Fast times in Florida: My dizzying 170-mph ride in a NASCAR Chevrolet – and the joys of a much slower golf cart ride around the 'perfect' Daytona beach

When drivers accelerate at the start of the classic Daytona 500 motorcycle race on Florida's northeast coast on Sunday, they can expect speeds of around 190 mph.

However, that's nothing compared to what Sir Malcolm Campbell accomplished on March 7, 1935, when he set the then world land speed record of 446.82 mph while zooming across the hard sands of Daytona Beach in his sleek Blue Bird racing car.

This was considered one of the key moments in the British driver's career, a thrilling outburst alongside the crashing waves that formed the foundations of 'speedway'.

His and other pioneers' exploits would soon lead to the first stock car races on what was known as the Daytona Beach Road Course (along the beach and coastal road) before the Daytona International Speedway, opened in 1959.

Thus began the popular NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) racing jamboree, of which the Daytona 500 is just one.

Sir Malcolm Campbell and his wife Dorothy. Sir Campbell set the then world land speed record of 446.82 mph at Daytona Beach in 1935

Tom found driving a NASCAR Chevrolet 'a dizzying, exhilarating and terrifying experience'

The great thing is that you can take a spin yourself on the tracks where the race is held, while catching some rays on your beach holiday in Florida – which is how I found myself traveling at 170mph in the passenger seat of a shiny NASCAR Chevrolet was racing.

At the banked corners the car flew up, the speed sticking you backwards; a dizzying, thrilling and terrifying experience.

Then our group, still a bit shaking, had the chance to look around the Motorsports Hall of Fame, a museum full of famous old, fast cars, including Sir Malcolm's Blue Bird.

Here you learned that the early days of fast cars involved bootleggers manipulating vehicles to avoid the police during Prohibition.

But Daytona has more to offer than fast cars. There are also slow cars.

Daytona Beach, where Tom says 'you can rent a golf cart and ride along' or just stop for 'something to eat at one of the excellent crab, oyster and hamburger joints'

Tom found 'fishing with vintage cars at the end of Sunglow Pier' on Daytona Beach relaxing

Down on the 37 mile wide sandy beach you can rent a golf cart and drive on (max speed 10 miles per hour) stopping here and there for a swim or a bite to eat at one of the excellent crab, oyster and hamburger restaurants. joints. Beware of police officers in pickup trucks with 'beach control' who sometimes issue tickets for speeding.

So perfect is Daytona's beach that it has long attracted American college students to spring break parties in late March and early April. At other times of the year, however – aside from the big Daytona 500 weekend – it's a surprisingly quiet place for a Florida getaway.

Besides sunbathing and driving, there is much more to do. Paddleboarding on the Halifax River was an amazing experience, floating through the city center and seeing Daytona from a completely different angle.

Fishing with vintage cars at the end of Sunglow Pier was also relaxing. We weren't bitten ourselves, although a neighbor reeled in a shark from sixty yards away.

You can also take catamaran tours from Ponce Inlet and watch the locals enjoy 'water picnics' on sandbars with the ocean up to their knees. Far from the fast tracks, life can be slow and easy in Florida's fast-paced headquarters.