Daytona Beach Automobile Races 1936 Tank Top

In the early 20th century, drivers came to prove their prowess in Daytona Beach and several land speed records were set in the process. This eventually led to some loosely organized races, though the first “official” race on Daytona Beach took place in 1936. The track ran due south for two miles on A1A, which runs parallel to the ocean. Drivers then accessed the beach at the South Turn, went two miles on the hard-packed beach surface, and turned away from the beach at the North Turn (now the location of a great restaurant). It sounds crazy to hold stock car racing events on the beach nowadays, but for about two decades, it was THE place to race if you were an up-and-coming racer wanting to rub wheels with the big boys.