My sophomore year of college some friends and I went to Daytona Beach, Florida for Spring Break. Naturally, we got lost. After about 30 minutes of "just follow this road and hope for the best" we came across one of the most massive, dominating structures I'd ever seen. It was the Daytona International Speedway.

The Daytona International Speedway is 480 acres of pure speed and adrenaline. Inside the historic tri-oval track, there is also a 3.56-mile road course. As if that wasn't enough a 29-acre lake, Lake Lloyd, resides in the infield of the track.

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The two-and-a-half mile NASCAR Daytona 500 Speedway course isn't just a spectacle for drunk, stoned Spring Breakers. It also happens to be the home of "The Great American Race". This year's running will take place at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 19. NBC will have full coverage of the event that kicks off the NASCAR schedule.

Since last year's running of the Daytona 500, the Speedway has undergone a multi-million dollar renovation. The main focus of the reconstruction was in the infield, where spacious garages and pristine administration buildings have been added. There is tunnel access for the fans and race rigs, a media center, revamped Victory Lane, and a Fan Zone.

The Daytona 500 Speedway is one of the most revered and well-recognized cathedrals of speed that exists on the planet. Yet, it hasn't always been that way.

On March 8, 1936 the first stock car race was held right on the Daytona Beach. Due to several factors, the good ol' boys were forced to find a "respectable" place to race in the early 1950's. Bill France began construction on the superspeedway in 1957, and it was ready two years later. The original version was built to hold 10,000 people, and the final cost of the project was approximately $1.6 million.

To put that into perspective, the facility now holds over 150,000 spectators and the winner of last year's race took home a cool $1.7 million. The total purse of this year's competition will be over $18 million, and the broadcast will reach more than 20 million viewers.

The unique tri-oval configuration makes it appear as if a fifth, coma-inducing turn exists. Daytona International Speedway features wide, U-shaped continuous corners. With a ridiculous 31-degree banking in those turns the cars are practically racing up on their sides. As if the pressure of that down force wasn't enough, the outside turns feature a nearly 120-degree change in direction that gives the driver the disorienting feeling of being sling-shot down the straightaway.

The Daytona 500 Speedway opened for business in 1959. Amazingly, even though it's been resurfaced dozens of times, it's maintained the same size, shape, length and banking measurements throughout its existence.

Daytona International Speedway is the home of numerous races and countless events throughout the racing calendar. However, the crown jewel and signature annual moment is clearly the 500, held each year on the second Sunday in February. Also known as "The Super Bowl of Racing", the event sends 43 drivers on a harrowing four-hour quest for the Harley J. Earl Trophy and a place in the lexicon of racing history.

Lee Petty won the inaugural Daytona 500 back in 1959. Richard Petty, aka The King, has earned an incredible seven victories there. There have been numerous heart-warming and gut-wrenching family affairs (Allison's, Earnhardt's, LaBonte's, Petty's) and the Big Race has always lived up to its reputation as the ultimate celebration for gear heads and speed freaks throughout the nation.

While the Daytona International Speedway has been the site of some of the most daring and awesome experiences in motor sports, and the inspiration of some of the most memorable moments in auto racing, it's also been the site of several grizzly and terrifying crashes. Quite simply, the aerodynamics of the the track lend to fender-to-fender and door handle-to-door handle running.

Upon completion of construction, the initial feeling was that the track was not safe to be driven and would produce untold carnage. In 1959, the Daytona International Speedway claimed its first life. Marshall Teague perished in a violent crash while driving an Indy Car around the track. That death cast a looming shadow over the majestic raceway - and it has been a threat to mortality ever since.

The most famous life to be claimed at the Altar of Velocity was in 2001 when Dale Earnhardt Sr. was tragically killed on the last lap of the Daytona 500. Earnhardt's passing rocked the sports world. The silver lining of his death was that the stock car racing world rededicated itself to driver safety, and it helped facilitate some of the measures that are in place today.

Questions or comments for Robert? E-mail him at robert@docsports.com or check out his Insider Page here.

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