When I was a kid, every Christmas my grandfather would breakout his VHS collection of past Daytona 500 NASCAR races and even though he’d already seen the race, it was always like the first time watching to him.

He loved racing and from those Christmas memories and the fact that my hometown – Jacksonville, is a short drive from Daytona, I became a fan of racing too.

During a recent visit to Daytona Beach, I had the opportunity to visit Daytona International Speedway for a tour (more on that another below!), but I was also introduced to a few “new to me” racing related places that I’d always heard about, but never had the opportunity to experience until this trip.

Take a look at these five racing related places (besides the Speedway) to visit in Daytona Beach.

Go For a Walk at the Birthplace of Speed Park

Commemorate racing history with a walk at the oceanfront Birthplace of Speed Park in Ormond Beach. The first sanctioned motorized race took place on this hard, sandy beach back in 1903. The park has markers placed throughout the area telling the stories and history of how racers used the site for testing and continuously broke world speed records.

In addition to the park’s history trail, the oceanfront park also has picnic tables, grills, covered gazebos and restrooms with direct access to the beach.

Grab Lunch at Racing’s North Turn

When you get hungry, make your way to Racing’s North Turn Beach Bar & Grille, voted top 10 Best Florida Beach Bar (nine years in row!) and Historic Landmark. The restaurant sits on the exact location where races made their way around the north turn of the beachfront course.

In addition to a great lunch overlooking the ocean, what I loved most about the restaurant is that it was also part museum! The lobby area of the restaurant was filled with memorabilia, collectibles, autographs and newspaper clippings of the area’s history. The restaurant even hosts the live radio show – “Legends of Racing Radio Show’ – all about racing.

For lunch, choose from a variety of sandwiches, tons of seafood options (it is the beach!), steaks, salads and more. If you’re in the mood for a cocktail – there’s a full bar overlooking the ocean, so pull up a seat and make a new friend.

Stay at The Daytona, Autograph Collection

Located across from Daytona International Speedway, book your stay at The Daytona, Autograph Collection hotel. This Marriott property is surrounded by restaurants and shops known as the ONE DAYTONA entertainment district, making it a great getaway for race fans and those looking to stay at a unique property.

Upon entering the hotel’s lobby, you’ll see a NASCAR car on display along with different makes and models on display. It is a museum in itself and definitely worth a visit – if nothing else, just for some photos! I’m looking forward to bringing my kids to see the cars on display, it is impressive! Be sure to grab a drink at the hotel lobby, while you admire it all.

Have a Drink at the Streamline Hotel

And speaking of drinks, don’t miss visiting the rooftop bar at the Streamline Hotel, located across the street from the beach on A1A. While it may just look like your everyday hotel, the rooftop bar is historic in that it is deemed the ‘birthplace of NASCAR’.

On November 14, 1947 Bill France, Sr. and other prominent leaders in the motorsports industry met on the Streamline rooftop to develop a rules structure and standards to create a sanctioned body for the sport. On February 21, 1948, the talks were complete with the agreed formation of NASCAR.

Go for a Tour at Daytona International Speedway

For the ultimate non-race day experience in Daytona Beach, don’t miss going on the one-hour tour of the Daytona International Speedway.

Climb aboard the tram with your tour guide and visit Victory Lane, see the infield garages and if there’s not anyone testing on the tracks, you can even step out on to the start/finish line. The tram drive along the racetrack and allow you to get a feel for the 31 degree embankments.

During my tour, there was a team out testing cars on the track, so we weren’t able to visit the start/finish line, but I felt like our experience was even cooler because we could stand along the fences and feel the power and speed of the car flying around the track.

Did you know there are 100,105 seats along the front stretch? Colored seats are used for tv purposes – to make it look like there are people in the seats – no matter the race!

And speaking of seats – during the tour, you visit the colored seats where you can take a moment to soak in the massive size of the track. It is a pretty amazing view.

The tour concludes with your guide leaving you to explore the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, adjacent to the visitor center where your tour began. Admission is included with the price of the Daytona International Speedway tour.

Ready to Visit Daytona Beach?

Whether you’re ready for a beach vacation or a motorsports fan – Daytona Beach is ready for you! Check out their website at www.daytonabeach.com and follow along with the Daytona Beach Facebook page and you can find them on Instagram at @DiscoverDaytonaBeach.

And if you need somewhere to stay, check out my review on the Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach!

** I visited Daytona Beach as a guest of the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. Meals, accommodations and attraction admission was provided. Thoughts here are 100% my own. **