The Daytona Beach Bike Week rally started as the
Daytona 200 race on January 24, 1937. This first race was a beach and pavement course. It was won by
Ed Kretz from California riding an Indian motorcycle with an average speed of . This yearly race took a break from 1942 to 1947 due to
World War II and again in 2020 because of a global pandemic (although the pandemic situation began in the middle of Bike Week, as the Daytona Supercross had finished the week before). During the years off, an unofficial event was still taking place commonly called Bike Week. In 1947 the official race resumed and gained in popularity. The event was then promoted by
Bill France Sr., co-founder of
NASCAR, and the family business (now known as
International Speedway Corporation) still promotes the 200 and the entire Bike Week races at
Daytona International Speedway, including the Daytona Supercross which is known for its world-class pyrotechnics and light show. In 2010,
Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium officials made renovations in the stadium that eliminated the quarter-mile flat track for
American Flat Track motorcycle events during Bike Week races. Officials moved those races to the Speedway on a quarter-mile track near Turn 1 of the superspeedway at a track used also during KartWeek. However, in 2021, the series moved flat track races out of Daytona, agreeing with
World Racing Group, which sanctions the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars, DIRT Modifieds, and other dirt track events, to hold the events in
DeLeon Springs at World Racing Group-owned
Volusia Speedway Park.
Deaths Most years there are deaths at the festival due to rider accidents. ==Law enforcement==