The Daytona 500 is the greatest racing experience a NASCAR fan can enjoy. Every year, racing fans from all over the world gather in Daytona Beach to check out these thrilling races. However, the races only last for part of the day, during the other parts, there’s a ton for visitors to explore around Daytona Beach. Here is our list of things any race face must do while visiting Daytona.

1. Take The Daytona International Speedway Tour: Go behind the scenes of all the action and take a tram tour through the home of the Daytona 500. The tour only takes 30 minutes and you can see all of the sites up close and personal and learn about how the racing takes place every year. Afterwards, you can take walk through the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America and learn about all kinds of racing history across the country. The tour is extremely affordable at $18 for adults and children under five gaining entry for free.

2. See The Dale Earnhardt Sr. Statue: While you are at the Daytona International Speedway, make sure to stop and pay tribute to the legend himself Dale Earnhardt Sr. Along the east parking lot is a bronze statue of the greatest racing legend in history, and the man who put NASCAR on the map. Make sure to snap a couple of pictures to frame when you get home!

3. Grab A Drink At Halftime Sports Pub: The Halftime Sports Pub is the hangout for NASCAR racing fans. The drinks are cold, food is great, and the screens are always playing the races. So if you want to meet other fans or just grab a bite to eat and relax with a cold one, Halftime Sports Pub is a great spot to stop in when in town for the races.

4.  Go For A Once In A Lifetime Drive At The Richard Petty Driving Experience: Have you ever wanted to drive a real NASCAR race car? Well at the Richard Petty Driving Experience you can! Depending on the race experience you want to have, this is a surprisingly affordable thing to do. Ride alongs start at $50 and shared races start at $199, but if you are looking for a really amazing experience, grab a Rookie experience for $599 and you can race the track for eight minutes completely by yourself!

5. Race At Speedpark Motorsports: If the Richard Petty Driving Experience is too fast for you, Speedpark Motorsports may be more your speed. Speedpark Motorsports offers a variety of family-friendly racing experiences include go-kart racing, drag strips, and video game racing. So no matter how you and your family want to enjoy your racing experience, you can together. Prices range depending on what experience you have but there are a ton of great options from single tickets to day-long wristbands, so you can have as much fun together as you want!

6. Stay At The Wyndham Ocean Walk: Part hotel, part resort, the Wyndham Ocean Walk keeps you close to the beach and the racing action. At the hotel, there’s a ton of fun things to do from 4 different pools to volleyball courts to miniature golf. Plus, you can literally walk right out onto the beach. If you stay at the Wyndham Ocean Walk, you won’t even have to leave the hotel for some local fun! So if you’re heading out for the Daytona 500, book your stay today! 

Daytona has a lot of great activities for the racing fan, so when you come out for the Daytona 500 races, check out some of these other great local things to do!