Jaunted

NASCAR / Car Racing / Florida Travel / Mancations / → All Tags

Where To Lose Your Daytona 500 Hangover Today

The Olympics entertained us most of the afternoon, but there was also another pretty big sporting event going on yesterday. NASCAR lovers from around the world gathered on the coast of the Sunshine State to check out this year’s Daytona 500. Just like last year, there were some issues, but this year’s problems sounded a little more like stuff commuters experience on daily basis. There was a pothole that stopped the race a couple times, but Jamie McMurray was finally able to hold off everyone else—including Dale Earnhardt Jr.—to take the checkered flag.

If you’re still in town you can always check out the Daytona 500 experience, but if you’ve been in Florida for a few days you’ve probably already done it. You can always take your racecar obsession to the next level by shelling out some cash to actually hit the track at Daytona International Speedway. The Richard Petty Driving Experience will be glad to arrange a ride-along on the track for only $135. The three laps at about 165 mph will go by pretty quickly, so you better leave the credit card back at the hotel so you don’t start spending too much too quickly.

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NASCAR / Car Racing / Florida Travel / Mancations / → All Tags

Celebrating The Day After The Daytona 500

Did you make it to this year’s Daytona 500? We didn’t either, but tens of thousands of fans attended “The Great American Race” yesterday. Those in attendance saw Matt Kenseth hold onto victory over fan-favorite Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in the weather-shortened race. The rain started to fall a little over half way into the 500-mile race, and it was called with only 48 of the 200 laps left.

For those who were less than interested in the action on the track, there was action elsewhere on race day. Keith Urban was on hand to perform before the gentlemen started their engines. Tom Cruise served as this year’s pace car driver, Gene Hackman was there just hanging out, and Gavin DeGraw started things off with the National Anthem.

If you’re still in Daytona Beach today, definitely go check out the Daytona 500 Experience—it will help get over your post race depression.

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Spring Break / → All Tags

Hearty Parties Denied (Smartly)

Is Spring Break no longer the insane, alcohol-fueled phenomenon it once was? For Daytona Beach, the answer is yes. Daytona became popular for spring breakers after Fort Lauderdale and Palm Springs gave up on attracting the little ruffians in the 1980s. No one wants to play host to drunk co-eds teetering off the edges of balconies and brawling in the street for too long. Or, in Sonny Bono's case, play host to thongs. As Mayor of Palm Springs, he banned them (outside) in 1988. Does that mean Bikini Inspector was a real job for a time over there?

After crunching the numbers and realizing that students are poor, Daytona Beach hasn't advertised to the college set for several years now. They are looking to keep the place classy with their famed NASCAR race and the less-famed Biketokberfest. Students, for their part, are heading elsewhere for their fun; to Panama Beach and Miami's South Beach for partying, and on "Alternative Spring Breaks", like working at Habitat for Humanity. At least they'll be able to do that in a thong.

[Image via Week Kichards/Flickr]

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