Why is Daytona 500 called that?

How did NASCAR’s most famous race on the circuit, the Daytona 500, get its name?

Unlike with many NASCAR races that are contested for each week, the Daytona 500 got its name for a very simple reason. Essentially, the race is one of the longest on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and drivers drive 500 miles. Combine the location of the track (Daytona) and the total distance around the track to win the race (500) to get the now famous race’s name — Daytona 500.

The races at Daytona 500 have been occurring since 1959 and is 2.5-mile marathon in NASCAR’s Super Bowl to kick off their Sprint Cup Series. Unlike with other tracks, Daytona International Speedway is also one of the longest on the circuit. When the action is under a green flag for a consistent time period, the drivers will go three and four wide, which tends to lead itself to more crashes and accidents if it’s sustained for an extended period.

Even though there are two races at Daytona International Speedway a year, this weekend’s race is the most-watch NASCAR race every year and recently has surpassed traditional television ratings powerhouse, Indianapolis 500, for the higher viewing numbers. This year should be no different as Daytona Week has helped build the hype and anticipation for the Great American Race that is loved equally by the most passionate NASCAR fans and those fair-weather fans who only watch the bigger races on the calendar.

Joey Logano won last year’s race, but there are other drivers who are on a hot streak and have a good chance to win this year’s edition of the Daytona 500.