In celebration of the upcoming Daytona 500, NASCAR Club will be hosting their biggest event of the year, “Daytona Fest.”
One of the biggest events NASCAR hosts, both the student organization and the official sport, is the Daytona 500. The race is defined as “life-changing, iconic and career-defining” on Daytona’s official website, giving viewers just a glimpse into the fantastic occasion that is the Daytona 500.
This year, the NASCAR club has a special event up their sleeve to celebrate the 64th annual race. I spoke to the president of the club, fourth-year Matthew Longfellow, for details on the festival.
On Feb. 20 in the Cap Center, Daytona Fest will give all recognized organizations and students a chance to get into the thrill of racing. Longfellow mentioned how the club wanted to take a watch party to the next level. The club looked at the success of other organizations on campus that had high levels of student involvement and decided to follow their lead.
Daytona Fest gives other student organizations and academic departments a chance to register and compete for a grand total prize of 700 dollars to be used on the organization or department. Groups will go head-to-head in building a car and racing it. Prizes will be given out based on fastest car, best looking and so forth. The cars will be 2.7 x 7 inches and all materials will be provided.
While the competition will be remarkable, the watch party will be just as thrilling. Longfellow explained that this will be the first event with a new generation of car that has been in development for around five years. It is designed with sustainability and sport in mind, and will allow parts to be replaced quickly. If the hood of the car is smashed, the pit crew can easily take it off and swap it for another.
When asked about other events NASCAR club hosts throughout the year, Longfellow said trips to see races are a big part of their itinerary. The group will be going to Martinsville, Virginia in April to watch a race. Students can RSVP on Corq or Engage if they are interested. They also have watch parties, Mario Kart competitions and other events to get students involved in the club.
Longfellow encourages students to RSVP to Daytona Fest through Engage and Corq if they plan on attending. Student organizations or academic departments need at least two members to be at Daytona fest in order to participate. Feb. 19 will be a day to build and get the cars ready for the track by 3:00 p.m. on Feb. 20. A play-by-play of the race will be given by Longfellow and university event emcees Joe Butler and Niel Johnson.
Daytona Fest is projected to be big, and it will be an incredible opportunity to not only win money for your club, but to get involved with the Capital community, as well!
