TO BE BROUGHT METEOROLOGIST CANDACE CAMPOS AND TRAFFIC SAFETY EXPERT TROOPER STEVE.
THIS IS NEWS. 6 AT 09:00AM
GETTING RESULTS.
>> CANDACE: THROUGHOUT
FEBRUARY, THE WORLD CENTER
RACING REALLY STARTS TO ROAR.
THESE COMING DAYS ARE GOING TO
BE ESPECIALLY EXCITING AS THE
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
PREPARES FOR THE GREAT
AMERICAN RACE. SO THAT’S JUST
A SMALL LITTLE EVERY YEAR,
RIGHT? JOINING US NOW TO TALK
ABOUT ALL THINGS RACING IS
PRESIDENT OF THE DAYTONA
INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY. FRANK
KELLEHER, GOOD MORNING.
MORNING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
HAVING ME ON. AND
CONGRATULATIONS ON ON THE NEW
TITLE. I YOU WERE TELLING US
DURING THE COMMERCIAL BREAK,
YOU STARTED AS AN INTERN. I
DID SO BORN AND RAISED IN
NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA. I DID
AN INTERNSHIP WITH NASCAR. 21
YEARS AGO.
>> WENT BACK HOME. FINISH MY
SENIOR YEAR OF SCHOOL AND WAS
FORTUNATE ENOUGH THAT 30 DAYS
BEFORE I GRADUATED, THEY
OFFERED ME A JOB. SO I LEFT
ALL THE COLD IN IF YOU THAN 20
YEARS NOW WITH THE COMPANY AND
THEN HAVE BEEN IN THIS ROLE
NOW FOR 18 MONTHS. AND IT’S
JUST IT’S BEEN A BLAST. IT’S A
AMAZING EVENTS THAT WE HOST
AND SOME PEOPLE THAT I GET TO
WORK WITH EVERY DAY, LONG WAY
FROM THOSE DAYS AS AN INTERN
ABOUT MUCH THOUGH, WHEN IT
COMES TO.
>> BRIDGETT: THINGS ALWAYS
BEING NEW. BUT THE TRADITION
STAYING THE SAME. WHAT CAN WE
LOOK FORWARD TO THIS YEAR
BECAUSE THINGS ARE ABOUT TO
KICK OFF? SURE. SO.
>> THIS YEAR THINGS I WOULD
HIGHLIGHT BEING UNIQUE. YOU
MENTIONED IT LEADING INTO
THIS. IT WILL BE THE 75TH
ANNIVERSARY OF NASCAR. SO I
JUST THINK THAT SUCH A COOL
STORY OF NASCAR LEGIT STARTED
ON THE BEACHES IN DAYTONA. AND
NOW 75 YEARS LATER, IT IS A
GLOBAL PROPERTY IN A
MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY
SPECIFIC TO THE DAYTONA 500.
THIS IS THE 65TH RUNNING. SO A
LOT AMAZING TRADITIONS THAT
WILL HAVE THE PAGEANTRY OF OUR
PRE-RACE, THE THUNDERBIRDS
DOING THE FLYOVER. WE ALWAYS
HAVE AN OUTSTANDING CONCERT
PRIOR TO THE EVENT THIS YEAR
WILL BE BENTLEY AND JUST THE
FAN INTERACTION, ENGAGEMENT,
UNLIKE ANY OTHER SPORT, OUR
FANS GET TO GET UP REAL CLOSE
TO THE CARS INTO THE DRIVERS.
IT’S A HUGE FAMILY EVENT. SO
READY TO GET RON.
>> JULIE: YEAH, I FEEL LIKE
NASCAR. IT’S NOT JUST LIKE,
OH, LET’S GO SEE RIGHT LIKE IT
IS A WHOLE EXPERIENCE. I CAN
TELL YOU WHEN I FIRST MOVED
DOWN HERE AND WENT TO COVER
SOMETHING IN THE INFIELD, I
MEAN, IT IS A COMMUNITY AND
EXPERIENCE A FULL IMMERSIVE
SITUATION. I MEAN, IS THAT
PART OF WHAT MAKES IT SO
SPECIAL FOR SURE? I MEAN, NEXT
SATURDAY, I’M SORRY. NEXT
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19TH THAT
50TH 65050TH RUNNING OF THE
DAYTONA 500.
>> JULIE: ALL 50 STATES WILL
BE REPRESENTED. WILL HAVE 37
COUNTRIES BEING REPRESENTED AS
WELL AND ALL THOSE PEOPLE, LEE
FRIENDS BECAUSE THEY ARE THERE
FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK TOGETHER
AND THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY
TO BUILD A TRADITION AND THEY
LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EACH
OTHER YEAR-OVER-YEAR. YEAH,
THEY’RE NOT CAMPING GLAMPING.
HAHA. AND I MEAN THAT TICKETS,
KID, YOU KNOW, SELL OUT. I
MEAN, I OF COURSE, DURING THE
PANDEMIC, IT WAS.
>> THINGS GOT A LITTLE ROUGH.
BUT I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE THE
CROWDS ARE BIGGER AND BETTER
THAN EVER NOW. YES, SO WE WERE
FORTUNATE ENOUGH THAT A FEW
WEEKS AGO WE ANNOUNCED THAT
THE GRANDSTANDS AND CAMPING
ARE 100% SOLD OUT FOR THE
DAYTONA 500. THERE STILL ARE
SOME OPTIONS TO COME AND CHECK
OUT THE DAYTONA 500. AND THIS
IS NOW THE SECOND YEAR IN A
ROW THAT WE SOLD OUT RIGHT
AFTER THE NEW YEAR, WHICH I
REALLY THINK JUST SPEAKS
OVERALL TO THE HEALTH OF THE
SPORT AND INTEREST LAST YEAR.
WE HAD JUST UNDER 9 MILLION
FOLKS TUNING IN. WE’RE
BROADCASTED IN OVER 200
COUNTRIES. SO THAT THE
INTEREST IN THE SPORT IS
THROUGH THE ROOF RIGHT NOW.
>> JULIE: AND IT’S A DIFFERENT
EXPERIENCE BEING OUT THERE.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEBODY
WHO’S YOU KNOW, THIS MAY NOT
BE I’M NOT INTERESTED IN CAR
RACING. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO
THEM ABOUT WHY IT IS SO
AMAZING TO GO OUT THE THE
SUPPORT THAT WE GET FROM OUR
CORPORATE PARTNERS.
>> OUR MIDWAY AREA OUTSIDE THE
VENUE. I MEAN, IT’S ALMOST
LIKE GOING TO AN AMUSEMENT
PARK TO WHERE TOYOTA SUNOCO
GENERAL MOTORS ADVENTHEALTH.
THEY’RE THERE TO ENTERTAIN YOU
FOR HOURS AND TO GIVE YOU
GIFTS AND THE DRIVERS AND
AUTOGRAPHS. AND THEN WHEN YOU
GO THROUGH THE GATE, YOU SIT
IN YOUR SEAT AND YOU ACTUALLY
HEAR THE CARS FIRE UP AND THEN
200 MILES AN HOUR, 40 PEOPLE
PUSHING EACH IT’S I MEAN, IT’S
HARD TO PUT INTO WORDS FEELS
LIKE AND WHAT THAT EXPERIENCE
IS. AND AFTER A COUPLE OF LAPS
AND YOU LOOK AROUND LIKE, ALL
RIGHT, I GET IT. COOL. I WANT
TO COME BACK TO AND YOU DO
FEEL I FEEL FOR DAYS TO I NEED
TO WIPE YOUR FACE OFF ON HOW
SHEA AND THERE’S JUST SO MUCH
DEVELOPMENT. EXCITEMENT
HAPPENING IN AROUND THE
SPEEDWAY AS WELL. SO THAT’S
PROMISING TO.
>> OH, THE SPEEDWAY ITSELF,
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL
SPEEDWAY, THE ECONOMIC IMPACT
ON AN ANNUAL BASIS AS RIGHT
AROUND 800 MILLION DOLLARS. SO
IN PARTICULAR, OUR COMMUNITY
REBUILDING AFTER 2 NAMED
HURRICANES. WE’RE EXCITED TO
BE SOLD OUT TO HAVE THESE BIG
EVENTS TO HELP BOLSTER OUR
COMMUNITY BACK ON ITS FEET AND
YEAH, ME TUESDAY NIGHT AT ONE
DAYTONA. WE DO A HOLLER TO
FREE EVENT FOR FAMILIES TO
COME OUT AND SEE THE HAULERS
BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY DRIVE
INTO THE INFIELD. SO EVERY
NIGHT STARTING ON TUESDAY,
WEDNESDAY NIGHT, QUALIFYING
THURSDAY NIGHT IS OUR DUAL.
AND THEN FRIDAY NIGHT, WE
WELCOME BACK. THE CRAFTSMAN
TRUCK SERIES SATURDAY IS A
DOUBLE HEADER. SO THERE’S A
TON GOING ON ON AT THE TRACK
AS WELL AS IN THE COMMUNITY
AROUND US.
>> WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED
ABOUT? I KNOW THAT’S LIKE
ASKING SOME OF THEIR FAVORITE
TRAVEL. WHAT ARE YOU MOST
EXCITED ABOUT THE UPCOMING SO
LAST SEASON WAS REALLY
ELECTRIC.
>> WE HAD 19 DIFFERENT
WINNERS. 5 FIRST-TIME WINNERS.
WE HAD MORE PASSES FOR THE
LEAD UNDER THE GREEN FLAG EVER
IN ALL. 75 YEARS RACING. SO
OUR YOUNG DRIVERS ARE REALLY
GETTING REPUTATION. THEY’RE
REALLY MAKING A NAME FOR
THEMSELVES. SO THE ACTION ON
THE TRACK, I THINK A SECOND TO
NONE. SO FOR ME LOOKING AT AT
THE SEASON AS A WHOLE, THAT’S
SOMETHING I GET EXCITED ABOUT.
BUT THERE IS SOMETHING REALLY
MAGICAL ABOUT THE PRE-RACE OF
THE DAYTONA 500, THE TRIBUTE
TO THIS COUNTRY. THE FLYOVER
IN THE WORLD OF SPORTS. I
DON’T THINK THERE’S ANYTHING
THAT COMES CLOSE.
>> BRIDGETT: AND WHEN IT COMES
TO OUTREACH IS, WELL, YOU’RE
ABLE TO MAKE SUCH AN IMPACT IN
THE COMMUNITY. A GREAT YES,
YOU KNOW, I LOVE MY JOB AND
THE BIG EVENTS THAT WE DO. BUT
BEING MARRIED AND RAISING 2
LITTLE KIDS AS WELL IN VOLUSIA
COUNTY AND BEING TODAY IN THE
BACKYARD OF SOMETHING VERY
SPECIAL TO ME.
>> AS WELL AS THE FRANCE
FAMILY AND EVERYONE THAT WORKS
AT THE SPEEDWAY. SO THAT’S
FALLEN TEARING OUR TIME.
THAT’S WORKING WITH THE
VOLUSIA COUNTY SCHOOLS. WE’LL
BE HONORING THE TEACHERS OF
THE YEAR ON FRIDAY NIGHT
DURING THE TRUCK RACE TO OTHER
JUST NONPROFITS IN THE
BACKYARD. IT’S VERY IMPORTANT
US TO BE AUTHENTIC AND TO BE
AVAILABLE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
>> I WILL HAVE MY EAR BY
AIRMAN. YEAH, THINGS CALLED
RIGHT HERE, WE JOKED ABOUT,
YOU KNOW, SELLING THE SELLING
OFF CHANCES, MAYBE FOR CHARITY
TO DRIVE AROUND THE TRACK.
MORE.
>> THIS AS SOMETHING HE
ACTUALLY DO IT. YEAH. WITH THE
NASCAR FOUNDATION FANS HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO COME UP, MAKE A
DONATION AND THEY GET TO DRIVE
THEIR PERSONAL VEHICLE AROUND
THE TRACK. NOW, GRANTED SPEED
LIMITS OF CONTROL OUT. THE
CONTROLLED LAP. BUT STILL
YOU’RE OUT THERE ON THE GAS. I
THINK MY OLD MAZDA COULD MAYBE