Daytona president opens up about Florida Street Race after NASCAR’s successful Chicago debut

Daytona International Speedway president Frank Kelleher claims it would be fun to see NASCAR race in the Florida streets.

Daytona president opens up about Florida Street Race after NASCAR’s successful Chicago debut

Chicago Street Race Track ( Credits: @nascar/ Twitter)

Frank Kelleher, the Daytona International Speedway president, believes NASCAR Cup Series can be successful in any city after its first-ever iconic Chicago Street Race. The Chicago race was the first of its kind and captured the attention of millions of viewers around the world. This Cup event was the first in NASCAR’s history and delivered an action-packed race. Following the epic race weekend in Chicago, the Daytona officials would be open to hosting a Cup race in Florida. 

NASCAR and the track have discussed bold ideas before, and there were conversations about NASCAR returning to racing on the beach. It would mean that the sport would return to its roots as the first official NASCAR race was held on the beach. The Daytona Beach and Road Course was significant in the formation of NASCAR. One cannot speak about racing in Florida without naming icons like Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, and others who were there when it all began. 

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Frank Kelleher spoke about racing on the beach. He told tampabay.com, “Never say never, right? It’d be a lot of fun. I just don’t know if, in 2024, vehicles racing on the beach aligns with environmental concerns.” Back in the 1950s, they did not think much about environmental issues, but times have changed, and activists might disagree with racing on the beach now. The emphasis is more on environmental concerns rather than entertainment, and the Daytona president is aware of it. 

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Frank Kelleher does not see a Florida Street Race in the near future

Chicago Street Race (Credits: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago)
Chicago Street Race (Credits: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago)

Although, a NASCAR race through Florida downtown might be entertaining too. IndyCar has the Firestone Grand Prix of St.Petersburg held in St.Petersburg, Florida. Formula One has the Miami Grand Prix. Frank Kelleher claims that there has to be a saturation point for motorsports as there are other NASCAR events like the race at Daytona and Homestead-Miami Speedway and Sebring International Raceway apart from the IndyCar and Formula 1 races. 

Kelleher said, “The stars would really need to align before we took over a city in Florida, in my opinion.” Though he would love for NASCAR to host a race in Florida, he does not think it is possible unless there is a miracle.

And there is already the annual season-opener, the Daytona 500, held at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The much anticipated Daytona 500 is considered the most important and prestigious race. It remains to be seen if there will ever be a Florida Street Race. 

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