The First Daytona Night Race 

What is your favorite Daytona summer race ever?

All those flash bulbs just added a certain magic to night racing.

Glad that NASCAR decided to have a night race at Daytona. It just feels right.

That was Jeff Gordon's 11th out of a staggering 13 wins that season

I believe this was the first and only time Talladega & Daytona were back to back on the schedule

Jeff Gordon winning the Pepsi 400 at night shows his raw talent in 1998

I love the old x pipe sounds on superspeedways! Best era of superspeedway racing in my opinion (despite the lacking of safety). Despite the “tiregate controversy” kind of overshadowing Gordon’s dominant performance towards the ends of the season, this Gordon win shows off just how good he was in his prime, and why he was kind of underappreciated at the time. Enjoyed watching this race. It’ll never be better than 2001 though. That was awesome in every single way possible.

The paint schemes of the late 90s and early 00s were so iconic

I rmember that race and being so disappointed that it was posponed because of the wildfire. It was worth the wait though to see them run at Daytona at night. It was amazing to see such a big track under the lights

Its not on RU-vid anymore but Qualifying for that race in 1998 almost had a sell out crowd. 1999 had a similar crowd but in 1998, it was massive.. for friggin 2-Lap Restrictor Plate Single Car Qualifying!

All the flashes going off looked awesome at the start

When you talk about underrated announcers, Eli gold and buddy baker are right there. Their energy during this race was awesome, baker especially.

I'm probably beating a dead horse at this point, but the 2001 Pepsi 400 is arguably the best edition of the Daytona summer race.

Instead of rain, Mother Nature decided to burn NASCAR's parade in July 1998, in Florida of all places too. Even back then she hated NASCAR.

2007 July race, McMurray vs Busch was a pretty good one. I'm pretty sure that was McMurray's first win with Roush and first since winning in Sterlin Marlin's 40 car at Charlotte in 2002.

Easily it’s when Jr won after going back to Daytona in 2001!

2020 William Byron's first win, I've followed him ever since

Duuuuuuude, you’re taking me so far back, I remember watching it on tv and one of the announcers talking about how far they could light up a highway with the amount of the lights they installed and my 13 year old head almost exploding

Of all the things i miss about old NASCAR, the two things I miss most is that high pitched whine and the flashbulbs.

I miss TNN!!

There was 3 Day races after the 1998 race. 2014, 2019 and 2022.

gosh the nostalgia attached to the sound of those cars. I was 6 years old watching this. Back when the cars sounded like rocket ships haha. Great video!

Fun facts about 1998. 33 Points Races, Jeff Gordon's ridiculous 13 wins and Mark Martin's 7 made up almost 2/3rds of the wins that season. Mark Martin lost to Jeff Gordon by 364 Pts. However Mark Martin scored enough points that in almost any other year to that date he would have won the title. That's how ridiculous Jeff Gordon stomped the series that year.

I was at this race - the only reason I got to go was because it had been postponed until October. My buddy's dad had two tickets for the race. He'd planned to take his girlfriend, but that summer they broke up. I had the week off from work anyway so he asked if I wanted to go with him, and I wasn't going to turn down the chance to see the first night race at Daytona. My buddy and another woman we knew ended up coming, so we all piled in a Chevy Blazer and drove from PA down to Daytona. Stayed at some campground in Ormond Beach, drank too much beer, and went swimming in the ocean every night. Went to the track Friday night to watch practice. We were sitting in the grandstands as the cars came off turn four, and we may have had a few beers in us because soon we were hanging on the fence getting smacked by rubber and grit as the cars were flying past us at 200 mph just a few feet away. Since the race itself was a sellout - her and I bought infield tickets while my buddy and his dad sat in the stands. Ended up meeting some folks from Orlando who invited us (well - mostly her because she was wild and good looking and I just tagged along) to watch the race with them on their truck platform between turns 3 and 4. Before the race started, there was a guy near us with a fishing pole with a five dollar bill tied to it. He'd cast it into the road and wait for someone to come along, and just as they would bend down to pick up the money he'd yank the line and everyone would laugh. hung out and watched the race, but towards the end my friend met some other woman and they took off. They ended up scaling the garage area fence with a little help from a few guys from Jeff Burton's team. When they got into the garage area security saw them and started chasing them just as the race ended. With all the cars coming off the track and back into the garage area she was able to get away, but when she got back to the car she kept screaming "EARNHARDT ALMOST RAN ME OVER!". Still amazed none of us got arrested or stabbed that week - it was a hell of a roadtrip

2001 when Dale Jr won has to be the best 400 race, along with 2004 when Jeff Gordon spanked the Coca-Cola cars in his Pepsi Monte Carlo.

As a Jeff Gordon fan, I knew that he was gonna be a major threat for many race wins to come after this Daytona night race.

Shout out to the Voice of the Alabama Crimson Tide Eli Gold on the call for the race

2004 Pepsi 400 that Jeff Gordon won was my favorite

I remember this year. We were supposed to have DAY races at my local track, and then they had a big jumbotron that was going to be brought in so we could watch the cup race on that.

2001- Most memorable 2002- Best Fox CRANK IT UP of Daytona 2004- 1 lone Pepsi car beat 3 Coca Cola cars (Coke would have the last laugh 5 years later, though...) 2015- Jr wins his 2nd, but a big wreck happens right behind him (if one hears the audio, he was cussing beyond belief seeing Austin Dillon shred the fence foot first)

These are the best looking cars nascar has ever raced

2001, a clear winner with Dale Jr. winning for sure. I actually watched the 2005 Daytona Pepsi 400 live as a kid and what set me up to be a long-time NASCAR fan. While it may have finished at 1 AM EST in America. It finished at 3 PM Sunday afternoon for us in Australia. We had NASCAR coverage all day long it was great.

Damn that’s tough to decide. Probably 2007 2015

I was at this race. I was 11 years old sitting at the Earhardt tower grandstand close to turn 1. The night was perfect for racing. It wasn’t the typical hot and humid Florida. It was comfortable. The festivities were amazing. I have pictures with the gold 50th anniversary Pontiac they had on display before the race in the tri-oval grass. I was a Rusty Wallace fan, so I had all my old MGD #2 stuff on. I had an absolute blast. I went back in 1999 and 2000 for the Pepsi 400, but the last time I saw a nascar race at Daytona was the 500 in 2001. I will never forget this night. It was amazing watching those cars go 200mph under the lights.

I was there that night. It was my first ever NASCAR race. It was absolutely epic!

2001, 2004, 2005, and 2006. You could probably toss in 2003 due to the surprise of Biffle winning.

One little nugget you forgot to mentioned, unless I completely missed it. This race was rescheduled after the Fall Talladega race. Making it the only time NASCAR ran Super Speedway races that counted for points on back to back weekends.

Favorite Daytona summer race moment is 2004. Jeff Gordon with that beautiful Pepsi billion dollar paint scheme beating what seemed like half the field of Coke C2 cars lol

The fact that it's not Fourth of July weekend anymore is so stupid. NASCAR had a winning formula in the late '90s and early 2000s but they fixed it til it was broke and now they wonder why their TV ratings are garbage.

This got me thinking about the first night races that took place in Indycar & F1. The first night race in Indycar took place a year & a half before this at Texas & is largely known for AJ Foyt slapping the winner Arie Luyendyk in victory lane afterwards rather than any on-track action. AJ Foyt still claims that his driver Billy Boat won the race even though Boat was not on the lead lap when the checkered flag flew & he even still has the trophy from that race. As for F1 they wouldn't hold their first night race until 2008 on the streets of Singapore (the last of the major racing series to do so). That race is known for Crashgate where Renault told Nelson Piquet Jr to crash on purpose so that a safety car could be brought out & his teammate Fernando Alonso could win. The fallout from this resulted in Renault team boss Flavio Briatore being banned from F1 for life (though this was reduced to 5 years on appeal).

That image of gordon winning is the EXACT image i have in my copy of NASCAR:The Complete History i own on this event!

7 year old me staying up late to see my boy Jeff get that win 😎

I remember being there with my dad that October night because of all the smoke from all the fires we had in Florida. And the only available seats were the back stretch bleachers, and I understand why they don't have those anymore. HORRIBLE view and I still watch the end on a TV, the big monitor.

Dale Earnhardt bad Daytona luck did strike again in 1998 just in the opposite race that was expected hihi😅

The night race at Daytona is great. Hell all night races are. Wouldn't hurt my feeling if they all started at 5pm on Sundays.

A couple of things, the race in 1998 was postponed not canceled as it ran later that year. Also the race was run in the daytime just last year in 2022.

I know times have changed but man something with those flashing lights in the grandstands was sightseeing to see under the lights

I sat on the backstretch for that first race. Paid $150 per ticket from a guy on the side of the road. Good times

2004 is a good one due to the Pepsi and Coca-Cola war that they had going on in that race with Jeff Gordon in the Pepsi car and all the Coca-Cola C2 cars that were on the track and 2007 is a classic with the last GEN four race at Daytona and Jamie McMurray edging Kyle Busch for the win

I still remember it being a big deal when Earnhardt tested Daytona at night when they first put the lights in.

Jeff Gordon 1998 win was awesome...

Last years race was also pushed to Sunday during the day. How can you forget the hours long red flag to finish like 15 laps of the race😂

Q: What is your favorite Daytona summer race? A: The ones I saw live, 2021. In general, 2001, or 2005.

2003 Race was great with Greg Biffle getting his First career win. My 2nd favorite was the 2005 Race where Tony Stewart Dominated the field.

Why was Chad Little in the 97 car driving a 1997 Ford Thunderbird while everybody else driving for Ford in a 1998 Ford Taurus?

Nascar should have never moved it from the fourth of July weekend

2022 aswell was daytime

My favorite Daytona summer race will always be the 2005 Pepsi 400. I was a Tony fan, and he owned it that night.

My favorite summer Daytona race is, obviously, the 2001 race.

🏳️‍🌈📺📼🏎️🧰🛠️🔧🪛🎙️🏆🏁💡🧢📻🎤📷📰📹📱💎 I remember this race in 1998 Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway under the lights first time. Since it was supposed to race on my dad birthday on July 4th 1998 for first time ever run under the lights but due to wildfire in central Florida near 3 hours from my location in North Port FL. My neighbor Vern tell us about wildfire going on our state of Florida. Thankfully it was postponed until Saturday October 17th 1998 near 3 days after my 11th birthday & it was worthless for my late birthday present I want to watch on TNN. Oh by the way I have so many many memories to watch NASCAR races on TV. Don't forget folks since Ernie Irvan got switch ride to Ricky Craven during 1st yellow flag on lap 13 due to rain & then Ernie will be recovering injury due to last week at Talladega Superspeedway. But hey some of you probably gotten early or late birthday present for 2nd week before 3rd week started. That's why I was very lucky first time.

The first Cup race I ever attended. Went to Florida from NY three times that year. April for my Senior Class trip. July for the race that got postponed for wild fires. And back again in October for the race.

My favorite was the 1982 Firecracker 400. Bobby Allison came from a lap down with 10 laps left and won it.

Easy - 1984 Firecracker 400. The only thing more American than that race is Uncle Sam jumping a speedboat through a flaming hoop in a river full of money while fireworks go off in the background.

I can not wait for this race gonna miss the xfinity race cause of work hopefully it rains like it usually does for xfinity race so they can put it for Saturday morning

Going to Daytona for the first time for this coming weekend's 400 mile race. Super excited and the weather forecast looks amazing.

Honestly my favorite was the 2004 Pepsi 400. I love that Pepsi scheme that Gordon had

Favorite Daytona Summer race hands down easily is the 2007 Pepsi 400. For 1 Jeff Gordons Pepsi car is the best version he ever had. 2 an amazing finish with Jmac and Busch and 3 I watched it during a wedding reception lol didn't care about it, loved the racing going on.

U said only 2 races have been run in the day at Summer Daytona, but you forgot 2022

Good Night, I was watching Daytona race fell asleep before. I knew it such a boring race. Everybody is getting the pack. Can't get away from each other I get more excitement on a sunday drive on my lawn With my lawn mower.

Definitely the 01 race when jr and Michael finally got to celebrate. But for a 13 yr old me the 03 Busch race that jr ran the d.m.p. Flames car lead every lap and won the race! Only time I’ve been to Daytona . Planning on being at the 500 in 24!

I loved when the commentators would shut up for a lap before chiming in. Now they blabber on incessantly right from the start.

If any race, especially a super speedway race, was like that in the present day, people would argue that the race was boring. Their reason being that not much action occurred on track. They would also complain about how no one was able to pass the leader under green. Their reason being dirty air. They would even rant that the finish was anticlimactic. Their reason being that the leader for the last few laps was never able to get passed, nor be challenged. I swear some things never change, and people always find reasons to complain about something. 😂😆😂🤭👍😑🙄🤦‍♂️

The Daytona “night” race was actually ran 3 times counting 2023.

Seeing Daytona under the lights was just special. The flash bulbs from the grandstands on the opening lap gave me goosebumps. Back to back plate races, I don't believe that's happened since, given the wildfires earlier in the season. I was an Earnhardt fan, I did attend the Pepsi 400 at Michigan in August of 1998, so to see Jeff Gordon win both stung, I still appreciated the moment of that night like I did back in 1992 for The Winston. Two cool night races on big tracks. Daytona...At The Speed Of Light. 2001 Pepsi 400 is my favorite Daytona night race. Great video!

Man remember when nascar had real good honest racing. This race wouldn’t be possible with stage racing and “overtime”.

2004

I miss the sight of thousands of camera flashes sprinkling across the crowd

I have such good memories watching this race! Sitting and drawing the cars and watching the race at the same time. The commentary crew for TNN from that time was my favorite. I was a new nascar fan and this race and the Winston from the same year is just pure Nostalgia for me. I can’t remember how I actually got into nascar but 97/98 was the perfect time to start watching cuz they were doing some cool stuff

For me the Daytona night race was my first ever NASCAR race so it holds a special spot in my heart.

Running the 4th of July race in October was a bit bizarre. But it had to be run at some point, and the summer wildfires pretty much was too much for the race to go on at it's scheduled date.

I didn't know they could have run it on July 25th i think that would have been there next open date but they chose October 17th cause that would have been a scheduled off week now the xfinity series raced at gateway earlier that day and that was on CBS. They id dont think could have 2 races in one day so this race on tnn. What I remember from this broadcast is it was one of the first times we heard the term the big one during the race.

Putting the FIRE in firecracker 400 😂

Man damn quit hissing! Sssslipppy , ssssslappy , sssssssalmon, ssssswanson ! The firesssssss . World sssssseries ! Man damn turn the treble down !! Or let me guess ?? The loud hissing is ho quality souund

My favorite is Truex pushing Erik Jones to his first win.

This was the first race my dad took me to. I still have the light up Pepsi 400 hat from the race

I forgot that was the first night race at Daytona I remember watching it with a special young lady at the time my youngest niece

98 was total domination by Jeff and Mark

lol i was at that race , got kicked out of hotel , and went back to see the race. and yep it rained, and went to every race that year and the 24 won me a lot of money that year.

This is how a 6-year-old me learned the word "postponed"

43 start, 42.......aaaaaaaaaannnnnddddd it's gone

IIRC they used Lake Lloyd as a water supply for the wildfire operations, which is just nuts to think about. And then in 03 CART never did reschedule their season and series finale, thank you California wildfires, though both were postponed or canceld respectively for the right reasons

This Daytona in 1998 should've opened the door wide open to have Lights at Talladega as well but as we all know it just didn't.

Great Video Bro!

9:13 FOX level camera work.

9:42 3 times remember last year

That Fucking Tire

Completely and totally unrelated but you forgot to mention tuning into the NWP 400 tonight on IDK Player's channel with you commentating!!! You're welcome lol.

4:09 Problems!!!

Which track should add a night race next?

I remember watching this race at 14 years old. It was so amazing seeing Daytona run at night, and having my favorite driver win it was even more special! I grew up in North east Florida in St. Augustine, which is just 40 or minutes north of the Daytona area, and that summer was hellish. I can still see the reddish smoke filled sky outside my house to this day. It was so scary and I was so grateful that the fires didn't get to my town. The race in October was finally when things felt like they were going back to normal. I got to go with my dad to the 99 Pepsi 400. We were on the backstretch grandstands. My memory of that one isn't so positive. It rained a ton, DJ won easily, and the walk to our car in a barely lit parking lot behind the track that was full of water filled holes and ditches was awful.