Daytona Usa A Treat For Fans

First, the famed racetrack opened a small gift shop, with a roomful of photos. Then came a half-hour tour, and then a visitors’ center.

Now Daytona International Speedway has decided it best can satisfy fans on non-racing days by putting up a $20 million tourist attraction, called Daytona USA, next door to the track.

Construction of Daytona USA, begun last June, is nearing completion. The attraction’s grand opening is scheduled to coincide with the Pepsi 400 on July 6.

Daytona USA features a look at the history of NASCAR racing, a 70mm movie that lets fans experience a race, and hands-on exhibits in which visitors can question their favorite NASCAR drivers, serve on a pit crew, build a car, broadcast a race, and so on.

Officials say the attraction must draw almost 500,000 visitors a year, each paying $10 admission, to break even.

“We’ll be disappointed if we don’t get 700,000 people the first year,” said Denyes, who came to Daytona from the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.