Races in Daytona over 4th of July Weekend

Here they come, the boys of NASCAR are in town for the 4th of July race. 400 Miles of super speedway racing on Saturday night, followed by a sensational firewords display.

The races can be exciting for fans, but a pain in the neck for others. If you don't need to be in Daytona Beach, especially around International Blvd., stay away. There are races on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. The races start around 8:00 pm, but traffic builds up hours earlier and after the race is a mess. Gates open at 9:00 am on Thursday, noon on Friday, and 2:00 pm on Saturday.

There's qualifying or practice everyday, but the worst traffic will be four hours or so before the races on Friday and Saturday night.

Don't get stuck with the track between you and your destination. One year, I was caught in Port Orange trying to get back to Ormond Beach - a normal trip of about 25 minutes. Bad timing resulted in a 2 hour trip. My advice, enjoy the race if you're going, but stay away if you're not. So this weekend I'll take a break from selling Daytona Beach homes and relax in beautiful Ormond Beach.