Daytona President’s Rather Bitter Realistic Take Raises Doubts About Recreating NASCAR’s $50 Million Feat in Florida

Published 07/16/2023, 2:17 PM EDT

Following the fuss surrounding the Chicago Street race, NASCAR’s $50-million venture finally tasted success. Despite the unfortunate cancellation of the Chainsmokers’ concert and the persistent downpour, the Chicago track put up a great show and gave a kickstart to the three-year contract between NASCAR and Cgicago governing bodies. Well, Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher certainly thinks so.

Following the success at Chicago, Kelleher has responded with a realistic take on recreating the extravagant feat in Florida. It is one that doesn’t fare well with the many who have joined for an informal coffee klatch to bring the old beach flavor back into action.

Daytona Speedway President bites the bullet

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If there is a ticket being slid under the NASCAR door about hosting a street race in Florida, how would one react? Well, when asked whether the state of Florida would be willing to make the necessary investments in infrastructure, he said to Tampa Bay Times host, “Never say never, right?”

A number of factors will be at play here. From the operational point of view, the race would need to be scheduled at a time that would not conflict with other major motorsports events in Florida, including Formula 1 and Indycar. One other possible hindrance, as stated by Kelleher, could be, “I just don’t know if, in 2024, vehicles racing on the beach aligns with environmental concerns.”

Indicating that there is little hope for this to be a reality, he confirmed, “The stars would need to align before we took over a city in Florida, in my opinion”

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Frank Kelleher spoke about racing on the beach

Safe to say, Daytona is a home for NASCAR as the first ever NASCAR race took place on Daytona Beach. It all started in mid 20th century when the first Daytona Beach race took place. Beach races were considered intense and most thrilling as they witnessed close finishes and were full of chaos. However, it was discontinued after several years.

However, Kelleher doesn’t undermine the thrill, “It’d be a lot of fun.”

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It remains to be seen if there will ever be a Florida Street race. But NASCAR fans would certainly welcome the speculation. Further, with NASCAR’s diversifying attempts at doubling down on new track races, NASCAR might end up rediscovering its old roots with new energy. So, who knows?

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Written by:

Moinakhtar Akhunji is a NASCAR writer at EssentiallySports. With a love for racing spanning almost a decade, he brings his passion and expertise to every article he writes. Growing up as an automobile enthusiast, he quickly developed a deep appreciation for the technical and competitive aspects of both F1 and NASCAR.

Edited by:

Nischal Kandpal

Daytona President’s Rather Bitter Realistic Take Raises Doubts About Recreating NASCAR’s $50 Million Feat in Florida

Daytona Speedway President bites the bullet

Frank Kelleher spoke about racing on the beach

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