Destination Golf Global (Spring 2020) * | Page 21

Daytona Beach Pier © Daytona Beach Area CVB Mystery hit 203.79mph. His brakes melted as he tried to slow down on the Daytona Beach sands, forcing him to swerve into the shallow sea to stop. Cars are still allowed on sections of Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach, for a fee, although drivers have to stick to a sedate 10mph these days. Alternatively, you can rent a bike to cycle along the shoreline. New Smyrna Beach and Daytona Beach are favourite spots for surfers to ride Atlantic rollers. Visitors can also take to the water on stand up paddleboards, kayaks or boats, with the chance to see manatees, dolphins and other wildlife on guided tours of coastal shallows, clear springs and inland waterways. Visitors can catch beach vibes and enjoy the area’s rich nature at a number of beachfront parks. The 30-mile (48km) Ormond Beach Scenic Loop links several city, state and county parks through beautiful and diverse natural scenery, with trails and places for activities such as birding, hiking, fishing, cycling, swimming and boating. Sunset river cruises operate from Ormond Beach and other areas. Daytona Beach was where stock car racing had its beginnings. In order to regulate unofficial races that were taking place along the beach, a meeting was held in a rooftop room at the beachside Streamline Hotel in 1947 to create a national motor racing series, resulting in the creation of the National Association of Stock Car and Auto Racing – NASCAR. It was followed 12 years later by the construction of Daytona International Speedway. Millions of visitors descend on Daytona Beach and the surrounding areas each year to watch the colourful muscle cars thunder round its tri-oval circuit in high-octane races, the most famous being the Daytona 500, as well as other car and motorcycle races there and at other area tracks. Speed-lovers can be taken on a thrilling ride of the banked, 2.5-mile (4km) circuit in a NASCAR race car or take the wheel themselves with the NASCAR Racing Experience. The area’s racing history and heritage is preserved at Daytona International Speedway in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America and Daytona International Speedway NASCAR Archives Centre, Volume 5 • Issue 51 21