A story posted on Autoweek.com reports that the Battle at the Beach will return to Daytona International Speedway in 2014 as part of the track’s Speedweeks festivities leading into the Daytona 500.
The Battle at the Beach debuted last year as a showcase for NASCAR sanctioned grassroots short track racing. Three races were held over two nights on a temporarily configured track built on the backstretch of the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway. The event featured a Whelen All-American Series Late Model type event, a Modified event and a K&N Pro Series event.
Asked numerous times in recent months, NASCAR officials would not confirm the return of the event for 2014.
The Autoweek report does not source the confirmation of the return of the event to anyone, whether within NASCAR or at Daytona International Speedway. The story says the event would run Feb. 17-18 at Daytona.
Jason Christley, a NASCAR communications manager who works with regional touring divisions and the NASCAR All-American Series, was not available for comment immediately. Attempts to reach George Silberman, NASCAR’s vice president for regional and touring series’ were also unsuccessful Monday afternoon.
Rumors have swirled since the weeks just after the running of the inaugural event that it would not return. NASCAR has not promoted any sort of return of the event for 2014. Of late, many rumors pointed to the possibility of the event moving to New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna, Fla. which annually hosts its weeklong “World Series” event during Speedweeks. New Smyrna Speedway, which is about a half hour from Daytona, recently became a NASCAR sanctioned track.
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Was there for this event last year.. It would be better served to run an a venue like New Smyrna where the fans could see the whole race. The Daytona track is a bit narrow causing HARD breaking getting into the turns, you can ask Mike Stefanik about that. Turns 2 and 3 where up against the wall so for the most part all you saw was the roofs of the cars go by. The race has serious potential but unless Daytona can widen the track creating a smoother radius in the turns at each end of the track I probably won’t go this year. This race belongs entirely in front of the fans and New Smyrna would be a better place for it.
Do they have a date as to when they will race there
2/18/14
I’ve heard from multiple friends who work at the speedway there is a great possibility of there being a 1/2 mile or 5/8 mile oval built where the current back straight stands currently sit for the 2015 season (This was noted as a possibility by autoweek also) as the current stands are being removed. However, there is also quite a bit of speculation those stands will end up at New Smyrna Speedway which would give that track the ability to hold some enormous events such as this.
Keith, I agree the turns are too sharp… Makes it a dive-bomb fest. Any no talent hack can dive-bomb a corner. Personally I would alternate some of the speedweeks short track activities between New Smyrna and Orlando (give the fans and drivers that travel some variety down there) and then as Keith said put the BoB at New Smyrna.
New Smyrna Speedway just installed new Musco lighting a week ago or so….may mean something will happen there!!!