DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Speedweeks 2022 has officially begun this year with a Daytona 500 race that's back at full capacity.

What You Need To Know

  • NASCAR announced that tickets to the Daytona 500 have sold out

  • The Daytona 500 gets under way February 20

  • Nearby Houligan’s restaurant receives three trucks of fresh wings every week.

  • Houligan's served over 100,000 wings throughout the Super Bowl weekend and expect to at least match that during Speedweeks

NASCAR announced on Monday morning that tickets have completely sold out.

For nearby businesses, that’s a welcomed sign for what’s ahead.

“I think this is going to be the biggest race week ever to be honest with you,” said Tim Curtis, Co-Founder of Houligan's.

Curtis is the ultimate people person. It’s the reason he knows every single one of his employees by name across multiple locations and it’s the reason NASCAR fans love the business he helped bring to life over 30 years ago.

“You can see it overlooks the International Speedway,” explained Curtis while showing News 13 around the Houligan’s location nearest to the racetrack.

Every time the 500 comes around Houligan’s is a big hit because of its atmosphere, service, food, and proximity to events, but more important than that, the historic race is a great opportunity for local business owners.

“I mean, you just feel the energy and excitement,” Curtis exclaimed.

Houligan’s receives three trucks of fresh wings every week. 

For the Super Bowl, they served over 100,000 wings throughout the weekend. Those numbers will likely be duplicated if not exceeded by race day.

Now that the race is back at full capacity, it could be the kick starter for a great year ahead.

“But what happens is that it stimulates the local economy.”

Moments like this get pumped up to be a part of the Daytona Beach community.

That can be felt just through a quick conversation with him.