Motorcycle Marketplace

DAYTONA BEACH , Fla. – Historic night racing, free demo rides and displays, charity parade laps and the traveling 80 percent Vietnam Veterans Memorial highlight the activities during Daytona 200 Week By Honda Feb. 27 – March 7 at historic Daytona International Speedway.

            Here’s a look at some of the activities that will be taking place at “The World Center of Racing” that are a must-see for motorcycle enthusiasts:

Historic night race : The 68^th Daytona 200 By Honda Daytona Sportbike race, the prestigious season-opening event to the AMA Pro Racing season and the most historic motorcycle event in America, will be held under the lights for the first time on Friday night, March 6. The Daytona 200 By Honda, which was previously held on Saturday afternoon, will feature star riders such as five-time winner Miguel Duhamel, Ben Bostrom, Josh Hayes, Josh Herrin, Chris Peris, Jake Zemke, Michael Barnes, Martin Cardenas, Jason DiSalvo, Chaz Davies, Roger Hayden and Jamie Hacking.

New day for Daytona Supercross By Honda : The Daytona Supercross will be held on a new day during Daytona 200 Week By Honda – Saturday night, March 7. The Daytona Supercross By Honda, which was previously held on a Friday night, will now be held on a Saturday night, which is a traditional day for all AMA Supercross events on the schedule. While the race will be on a different day, the course will continue to be one of the most challenging Supercross layouts in America thanks to Supercross layouts in America thanks to Ricky Carmichael’s Signature Course Design.

For the second straight year, five-time Daytona Supercross By Honda champion Ricky Carmichael has designed the course that will be located in the tri-oval of historic Daytona International Speedway while Mark Barnett, former Supercross Champion and three-time National Champion, will do the construction and maintenance during the event.

Demo rides and displays : Outside of Daytona International Speedway, motorcycle enthusiasts can test-ride the latest and greatest motorcycles with free manufacturer demo rides and displays. Among the manufacturers expected to attend include Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Harley-Davidson, Buell, Victory, Triumph and Boss Hoss. Riders must hold a valid motorcycle driver license and DOT approved helmet in order to participate in the demo rides.

Free admission to D5X: Daytona 500 Experience, the Official Attraction of NASCAR, will have free admission on Friday, March 6 and Saturday, March 7 and will go by the name of D5X and celebrate Daytona 200 Week By Honda with food, beverages and entertainment. The attraction is the new home to the winning Daytona 500 car of Matt Kenseth.

Spring Dash : It’s the ride of a lifetime – two laps around the historic Daytona International Speedway road course. On Thursday night, March 5 between 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., bike enthusiasts will get that chance in the third annual Spring Dash Around At Daytona. The package includes a Spring Dash T-Shirt, two parade laps around the track, an After Party in the Sprint FANZONE with live entertainment, two beverage tickets and the opportunity to watch Daytona 200 By Honda qualifying. Tickets are only $40 and a companion ticket is available for $20. Tickets can be purchased at the Budweiser Cool Your Pipes Zone outside of Turn 4 on Friday, Feb. 27 – March 5, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. and are also available on www.kickstandcity.com A portion of the proceeds from Spring Dash Around Daytona will benefit the VFW National Military Assistance Programs.

Traveling wall: The American Veterans Traveling Tribute and Traveling Wall will visit Daytona International Speedway Feb. 28 through March 7.  Viewing is free on Feb. 28 – March 5 and on Saturday, March 7 with access to the Memorial through the Turn 4 Tunnel. The mission of the project is to travel the nation to honor, respect, and remember men and women who served, and to pay specific tribute to those who gave all in that service. Since the tribute is mobile it allows people to honor and respect veterans and active military personnel without having to travel great distances to do so.  The AVTT presents several Cost of Freedom memorials and exhibits with its centerpiece being the Traveling Wall, an 80 percent scale version of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C.

Opening ceremony for the Traveling Wall: Opening Ceremony for The Wall is Saturday, February 28 at 11 a.m. in the infield. It is open and FREE to attend through the Turn 4 tunnel. The Ceremony will serve as the first official opening for THE WALL and all other tributes for the public to view through March 7.

Closing ceremony: Closing Ceremonies will be celebrated at The Wall site Saturday, March 7 at 5 p.m. to conclude and honor its stay in Daytona.

Bikini contest : On Saturday, March 7 between 2 p.m. – 4 p.m., the Hooters Bikini Contest will take place at the Jack Daniel’s/Hooters Oasis located in the Midway outside of Turn 4.