Daytona 500 Experience facts for kids
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| Established | 1996 |
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| Location | Daytona Beach, Florida |
| Public transit access | VOTRAN |
The Daytona 500 Experience, once known as Daytona USA, was a fun museum about motorsports. It was located right at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. This museum was all about racing, especially NASCAR and the famous Daytona 500 race. It also showed off cool things from other races like the Daytona 200 motorcycle race and the 24 Hours of Daytona.
The museum first opened its doors in 1996. In 2005, it was considered as a possible home for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. However, it didn't win that bid. Because it cost a lot to run and not enough people visited, its parent company decided to close it to the public in November 2010.
After being closed for four years, exciting news came out in 2014. The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America decided to move into the building! The museum was updated and reopened in February 2017 with its new purpose.
Contents
History of the Racing Museum
Before 1996, Daytona International Speedway had a small visitor center. It was a two-story building where you could buy tickets. The first floor had a few racing items. The second floor showed pictures of past Daytona 500 winners. You could also take tours of the track on open-air trams.
In 1995, the old visitor center closed down. A brand new, interactive museum was planned to take its place. This new attraction opened in July 1996. It was first called Daytona USA. (Don't mix it up with the famous arcade game! Though, that game was actually inside the museum's arcade.) The museum won a special award in 1997 for being an outstanding attraction.
The museum got even bigger in July 2001. It added about 10,000 square feet (930 square meters) of space. Two new motion simulators were also added. One was called Daytona Dream Laps. The other was a full-motion simulator called Acceleration Alley. A third simulator, Toyota Tundra's Thunder Road, joined in 2003. In 2006, to celebrate its tenth birthday, the museum added the Daytona 500 Champion's Walk of Fame. This was a special walkway in front of the building. On July 1, 2007, Daytona USA changed its name to the Daytona 500 Experience.
Cool Exhibits and Activities
The Daytona 500 Experience was a huge place, about 60,000 square feet (5,574 square meters). It had many different exhibit areas, simulators, and interactive displays. Some of these are still used for private events today.
Fun Simulators and Challenges
- Acceleration Alley: Here, you could sit in 80%-scale models of NASCAR race cars. You would race against other visitors or computer opponents. It felt like you were really on the track!
- Dream Laps: This was a motion simulator ride. It made you feel like you were part of a NASCAR race day.
- Chevy 16-Second Pit Stop Challenge: Have you ever wondered what it's like to be on a pit crew? Here, you could test your skills. You would try to change tires as fast as real pit crew members. The museum even had its own pit crew that practiced daily!
Museums and Displays
- Goodyear Heritage Museum: This part of the museum told the story of racing at Daytona Beach. It showed how racing changed over time. You could learn about early land speed record holders. It also covered stock cars racing on the old Daytona Beach Road Course. And of course, stock cars racing at the modern Daytona International Speedway.
Outdoor Displays and Trophies
Outside the building, you could find the Champion's Walk of Fame. This was like Hollywood's Walk of Fame, but for Daytona 500 winners. It honored the winners since the museum opened in 1996. There were also statues of famous NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt and NASCAR founder Bill France Jr. with his wife Anne. Inside the museum, you could see important trophies. These included the NASCAR championship trophy. Also on display was the Harley J. Earl Trophy, which is given to the winner of the Daytona 500.
The Daytona 500 Experience also had an arcade. It featured many racing-themed games. One very popular game was Sega's Daytona USA. This was the game that the museum used to share its name with!
The museum also hosted special fan events during race times. It was home to the Richard Petty Driving Experience for part of the year. During big motorcycle events like Bike Week and Biketoberfest, the museum changed into D5X. This was a cool, air-conditioned spot for bikers. It had live bands, food, and motorcycle displays.
The speedway still offers tours that used to be part of the museum experience. There's a 30-minute general tour. There's also a longer, 60-minute All-Access tour that covers more areas for a higher price.
The Daytona 500 Winning Car Display
Since 1997, there's been a special tradition. The car that wins the Daytona 500 is kept and displayed at the Daytona 500 Experience for the next twelve months. This is a very popular exhibit at the museum.
The winning race teams have to agree to this. They must give up their winning car and all its parts. The car must be uncleaned, complete, and exactly as it was after the race. This rule can be a bit tricky for the teams. It means they can't use that successful car in other races during the season. This might put them at a disadvantage, especially in other races that use special engine parts called restrictor plates. Only twice since 1997 has a Daytona 500 winner also won the next restrictor plate race. These were Jeff Gordon in 2005 and Jimmie Johnson in 2006. By the time the car is returned to the team, almost a year later, it's usually too old to be used for racing again.
The morning after the race, the winning car is officially brought into the museum. This happens during a special Champion's Breakfast ceremony. Sometimes, the driver's helmet, racing suit, or other items used in the race are also put on display. The winning driver also gets to show off the logo for the next year's Daytona 500 race.
