This weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series will tread into unknown territory.  They will be in Daytona at Daytona International Speedway, but they will be racing on a new 3.61-mile configuration of the track's infield road course.  Coverage will start Sunday with NASCAR America Sunday at 2 p.m. on NBCSN.  That will be followed by Countdown to Green.  The race coverage is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. on NBC with the green flag around 3:15.  The start time could change if Central Florida's summer weather intervenes.  The race can also be heard on MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

Records and facts

This is the first ever NASCAR Cup Series race on Daytona International Speedway's infield road course.  As a result, there is no prior history on the track.

It will be the 11th road course to host a NASCAR Cup Series race.  The first of these venues was Linden Airport in New Jersey back in 1954.  The race, held on one of two airport circuits to host what is now the NASCAR Cup Series, was won by Al Keller in a Jaguar.

This weekend will not be the first time that a NASCAR touring series has raced on the road course.  In the 1970s, both the NASCAR Grand American Series (a series that raced Pony cars like the Mustang and Camaro) and the Modifieds raced there.  Grand American races were 250 miles, while Modified races were 200.  Earlier this week, NASCAR posted a video about Bobby Allison winning the 1974 Modified race at Daytona against drivers such as Ray Hendrick, Richie Evans, Jerry Cook and Geoff Bodine.

Track Facts
Track / Race Length: 3.61-mile road course, 65 laps (234.65 miles)
Banking: 31 degrees (in Turns 7-8 (NASCAR 1-2) and 11-12 (NASCAR 3-4))

Grandstand Seating: 101,000
Pit Road Speed: 55 mph
Pace Car Speed: 60 mph
Opened: 1959 (first road course race in 2020)

Website: http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaytonaInternationalSpeedway/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/DISUpdates

Say What?!

"I think it will be fun. As you look at the events that we have and those unique events – I’ve been talking about that for years and I think this will be one of them. The Daytona road course is very historic and it’s a little bit different (for us) with the chicane on the front straightaway. I started working on it this week. We’re week-to-week people. I’ll turn my iRacing simulator on for the first time since I ‘left’ North Wilkesboro (May 9) and figure out where the hell I’m going, and then I’ll go to the real simulator on Wednesday and figure out how to drive. It will be interesting because of the fact we have no practice. But that’s what we need. We need more unique events." - Kevin Harvick

"I think the whole allure of that place – getting up on the high-banked turns of Daytona in (turns) one and two and then the chicane and bus stop through the backstretch and getting back on the high banks in (turns) three and four – is unlike any other road course ever, anywhere. No other road course we can race on has banking like that. The allure of the speedway, I felt like, was always the main banking in one and two and three and four and the tri-oval back to the turn one entrance. The speed you carried from bus stop to the turn one entrance really lended itself to drafting and making moves with the draft and air. So now, with us having the chicane, that’s certainly not going to be the case for anyone familiar with the Daytona road course and the Rolex 24. It’s one section that has changed, but it will change the whole complexion of the track, in my opinion." - Kyle Busch

"It's going to be very different going to a road course that I've never been at and the majority of the field hasn't been at and no practice before they drop the green flag, it's going to be pretty crazy.  I think it will be calm to start while everyone gets their bearings but at the end when people get confident it will be interesting to see." - Christopher Bell

Phil Allaway is the Frontstretch newsletter manager. He can be reached at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.  He also provided the photo used above.  Since NASCAR hasn't raced on Daytona's road course since the 1970s, we had to get creative for photos here.