Florida is known for its sunshine, baseball’s spring training and being the winter home to nearly a million Americans.
It’s also the place to race when much of the northern half of the United States is covered in snow and ice.
From asphalt to dirt, many of the nation’s premier racers and sanctioning bodies open the season during Florida Speedweeks, which bring racing to the state’s biggest and smallest tracks.
Today, more racing series than ever compete in Florida during the first quarter of the year, and February remains the busiest month of racing the state enjoys throughout the calendar year.
It all began decades ago on the sand of Daytona Beach and only became bigger when Daytona Int’l Speedway opened in 1959. This year, more than 20 racing series will compete during Florida Speedweek.
IMSA
The World Center of Speed got the ball rolling Jan. 25-26 with the 58th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, which is the annual kickoff for the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship at Daytona Int’l Speedway.
The twice-around-the-clock classic attracts racers and fans from around the world and signals the start of Speedweeks.
The card also included the opener for the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge tour.
NASCAR
Long before Daytona Int’l Speedway was built, NASCAR stock cars thundered along the beach and visited Florida’s short tracks. The opening of the 2.5-mile superspeedway spurred the winter racing movement in Florida with the Daytona 500 providing the final act to a month’s worth of burning rubber.
The 62nd Great American Race (Feb. 16) is the culmination of two weeks of NASCAR action on the Daytona high banks that also includes events for the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.
Purchased by NASCAR in 2018, the traditional honor of the first race of the stock car portion of Speedweeks belongs to the ARCA Menards Series, which holds its Lucas Oil 200 on Feb. 8.
Rebranded as the ARCA Menards Series East, NASCAR’s development tour formerly known as the K&N East Series, opens its campaign Feb. 10 at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway.
Though unsanctioned, the 54th annual World Series of Asphalt Racing at New Smyrna Speedway Feb. 7-15 will see hundreds of NASCAR modified and late model drivers kick off the season.
LUCAS LM
After opening its season Jan. 30-Feb. 1 at Georgia’s Golden Isles Speedway, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series moves to the Sunshine State for six consecutive nights (Feb. 2-8) of racing at the famed East Bay Raceway Park, where the series headlines the 44th annual Winternationals. The series completes its Florida tour with a Feb. 9 visit to All-Tech Raceway in Lake City.
East Bay’s Winternationals runs from Jan. 20 through Feb. 15 and includes events for UMP modifieds, the Durrence-Layne Chevrolet Late Model Series, the Top Gun Sprints Series, the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions, 360 sprint cars and micro sprints.
WORLD OF OUTLAWS
The 49th DIRTcar Nationals at Florida’s Volusia Speedway Park runs Feb. 4-15 and includes the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Sprint Car Series, the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series and the Super DIRTcar Series big-block modifieds.
The World of Outlaws sprint cars take center stage at the half-mile dirt track near Barberville on Feb. 7-9 for their traditional season-opening weekend as Brad Sweet begins defense of his first series championship.
After opening their season in New Mexico just after the start of the new year, the World of Outlaws late models race four consecutive nights at Volusia Feb. 12-15.
The Super DIRTcar Series makes its annual Volusia appearance Feb. 11-15 with five nights of racing. The All Star Circuit of Champions sprint cars, DIRTcar late models and DIRTcar/UMP modifieds are also featured during the DIRTcar Nationals.
USAC
The United States Auto Club takes its unique brand of open-wheel racing to Florida for the 11th consecutive season at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala.
The USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series visits the three-eighths-mile track Feb. 13-15, while the NOS Energy Drink National Midget Series begins its 65th season Feb. 7-8.
ALL STARS
The Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions sprint cars will open its Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park with two nights of racing Feb. 5-6. The series then heads across the peninsula to East Bay Raceway Park where it competes for the first time since 2010 on Feb. 10-11.
STSS
The Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series ventures to Florida for the first time Feb. 6-8, headlining three nights of racing for the STSS modifieds and Crate 602 sportsman divisions at All-Tech Raceway in Lake City.
The New York-based series makes the southern trek, providing modified racers the opportunity for eight nights of competition in Florida as the STSS tripleheader serves as a lead-in to the Super DIRTcar Series action at Volusia Speedway Park. The modified finale at All-Tech Raceway offers $10,000 to the feature winner.
“This is a huge step forward for the Short Track Super Series brand,” said series promoter Brett Deyo. “All eyes are on Florida in February. We’re looking forward to showcasing the Short Track Super Series exciting style of racing, its competitors and marketing partners next February.”
OTHER EVENTS
The United Sprint Car Series Outlaw Thunder Tour will open its 360 sprint car season Feb. 7-8 at Hendry County Motorsports Park in Clewiston, Fla.
The Southern Sprintcar Shootout Series is scheduled to compete Feb. 15 at 417 Southern Speedway in Punta Gorda.
New to the February Florida slate this season will be The Steele 125 Feb. 20 at Showtime Speedway in Pinellas Park.
The 125-lap race for non-winged sprint cars will run on the quarter-mile asphalt oval formerly known as Sunshine Speedway. The event is being promoted by Robert Yoho, honors legendary open-wheel racer Dave Steele and will be run utilizing Little 500 rules.
North Florida Speedway, also in Lake City, has dirt-track racing events scheduled Jan. 30-Feb. 2 and Feb. 6-9.
The NTT IndyCar Series opens its campaign March 15 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, and the American Flat Track motorcycle division begins its season the previous day at Daytona Int’l Speedway.