Daytona 500

Daytona Beach, FL

Website: http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/Tickets-Events/Events/2011/DAYTONA-500/DAYTONA-500.aspx

The Daytona 500, staged at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida, is the crowning jewel of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. Among American motor races, only the Indy 500 is more famous.

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States. Of the three race series they sanction, the NEXTEL Cup Series is by far the most popular. Unlike Formula 1, races take place on predominantly triangular or oval tracks with banked corners to enable them to be taken at greater speed.

The season is split into two parts, first a 26-race "regular" season, then a ten-race playoff called "race for the cup." In the regular season, points are gathered in each race dependent on finishing positions. After the 26 races the ten drivers with the most points (plus any other drivers within 400 points of the leader) progress to the final ten races. The points are divided in five-point increments for each place, the winner receiving 45 more points than the driver in tenth. After the 36 races a NEXTEL champion is declared.

Tickets available on: http://secure.racetickets.com//DaytonaInternationalSpeedway/ft/TicketSales/index.cfm?event=tixList&display=tixList&EstablishmentKey=3&EstablishmentType=T&TixEventID=2967&showCart=no&HeadlineStoryID=18943&GatewayPass=y