“NASCAR and the Daytona 500 are as American as they come.” The legendary track in Daytona Beach, Florida, has been the heart of stock car racing ever since those first wild runs on the beach sand back in 1948. And if you ask any fan, there’s no race more prestigious, more iconic, than the Daytona 500. But the real credit goes to the ones who have been keeping the lights on and the engines roaring all these years.

It isn’t just the drivers or the teams. It’s the men and women behind the scenes, the employees of Daytona International Speedway. The folks who sweat the details, who make sure every single fan gets the full Daytona experience.

We’re talking about events that draw anywhere from 101,500 to 167,785 people to the grandstands. Just this summer, the Coke Zero Sugar 400 pulled in the biggest crowd for a regular-season finale in seven years.

That doesn’t just “happen,” it’s built by the workforce, the people of Daytona. Yes, behind the rumble of the cars and the spectacle of race day is a crew of 400 to 600 hardworking staff, handling track maintenance, safety, logistics, and everything in between. Which is why the latest whispers out of the garage, rumors about layoffs, have fans rattled.

According to a post in the Reddit Community, a major buzz has been stirred by claims that “NASCAR laid off about 25% of the workforce and is replacing about 15% of the jobs with younger people. A lot of them were making over 100k. A few were let go today, and the rest next week.”

This rumor points directly at the possible retrenchments at Daytona International Speedway, which may further impact a portion of its workforce, including a significant portion in high-paying positions.

We’re not just talking about entry-level staff. On the line are roles like Chief Executive Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Guest Services Officer, and even Chief Pilot. And let’s not forget these are the ones that are central to keeping Daytona running like the crown jewel it is.

For fans, the news stings as expected. These are the fans of Dale Earnhardt, who lost his life in the sport on the very track. These are the fans who saw Richard Petty capture the Daytona 500 a record seven times, and the track has built its reputation on delivering smooth, unforgettable experiences. 

However, nothing is official as of yet.

What’s noteworthy is that NASCAR underwent restructuring back in July 2024, laying off an unspecified number of employees in preparation to make a tremendous change, including new media agreements beginning in 2025. But losing 400 employees is big.

Remember the case with Stewart-Haas Racing, and the announcement that “As many as 323 employees will be laid off at Stewart-Haas Racing when the NASCAR team shuts down at the end of the 2024 season, team executives have told the North Carolina Department of Commerce.”

While that action was taken because the owners, Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, felt that it was time to step aside, saying, “Racing is a labor-intensive, humbling sport. It requires unwavering commitment and vast resources, with a 365-day mindset to be better than everyone else. It’s part of what makes success so rewarding.”  But the Daytona case shouldn’t be the same.

The rumor has definitely created a sense of fear among fans, and surely among the employees as well as locals, but it’s more than that; Daytona is the history of NASCAR.

Rumour made Fans livid

One fan put it this way: “Pay peanuts, get monkeys,” reflecting the concern that a lack of experienced personnel would damage quality in a facility with a reputation for producing high-quality events.

Some even tracked the evolution of NASCAR over several years and found patterns in it, pointing out, “It feels like they do this every couple of years.”

This is all connected to larger trends, such as how Richard Childress Racing lost approximately 40 positions since the regulations on the Next Gen car curtailed custom work, compelling the company to switch to external work. NASCAR fans remember how those 2022 car revisions limited power to 670 hp in the majority of events, altering team requirements and triggering comparable reductions throughout the sport.

The less noticeable functions of the organization tend to be the first to be affected by cost-cutting, evoking a greater level of dissatisfaction.

So, another posted, “Been making rule changes for traveling officials as well as cutting any costs they can. Heard some officials who have been provided a company car for years are now being told that car is only for travel to the track and nothing else.”

This is indicative of continuing moves to cut costs, similar to the 2024 restructuring of NASCAR, which impacted sponsorship sales during charter negotiations.

We know how a human element is introduced with personal stories. Hence, considering the long-term employees who find themselves sidelined, a redditer wrote, “After 14 years I was let go for a 22-year-old kid. I did receive 7k for my October pay and health insurance till the end of the year. It sucks, but internally something changed this year.”

It is reminiscent of what happened at Stewart-Haas, where 323 people were laid off after the team was shut down, including engineers and truck drivers in Kannapolis. If this happens, the Daytona employees would lose years of invaluable experience at a racetrack that has developed into a contemporary speedway over the decades. And, some are even calling it an American culture.

“Welcome to corporate America. My father was laid off 3 times from the same company in my childhood. They’re sh–ty because we let them be,” a fan grumbled.

“Gotta pay for this impending settlement somehow.” And, who could have put a stop to sarcasm? This one was a nod to the legal battles that continue to happen in the sport: NASCAR vs. 23XI charter disputes.

Bottom line: every cut may save costs today, but if NASCAR keeps slicing into its backbone, it could end up paying the ultimate price: the sport’s relevance in the long run.