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1798
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Thousand Oaks, CA
US
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2913th
Edited Date/Time
3/14/2018 11:52pm
I'm pretty new to following SX regularly. (I've followed a little bit for decades.)
Throughout the broadcast, the broadcasters, interviewers, racers, everybody constantly talks about how special Daytona is.
Is this just a racer thing? Is it just a broadcaster thing?
Do other fans love Daytona?
For me, I find the Daytona race to be my least favorite SX event each year. The track is weird. The lighting doesn't seem to be as good. The lack of all the Feld/Monster bells and whistles makes it feel like a less special event.
Throughout the broadcast, the broadcasters, interviewers, racers, everybody constantly talks about how special Daytona is.
Is this just a racer thing? Is it just a broadcaster thing?
Do other fans love Daytona?
For me, I find the Daytona race to be my least favorite SX event each year. The track is weird. The lighting doesn't seem to be as good. The lack of all the Feld/Monster bells and whistles makes it feel like a less special event.
At the beginning of the season, they run some classic cars down the beach. People get out and watch, it's like an annual parade or whatever. My mom has seen it in person (old people also love Florida).
Anyhoo, the motorcycle race (the Daytona 200) kicks off the motorcycle roadrace season, during "bike week" down there. Since it kicks off the AMA road season, with the supercross and flat track there, it's the world center of motorcycle racing, or whatever they call it.
So it's a very special place for bikes for (at least) a week out of the year.
http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/Events/2018/Bike-Week-At-DI…
https://www.daytonabeach.com/events/racing/motorcycle/
most illustrious motor racing venue in the USA.
The riders who have won the Daytona Supercross compose a list of some of the greatest legends of our sport. The event has a history of being longer and more brutal, and harder to win, than other Supercross races. They used to run a 40 rider gate for the main event back in the 70s and 80s.
The Shop
I think its bigger here in the US for those that follow oval style racing.
From a supercross point of view I think it produces a great track and always seems to throw up some great racing. I LOVE the fast sections with the ATV camera showing riders going head to head.
I'll touch a little on it from the best I can remember.
Daytona used to be more of an outdoor style track with a full 40 rider gate back in the day and the Supercross was during the day - not at night.
Gary Bailey designed some of the great tracks that would get pretty rough & tough.
The Supercross was one the highlights of bike week(bike week used to be a big deal) also with a lot of the bigwigs from the OEM's & industry in general in town. So a lot of eyes(Japan Big Wigs) were at the event - so riders wanted to do well and winning the event always seemed to be treated more prestige then any other Supercross of the season.
Also Gainesville/Gatorback used to be the outdoor national opener which was normally the weekend before Daytona.
That helped hype up the event too...
And yep SX & MX seasons used to overlap each other.
Anyway with all that said....the hype and tradition of the event has always carried on for some reason.
I personally enjoy watching the event because it's still a little different with a longer track that seems to get rough.
But unfortunately this season the races were a bit shorter.
It's not what it used to be.
A little more...
Daytona was a MX event 1971,1972 & 1973.
The actual SX started in 1974 if I'm not mistaken.
It is the only Supercross race that AMA/Feld are not putting on.
IMO I like the SX Alpinestars Medical crew better than the Daytona Speedway medical crew.
Then the 2nd & 3rd year it was an AMA MX national.
74 was the first year of the actual SX.
Pit Row
Like Joe Sprocket said!!!!!
Never been in person but as a viewer on TV it is my least favorite to watch.
In the vault you can find it all in regards to ama sx & mx.
Here's when the SX season first started here in 74 - just 3 events by what it shows.
https://vault.racerxonline.com/1974/sx/intro
Then in 75 just four events and then they slowly start having more events each year.
Here's some footage from 1975 the second year of the SX at Daytona.
https://youtu.be/BdIlDvaVVxs
It opened in 1959 and hosts (according to Wikipedia) NASCAR, ARCA, AMA Superbike, USCC, SCCA, and Motocross. Capacity 101,000
Lets compare to the quick top 5 I just got from the internet of other notable places:
The Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans (also known as Circuit de la Sarthe) first opened 1923, hosts 24 Hours of Le Mans, capacity 263,500
Nurburging Nordschleife - opened 1927, hosts basically every distance or endurance circuit event you can think of, plus tens of thousands of amateur track day enthusiasts , 150,000 capacity
Circuit de Monaco - Opened 1929 , Hosts F1, F1, Formula E, Historic Grand Prix, capacity 37,000
Autodromo Nazionale Monza, 1922, F1, Le Mans Series, National and World Motorcycles, World Touring Car, World Superbike, capacity 113,000
Silverstone, 1948, F1, MotoGP, World Endurance, World Rallycross, World Superbike, Euro Le Mans, F2, F3000, Touring Car, Silverstone Classic, Capacity 150,000
Thats before we consider: Spa-Francorchamps, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Laguna Seca or the Isle of Man.
I just don't think Daytona is on the same page, but that is just me.
You don't find a semi-outdoor rough, longer lap time with unusual obstacles the slightest bit interesting to break the monotony of a 17 race schedule?
The Daytona SX is a one of a kind , mainly because it is held there.....at Daytona. And with the track usually being a SX / MX hybrid type track , it is very special indeed.
Post a reply to: Daytona Reputation