Racing in Daytona Beach: Sunshine, Sand & Speed

From the earliest days of the automobile, drivers who craved speed found it at Daytona Beach.

Long before the Speedway was even a glimmer in Bill France, Sr.'s eye, racers in Daytona Beach were careening along at the fastest possible clip. Cars were still a novelty in 1903 when Daytona Beach drivers were pushing for land speed records on a track near today's Granada Avenue beach entrance. A reputation was born here early, drawing pacing pioneers like Sara Christian, who famously raced her husband on the combination dirt and paved track in 1949. From the brave forerunners who tore up the hard packed sand to the modern vehicles blasting away at nearly 200 mph on Daytona Beach International Speedway, Robert Redd explores the driving tradition that has made Daytona Beach a racing mecca.