Beach Blog

Trevor Bayne returns to NASCAR’s old beach course

Posted: 18 Feb 2012 08:03 AM PST

Decades ago, NASCAR history was made on the flat, packed sand beaches south of Daytona Beach.

Trevor Bayne, winner of last year’s Daytona 500, returned to that historic beach, to help mark the return of NASCAR racing to the Daytona International Speedway. Bayne has a chance to defend the title next weekend for the 54th annual Daytona 500.

In its early years, Daytona racing meant barreling down one measured mile on the beach and racing up the street for the return mile, and then loop back onto the beach.

Bayne felt that history as he drove on the beach, driving his No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion for the Wood Brothers.

"This is probably the coolest thing I've got to do outside of actually racing on other tracks," said Bayne. "As a racecar driver you watch races of the beaches and I wish we could come back here and get the groove all rutted up and try to miss the potholes, but this is an unbelievable feeling – being on the beach where it all started. This is history right here."

Escorted by the 2012 Toyota Camry Daytona 500 pace car, Bayne began his drive on A1A south of Dunlawton Avenue and traveled north along A1A before heading west on International Speedway Blvd. to NASCAR Way. He ended the drive, of course, at the hallowed Daytona track.

"I'm glad I get to be the first driver to do this because this is a really cool tradition," Bayne said. "They also told me I get to do some donuts at an intersection a little later on, so I'm pretty pumped about that. The difference is the police are actually leading me this time, instead of following me when I do them."