DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — In less than three days, the Daytona International Speedway will host the Daytona 500, and there will be heavy security with everything on-hand from bomb-sniffing dogs to police on motorcycles.
In the crowd with tens of thousands of fans who come to watch the race, it’ll be hard to spot security at the speedway, officials said.
But race-goers can rest easy knowing law enforcement from agencies across central Florida will be watching.
“I don't notice them and that's more important to me. I like them being indiscrete,” said fan Dot Weaver.
Officials said there will be around-the-clock patrols at the track, and some of those patrols will be conducted by members of the bomb squad and bomb-sniffing dogs.
Fans who spoke with Channel 9 said they’re happy they're here.
“I think it's very important,” said race fan Jason Locke. “I mean, it's a lot of people in tight quarters. It is two-and-a-half miles, but it's still a tight area for this amount of people."
Fans in the infield said they see security every few minutes, but with the luxurious RVs, the extra security is most welcome.
“They're out constantly,” said fan Bill Fenton. “They're every four or five minutes, whether it's track security or the police department. They're always out."
So far, police and security have not reported any problems at the speedway and they don't expect any during the 500.