62nd Daytona 500 will welcome in massive crowds, including President Trump, on Sunday
(Photo by Nascar Media)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The 62nd annual Daytona 500 will take place Sunday at the Daytona International Speedway.
Daytona Beach became the unofficial “Birthplace of Speed” in 1903 when two men argued over who had the fastest horseless carriage and decided things in a race on the white, hardpacked sand along the Atlantic Ocean. Since then, the community of 61,000-plus in the heart of Florida’s Fun Coast region has become a motorsports mecca, with a long, storied history filled with thrills, glory and tragedy.
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Tens of thousands are expected to attend the race in 2020, including President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. The White House confirmed to FOX 35 News on Thursday that the two will attend the event. Trump is just one of three Presidents to attend the Great American Race while in office.
President George W. Bush shares a laugh with NASCAR driver Bill Elliot, left, during a visit to pit road at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 15, 2004. Bush made a visit to the start of the Daytona 500 on Sunday. Elliot did not drive
Between the presidential arrival and the annual crowd of NASCAR fans, the area surrounding the Daytona International Speedway is expected to be heavily congested. The International Speedway Boulevard/U.S. 92, I-4, Richard Petty Boulevard, and Williamson Boulevard is expected to have the worst traffic, police say.
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Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the pole for the 2020 race. While the accomplishment is noteworthy, no pole winner has actually gone on to win the Daytona 500 though.
The weather on race day is expected to be beautiful, as ocean breezes come through the area. Rain does not look overly heavy, with just a passing shower or two possible, FOX 35 meteorologist Jayme King said. Come race time, temperatures should be near 75 degrees.
DAYTONA 500 on FOX: Pre-race coverage begins at 1 p.m. Sunday on FOX 35 followed by the race at 2:30 p.m. Good Day Orlando will be live from the Daytona International Speedway that morning between 7 and 10 a.m.