Jeff Gordon

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The inaugural nighttime running of Daytona International Speedway’s Independence Day holiday classic was scheduled to take place in July, 1998.

But the historic moment never came. Race fans had to wait almost four months before they could experience stock car racing under the lights at Daytona for the first time.

Wildfires in Central Florida forced the postponement of the mid-summer classic. The race was rescheduled for Oct. 17.

It was the first and only time in the history of Daytona International Speedway that the 400-mile classic was postponed and the first time in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history that a race was postponed because of smoke and fires.

The wait proved worth it. Daytona International Speedway’s inaugural nighttime running of a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race had an electric atmosphere under the lights.

Jeff Gordon led the final 57 laps and captured his second of three July victories holding off Bobby Labonte, Mike Skinner, Jeremy Mayfield and Rusty Wallace. The margin of victory was .176 seconds.

With 1,932 light fixtures, 202 outer perimeter poles ranging from 70 to 110 feet, 150 miles of wire and 800 tons of concrete, Daytona International Speedway successfully took the Independence Day holiday classic from its traditionally late-morning start to a nighttime start and elevated the event to a new level of excitement.

“It’s created a nighttime atmosphere that everybody enjoys coming to the race track,” said Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge. “Obviously during the summer, it’s hot out and you want to hang out at nighttime watching the race instead of during the day and that’s a fan perspective. Then you get the sparks and the blur of lights at night with the cars. With the whole day being drawn out into a night race, things are that much more exciting for a driver and a fan.”

Tickets to the Coke Zero 400 Weekend Powered By Coca-Cola are available online at www.racetickets.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.