Up I95 or US Route 1...north or south depending on your location. Then look for A1A access that will take you into nearby South Daytona Beach (right up to water's edge and a bucket load of condo's). Then simply look for the signs for the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse. The very end of the road is about 4 to 5 miles at the lighthouse (which by the way is the same road use for the original Daytona races before moving to the Speedway in 1958).
After the contest, a few of us will travel back out on the Ponce Inlet road and stop at the "North Turn" (an oceanside cafe/bar). The North Turn is the actual site of the very north turn of the Daytona race coming the 4 miles north as the cars would race on the beach then hit the 'north turn' to go the 4 miles south on the paved section of road down to the lighthouse...completing an almost 9 mile lap.
The North Turn has tons of NASCAR mementos and history displayed...including dozens of pictures of the original racing of the Daytona. Some of those pictures even show convertibles being raced in the first year or two at the speedway we now know as the Daytona 500. And there was, believe or not, a 140 car field for the 1954(?) Daytona (on the beach)! Can you imagine a 140 car field on the Speedway today!!??
It will be a great show...and a great place to eat/drink after!!
Ponce Inlet, 16 May 2009
Linear Mode
