Portable Sanitation and the Daytona 500
Beginning in 1903, “horseless carriages” began racing on the beaches around Daytona, Florida as this photo from that time illustrates (courtesy of My Florida History).
Racing cars like this Buick set land speed records on the firm sands of Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach in the early 1900s. Image courtesy of myfloridahistory.org
On March 8, 1936, the first stock car race was held on Daytona Beach and mechanic Bill France, Sr., finished sixth. With an avid interest in racing, he founded NASCAR in 1947 with annual races held on Daytona Beach. In 1958, Bill France managed the construction of a 2.5-mile tri-oval racetrack—proclaimed to become the fastest in the world.
On February 22,1959, the first Daytona 500 ran on this new, state-of-the-art structure with grandstands seating some 20,000 spectators. Images of the souvenir program and an entrance ticket from the inaugural event are shown below.
Permanent restrooms were not constructed until the following year. So, for this inaugural race, the drivers made pit stops on the track while the fans made pit stops behind the stands!
The portable restrooms are behind the stands for the fans’ comfort and privacy.
Lee Petty (father of NASCAR Racing Legend Richard Petty) won this inaugural race—but it was only announced after 3 days of officials investigating a photo finish between Petty and Johnny Beauchamp. Petty won by less than a yard.
The Goodyear Blimp flew above the first Daytona 500 and captured footage of the event. This was still a relatively new concept for the Goodyear Company; they had only begun aerial coverage of live sporting events in 1955.
Portable restrooms were becoming more commonplace at sporting events where large crowds gathered. While adequate permanent restrooms were available the next year in Daytona, portable restrooms would soon reappear at this racetrack to provide service for parking areas, open field viewing of the race, and nearby camping areas.
For even more interesting facts on the history of our industry and of our Association, click on the link below and order your History Book today. All proceeds benefit the PSAI Scholarship Program. And join PSAI in Daytona Beach in November 2025 for our Annual Convention and Trade Show!