The 83rd annual Daytona Bike Week unrolled in its usual flashy style as upward of 500,000 bikers hit the sandy streets of Daytona Beach, Florida, last week. We won’t know the true numbers until later this month, but the locals we spoke with said traffic was up from last year, which had a projected tally of 400,000 riders. The bottom line is that we saw the streets of this beach town absolutely jammed with bikes of every stripe, from slammed cruisers and trikes to tricked-out supersports. The 10-day street party is usually called out for its eye-popping customs, bikini-wearing babes, and endless tattoos, but let’s not forget what started it all: the racing. And this year’s Daytona had plenty of action to offer on the banked International Speedway, with SuperHooligan contests, the King of the Baggers opening rounds, and of course the highlight of the week, the Daytona 200. The 82nd running of the famed 200-miler featured a totally stacked field with no shortage of high drama and near photo finishes.
Here’s a peek at Volusia County’s monster two-wheel extravaganza, sprawling from Main Street in the heart of Daytona to the high banks of Daytona International Speedway to the smaller beach burgs both north and south.
A historical side note: January 24, 1937, was the inaugural running of the Daytona 200. That first race was run on a 3.2-mile beach and road course situated just south of Daytona Beach. Ed Kretz of California was the first winner, riding an Indian motorcycle and averaging 73.34 mph.
By comparison, Josh Herrin and company ran their supersport bikes at speeds in excess of 150 miles an hour over the course of 200 miles at the banked oval of Daytona International Speedway.