The History Of Daytona Bike Week

Riders from across
the country flock to Daytona Beach, Florida, every year for the
annual Bike Week, but not many know about the event's long history.
Central Florida News 13 recently detailed some of the key events
for those who want to know more about the famous spectacle.
This year marks the event's 70th anniversary, but the gathering
actually dates way back to 1937. The very first Daytona 200 was run
in this year, and it was actually run on the beach rather than the
modern track that's used today. Ed Kretz was victorious in the
first-ever race, kicking off a grand tradition that continues to
this day.
The reason that event dates back to 1937 but has only been run 70
times is because it was stopped for four years in the middle of
World War II. Yet while the races stopped and the events were
officially postponed, bikers still came from far and wide to Main
Street in Daytona during those years. Once the war was over,
promoter Bill France seized upon the opportunity and revived the
tradition.
Perhaps the only time the event was in danger of ending was in the
1980s. This period saw some of the largest crowds ever assembled
for bike week. Unfortunately, they were also among the most
troublesome: city officials forced organizers to clean the event up
and institute new rules, which led to the modern, safer version of
the event seen today.