Florida racing?

[Snoring Rhino]

Taking the family crew to Florida for the first 2 weeks of August be good to brake out with Brad to see some racing action but does'nt seem to be much around I.e. cant find anything a Daytona or Sebring - any ideas?

[Brad Zarse]

Or Drag racing please!!  NKHRA Racing....mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[Fax]

Rhino,
Matt may be able to help you with some local stuff.  Its so blast furnace hot in Florida in August I doubt much of anything will be going on the motor racing front.  The Pepsi 400 NASCAR race goes off over Independence Day weekend so you'll miss that by a month.  Most of the big Florida races take place in the winter,  early spring and the autumn.
John

[Snoring Rhino]

Ya, thats what I gathered.
Thanks for the reply.
Ian

[Chris24]

Should be plenty of Short track oval racing going on if  thats your thing. Try New Smyna Beach, Volusia County speedway, East Bay raceway, and there are a few others as well.

Sprint cars, Midgets, Late Models and Modify's should be racing at the weekends

[Matt Harper]

As mentioned in another thread, by August you'll have missed all the serious NHRA/NASCAR events - but Gainesville, Moroso and Orlando Speedworld host Run What Ya Brung and club events through the summer.
Daytona USA is a worthwhile attraction for any race fan - and you never know, you might catch some testing at the speedway.
As I live in central FL., let me know if you need anything specific and I'll do my best to hunt it down for you.
If you've not been to O'town before and need some suggestions on fun stuff to see and do (aside from the parks) let me know - I'd be glad to make some suggestions.
Matt

[Snoring Rhino]

Thanks Matt,
We are staying in Kisssame, like you say, the only action I can find is legal street racing at Bradenton and some of the other drag strips.
Though we might leave the girls by the pool and make are way over to Daytona speedway anyhow, is there anything at Sebring apart from the track? Be grateful for any other ideas.

[Chris24]

No not really, but there is a nice little musuem at the airport containing Bob Tullis's collection of aircraft and race cars. Bob is the man behind the revival of Jaguar in the 80's with Group 44 racing. The museums free (Small donation to charity) and contains 6 race cars, 3 road cars and about 13 aircraft.
But at 90 miles from Orlando it is along trip out just to spend 20 mins in museum.

Have you checked out the short track action at Volusia that I mentioned. They have a dirt track and a tarmac track and sometimes race on both the same evening. Its only about 30 mins drive from Daytona so could be done with a visit to Daytona during the day and racing at Volusia at night.

[Chris24]

www.volusiaspeedwaypark.com

[Snoring Rhino]

www.volusiaspeedwaypark.com

Thanks Chris - sorry I missed it earlier, might try and get overthere on the 14th (wifes birthday on 7th so could be a bit difficult)
cheers
Ian

[rcutler]

www.volusiaspeedwaypark.com

Thanks Chris - sorry I missed it earlier, might try and get overthere on the 14th (wifes birthday on 7th so could be a bit difficult)
cheers
Ian

I would plan to be in the UK on the 14th the LMES is at Silverstone!

I made a large cock up and have booked a 10am flight to Boston on the 14/08/04

SH!T SH!T SH!T

[Matt Harper]

Thanks Matt,
We are staying in Kisssame, like you say, the only action I can find is legal street racing at Bradenton and some of the other drag strips.
Though we might leave the girls by the pool and make are way over to Daytona speedway anyhow, is there anything at Sebring apart from the track? Be grateful for any other ideas.

There is usually a pretty neat cruise/car show in Kissimmee each Friday night, in the Old Town. It's worth a look - friendly bunch, beers and hotdogs and some very classy resto's and street rods.
Daytona is a good day out - take your womenfolk, the beach and intercoastal waterway is great.
Daytona USA is a visitor attraction at the speedway, which is very NASCAR oriented - but examines the history of racing at Daytona, which goes back to the early 1900's. You could make a day of it there - and get a tour of the track. The banking at Daytona and Talladega is very impressive and is difficult to appreciate from a TV picture.
You may also like to check out the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing, in Ocala, FL (about an hour, or so, north west of Orlando) 'Big Daddy' was the sh*t in Top fuel in early 70's and there are some famous rails and floppers on display (Fnarr Fnarr).
Staying on the drag racing theme, Orlando Speedworld and Moroso Motorsports Park are both good venues for club bracket/handicap racing - I race my car in FL Corvette Owners meets at OSW. It's reasonably tame, but much faster than a UK Run What Ya Brung. (Lots of people have 10 second street cars, who like to blow the cobwebs out on a Friday/Saturday night).
Short track isn't my cup of tea really - more like UK (BRISCA) stock car racing - but makes a change, if you don't mind a few rednecks and are immune to mozzie bites.
Sebring is a little depressing when there's no racing going on (The major ALMS teams do test there a lot though) - and if you can stomach a 4 hour drive south, Homestead may have some weekend warriors out on the oval while you're here.
Other than auto racing, you may enjoy Festival of Flight (piston engined aircraft) and the warbird museum at Kissimmee Municipal Airport. You can even get to fly in a P47 if you have the dosh and a sick bag.
 

[Fax]

I'll add that if you get a chance, head over to Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center.  There are some very nice displays for visiters and a trip out to the old abandoned Apollo launch sites are a must, a very haunting experience being out there with just the wind rustling through the dune grass.
John

[Steve Pyro]

Go to Ormond Beach, Daytona.  Close you eyes, imagine you're back in 1935 and can hear the thunder of a Rolls Royce type R aero engine.......

[Steve Pyro]

from the Chamber of Commence site  -

"......
Nineteen annual tournaments of speed were held on the shores of Ormond and Daytona Beach from 1904 to 1935, advancing the world Land Speed Record 15 times. In 1904, industrialist W.K. Vanderbilt crushed Winton's record, zooming down Ormond's beach at an astounding 92.30 miles per hour in the "No.1", his specially built Mercedes. Vanderbilt's feat received worldwide media attention and the event became the catalytic spark for associating Ormond and Daytona Beach with automobiles and speed.
But it was throughout the late '20s and '30s that new significant historic milestones in speed were made and Daytona Beach became the proving ground for man and machine. Each attempt to break the record garnered worldwide attention, which lead to Daytona Beach being nicknamed the "World's Most Famous Beach." On March 29, 1927, Englishman Major Henry Segrave made automotive history by breaking the 200 mile per hour limit while racing down the sands of Daytona Beach in the Sunbeam "Mystery S," a car powered by twin Napier aero engines, which weighed over 6,000 pounds.
But right on Segrave's heels were other dashing dare devils of speed such as Philadelphian Ray Keech, and, another fellow Englishman, Sir Malcolm Campbell. Campbell was the most determined driver to set new speed records. Throughout his 25 year racing career, Campbell broke the world Land Speed Record nine times, five of which occurred in Daytona Beach between 1928 and 1935. Campbell was attracted to Daytona Beach because of its solid racing reputation, which had long since been established, and for its wide, flat beaches. Campbell's most famous run at Daytona Beach occurred in 1935. Like Segrave before him, Campbell was determined to set new speed precedents, and Campbell eyed the 300 mile per hour barrier. He nearly set it. Campbell's 29 foot long mechanical marvel, the "Bluebird V", weighed 12,000 pounds and was propelled bya monstrous 2,227 cubic inch supercharged V12 Rolls Royce engine. Despite its enormous size and weight, the "Bluebird V" was capable of reaching speeds up to 300 miles per hour. It was a futuristic looking car and its design has inspired and influenced modern automobile designs. On March 7, 1935, just four days shy of his 50th birthday, Campbell posted an unprecedented official speed of 276.82 miles per hour. It would be Campbell's last world land speed run on the sands of Daytona Beach. The following year he attained the 300 mile per hour mark at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. That year also marked the final year of the beach speed runs. This chapter of speed would close, but its remarkable history of setting new precedents is remembered and commemorated along Daytona Beach's Boardwalk amusement area. The Boardwalk's Salute to Speed exhibit features more than 30 granite plaques commemorating the area's rich motorsports history. Also located on the Boardwalk, the historic Sir Malcolm Campbell Clock tower stands as a tribute to his record setting achievements. Memorabilia from the early days of racing can also be found at the Halifax Historical Museum in Daytona Beach in its new exhibit, The Racing Zone.  www.daytonabeach.com......."