When you think of Daytona Beach, many things come to mind — 23 miles of pristine beaches, attractions such as the Museum of Arts and Sciences and  Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, fine dining and  70 miles of hiking and biking trails.

For powerful iconic brands Rolex and Ferrari, Daytona Beach also carries special meaning.

Racing, whether it was against other cars or the stopwatch, is a significant piece of the history of the Daytona Beach area.

The Daytona Beach area’s wide and hard-packed sands at low tide became one of the top locations for land speed records with 15 records set between 1905 and 1935.

NASCAR, the sanctioning body for stock car racing, was formed in Daytona Beach in 1948 at the Streamline Hotel and the sport’s most prestigious race, the DAYTONA 500, was first held in 1959 at Daytona International Speedway.

Both Rolex and Ferrari have a strong bond with motorsports and have products that carry the Daytona Beach name.

The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona, which was introduced in 1963, is one of the most sought-after watches in the world. According to Rolex’s website, “the watch pays tribute to Daytona Beach – where passion for speed and racing developed in the early 20^th century. The name embodies the historic and privileged bonds between Rolex and motor sport.”

Rolex is the title sponsor of the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA sports car race and serves as the Official Timepiece of Daytona International Speedway.

Ferrari, an Italian luxury sportscar manufacturer, has a vehicle that carries the Daytona name – the Daytona SPE.

The Daytona SPE is an ultra-limited edition “Icona” car that honors the three Ferrari 330 P4 sports cars that took first, second and third at the 1967 Rolex 24 At DAYTONA.

Love racing? Explore Daytona Beach’s deep-rooted motorsports heritage with the Motorsports Trail, which takes  visitors from scenic beachfronts to museums, guiding them through the history of racing.

Enjoy a look at everything Daytona Beach has to offer  and start planning your next trip today. Download our free official destination guide or sign up for our e-Newsletter.