!

Daytona and Racing

What’s the connection to car racing and the famous Daytona beach, you might ask? It all goes back to the turn of the 20th century. There’s a well-known joke around the automotive industry that goes, “When was the first car race? When they built the second car.” This was true well before gigantic racetracks like DAYTONA.

Racing really got it’s start on the hard packed, sandy beaches in Daytona, Florida. The rich and famous would travel from all over to race their automobiles on Daytona’s 23 miles of shoreline.

As vehicles became less of a rich-man’s sport and more accessible to everyone, the desire to raise the bar on the new-found sport was realized in 1959 with the construction of the DAYTONA International Speedway. Now known as the World Center of Racing, the Speedway is a racing lover’s dream come true!

Behind the Scenes at the Speedway

The DAYTONA Speedway offers fans a behind-the-scenes look at everything that it takes to put on a race and offers a taste of what it’s like to be on the racetrack and win the DAYTONA 500. The Speedway offers 3 different types of tours to accommodate a variety of budgets and needs. You can find more information about each of these tours below. We were invited to the All-Access Tour, which was 90 minutes long, and was jam packed with fun and information.

All-Access Tour

Our tour started by entering the main building which had a cafe and fun things to look at. When it was time for our tour, we headed outside to meet our tour guide who was very knowledgeable about the Speedway, as well as the history of racing in general. He was so much fun and absolutely awesome with our kids!

Our 6 year old daughter became his personal helper and he gave her the job of carrying his mic box, which she totally loved and kept her involved in the tour. So sweet! We boarded our tour tramcar and headed off towards the track.

Our tramcar drove us around the entire racetrack while we learned about the history of automotive racing and the Speedway. I had never been to a racetrack before and I was absolutely amazed at just how vertical the racetrack gets near the wall. It’s one thing to hear that it’s a 31 degree bank, but seeing it up close is an entirely different thing!

Next we rode over to the exclusive Fan Zone for a walk through Gatorade Victory Lane for a fun photo op. There are actually 2 extra special photo opportunities on this tour, both of which you are allowed to use your own camera and the professional photographer on-site will take the photos for you at no extra charge. This was such a refreshing change from other tours and things we’ve been on before. Our pics turned out pretty awesome!

Media Deadline Room

The next part of the tour was access to the Media Deadline Room, where journalists from all over the world have come to interview the winners of the DAYTONA 500. This is where your second photo op will take place as you get to sit at the winner’s table. So much fun!

Motorsports Hall of Fame of America

Our tour ended at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America – a massive museum showcasing huge displays from every style and generation of racing. There’s a mock-up of a 1950s era gas station that my youngest had fun playing around in.

These are the descriptions and pricing info for all 3 types of tours offered by the DAYTONA International Speedway. Find one that’s right for you and make it part of your family’s trip to Daytona Beach!

Speedway Tour

Climb aboard one of our open-air trams and you will be transported into a world unto itself: the “World Center of Racing.” As you enter the “World Center of Racing”, a flurry of action, color and grandeur will explode before your eyes and you’ll know that you’re on hallowed ground.

Experience the 31-degree high banks for yourself as the tram coasts along turns 3 and 4 before finding yourself walking in the footsteps of legends past and present as you climb atop the podium in Gatorade Victory Lane for a photo.

End this thirty-minute Speedway Tour by standing next to the car of this year’s DAYTONA 500 champion, left in the same condition as the day it captured the checkered flag.

Following your tour, fans can now access the new Motorsports Hall of Fame of America that is now housed in the DIS Ticket and Tours Building, showcasing spectacular displays honoring all forms of motorsports: Stock Cars, Sports Cars, Open-Wheel, Motorcycles, Drag Racing, Land Speed Records, Powerboating and Aviation.

Memories of a lifetime await you here at Daytona International Speedway.

Duration: 30 minutes

Available Times: 11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 3:30 p.m.

Pricing:

  • Adults: $19
  • Adult Best Value Ticket: $23*
  • Children (5-12): $13
  • Children (5-12) Best Value Ticket: $17*
  • Children (4 and younger): Free

*Best value ticket includes all digital images taken along the tour, which can be downloaded to a personal computer or mobile device from Magic Memories Website

LIMITED AVAILABILITY: Daily tickets are sold beginning at 9 am at the DIS Ticket Office; no advance sales are offered. Each tour capacity is limited and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Tours will leave promptly at their scheduled time and ticket sales will be cut off five minutes prior to each tour time.

All-Access Tour

On the 90-minute All Access Tour, guests will a unique opportunity to explore the 2.5-mile Speedway from a variety of vantage points.

Take the rare opportunity to come face-to-face with the track as you visit the well-known start/finish line and 31-degree high banks or ride down pit road to get a close-up view of the pit stalls. This tour provides you with unprecedented access like a visit to the media deadline room, a photo in Gatorade Victory Lane and a look inside the venue as you hop onto one of the 40 escalators and are transported into the frontstretch seating for a stunning view of the trioval and infield.

End the day by standing next to the car of this year’s DAYTONA 500 champion, left in the same condition as the day it conquered the World Center of Racing.

Following your tour, fans can now access the new Motorsports Hall of Fame of America that is now housed in the DIS Ticket and Tours Building, showcasing spectacular displays honoring all forms of motorsports: Stock Cars, Sports Cars, Open-Wheel, Motorcycles, Drag Racing, Land Speed Records, Powerboating and Aviation.

Duration: 90 Minutes

Available Times: 9:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m. 11:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. 2:30 p.m.

Pricing:

  • Adults: $26
  • Adult Best Value Ticket: $30*
  • Children (5-12): $20
  • Children (5-12) Best Value Ticket: $24*
  • Children (4 and younger): Free

*Best value ticket includes all digital images taken along the tour, which can be downloaded to a personal computer or mobile device from Magic Memories Website

LIMITED AVAILABILITY: Daily tickets are sold beginning at 9 am at the DIS Ticket Office; no advance sales are offered. Each tour capacity is limited and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tour route subject to change based on track and weather activity.

The All Access Tour is available to groups of 10 or more at a discounted rate. For more information about booking your next group outing, please call 1-866-500-8499. Advance booking and prepayment are required at least one week in advance.

VIP Tour

If you’re looking for an unmatched look into the past, present, and future of Daytona International Speedway then this is the tour for you. A smaller, more intimate tour provides guests with more specialized attention, while traveling in the comfort of our air-conditioned VIP bus. Visit ISC’s Archives and Research Center where many of racing’s most treasured artifacts, including Sir Malcolm Campbell’s Bluebird III, are stored before heading to the venue. Once inside the massive structure, you’ll get an up-close view of the most famous track in racing as you walk the same grounds that have produced motorsports legends for over a half-century. By the end of this tour you’ll be a motorsports expert of as you dive fully into the world of a race team with access to the media deadline room and pit road. Have your photo taken in Gatorade Victory Lane, then travel to get a look inside the facility, as you hop onto one of the 17 elevators and 40 escalators and are transported up into the frontstretch seating for a stunning view of the trioval and infield, capped off by a visit in the tower above to the Houston Lawing Press Box overlooking it all. The tour concludes with access to the Coca-Cola Theatre and a close-up look at the Champion DAYTONA 500 Car.

Following your tour, fans can now access the new Motorsports Hall of Fame of America that is now housed in the DIS Ticket and Tours Building, showcasing spectacular displays honoring all forms of motorsports: Stock Cars, Sports Cars, Open-Wheel, Motorcycles, Drag Racing, Land Speed Records, Powerboating and Aviation.

Duration: 3 Hours

Available Times: Tours run on select Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 1-4 pm

Pricing: Per Person: $52.00 ($55.00 beginning Dec. 1, 2018)

LIMITED AVAILABILITY: Advance reservations are encouraged. Call 386-681-5588 to reserve your seats or email with any questions.

*Tour route is subject to change based on track and weather activity. Based on advance sales, DIS Ticketing may request to schedule a second VIP Tour on a listed day. Tour capacity each offered day is limited to 28, or 26 +2 wheelchair guests by bus seating capacity. Tours subject to availability first-come, first served basis.

Tips for Visiting Daytona Speedway

  • Arrive early for your tour, especially for the tours that don’t allow advanced ticket sales. You don’t want to arrive just to find that the tours are all sold out for the day.
  • You will be outside for the majority of the tour, so you’ll want to dress appropriately for the weather.
  • Don’t forget the sunscreen! Florida heat is NO JOKE!
  • Bring water! Seriously…you’ll thank me.
  • The tour is not stroller-friendly. If you’ll have really little ones with you, consider baby wearing for this activity. It will make your life so much easier getting on and off the tramcar!
  • There are options for guests with mobility issues. Contact the Speedway office for more info.
  • Don’t forget your camera or smartphone!

Family Fun Facts

Website: http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/Tours/Tour-Types.aspx

Address: One Daytona Boulevard – Daytona Beach, FL 32114

Phone: 1-800-PITSHOP

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Crystal was born and raised, and now raising a family of her own in Middle Tennessee. She currently lives in Murfreesboro with her husband Glenn, and their three children; Hunter, Grayson, and Hailey. They are an unschooling family, meaning they spend lots and lots of time out and about exploring all that this area has to offer!

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