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Daytona 500 is heating up and evolving through the years

By Irene Sans, WFTV.com
By Irene Sans, WFTV.com
2018 was the 60th year that the Daytona 500 has been in the run. Throughout the years, the race has remained mostly the same, but the surroundings around Daytona have definitely changed.
Each year weather conditions during the six-day race can vary. For example, the highest high temperature during a race was in 1975, when the temperature reached 85 degrees.
Though fans find the race to be the perfect excuse to scape to sunny and warm Florida for the week, the temperatures during those two weeks in late February have definitely gotten warmer since its beginning in 1959.
The average the high temperature during the last two weeks of February for the last 60 years has increased almost 4 degrees.
In 1959, the average high almost 70 degrees. Fast forward to 2017, and the average high is of 74. 
Temperatures are increasing globally, and most of the increase is due to increasing levels of greenhouse gasses from burning fossil fuels.
WATCH MORE WEATHER FACTS AND HACKS

NASCAR Green, an industry effort to minimize NASCAR’S environmental impact, has taken steps to minimize environmental impacts.
Sonoma’s Raceway in California has an organic garden that supplies food sold on tracks. Mitigation of further damage to the environment is a combined effort, and several teams have added solar panels to their operations to help reduce carbon emissions. They have also started to recycle used oil and tires, keeping them out of landfills.
Solar panels provide energy at the three major race tracks, including  Daytona International Speedway, where over 7000 solar panels generate 2.1 megawatts of zero-emissions energy.
READ MORE WEATHER & CLIMATE NEWS
Take us with you. Stay informed with the latest weather conditions by downloading our free WFTV Weather app, wftv.com and on Eyewitness News Channel 9.

Cox Media Group

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