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Daytona Ratcheting Up The Hype

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By TONY FABRIZIO, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 9, 2008

Updated: 01/09/2008 12:14 am

DAYTONA BEACH - Nobody can top the NFL when it comes to hyping the Super Bowl.

NASCAR and Daytona International Speedway might come close with the 50th Daytona 500 on Feb. 17.

The blitz started even before last year's race, when a large billboard was erected in the track's infield "Fan Zone" proclaiming the 50th race as "the most anticipated event in racing history."
News conferences with former champions, advertising and a new logo have been promoting the race ever since.

"The real focus is on our heritage," DIS president Robin Braig said Tuesday during the second day of testing. "That's how we got to be so important to all of motor sports - by honoring our past champions. We have all of them coming back."

Fans arriving for Speedweeks next month will see gold banners on the streets near the racetrack. The track, inside and outside, will be decorated with $2 million worth of gold signage.

In the days leading up to the race, DIS officials plan to make all of the living former 500 winners, including Mario Andretti and A.J. Foyt, available for public appearances, and some will appear at fan forums.

More than 20 of the winning 500 cars will be on display either on the speedway grounds or in the Daytona 500 Experience (formerly Daytona USA).

Among the cars are the 1960 Chevy driven by Junior Johnson, Richard Petty's 1974 Dodge, Bill Elliott's two winning Fords from the 1980s and Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s 2004 Chevy.

"We're trying to finish off talks with Richard Childress to get Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s winning car from 1998 in here," Braig said. "Richard has been pretty tight with it, but we're going to pressure him hard, because it's the 10th anniversary of Dale Sr.'s win."

DIS and the Fox network are teaming up to produce a "Super Bowl halftime-caliber" pre-race show that will include multiple major acts, a "celebration of the decades" and some 2,800 local youth participating in a choreographed dance program.

None of the entertainment has been finalized, but in recent years, Kelly Clarkson, Bon Jovi, Vanessa Williams, Brian Wilson, Clint Black, Five for Fighting singer John Ondrasik, LeAnn Rimes and Mariah Carey have performed.

The emphasis on the 50th-anniversary race has ramped up the importance of what already is the biggest race of the NASCAR season. Highlighting the significance of the race, the 50th edition of the Harley J. Earl Trophy has been trimmed in gold.

"You always want to win the Daytona 500; it's the ultimate," three-time winner Jeff Gordon said. "But it's certainly cool when I come in here and I see the trophy. It makes for a lot of incentive. I'm fortunate to have a few of these, but none of them have gold on it."

Some four-day tickets in the main grandstands and scattered seats on the backstretch (called Superstretch) remain. Information is available at 1-800-748-7467 or by visiting daytona500.com.

Reporter Tony Fabrizio can be reached at (813) 259-7994 or afabrizio@tampatrib.com.

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