The origins of the Daytona 200 began in 1932 when the Southeastern Motorcycle Dealers Association organized a 200-mile dirt track race held on the old Vanderbilt Cup course in Savannah, Georgia.

[6] In an effort to boost the local economy, race promoter Bill France Sr. arranged for the Savannah 200 to be moved to the 3.2-mile (5.1 km) Daytona Beach Road Course in 1937.

[8] He arranged financing and in 1957, construction began on the Daytona International Speedway, a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) paved, oval-shaped circuit with steep bankings that permitted higher speeds.

[1] Safety concerns kept motorcycle racers from using the daunting 31 degree banking at the Daytona International Speedway for the first three years so, a race course was created using most of the track infield along with the tri-oval section where the finish line is located in front of the spectator stands.

Attending the annual event became known as a rite of spring for thousands of motorcyclists seeking to escape the colder northern climes.

[10] At the peak of the event's popularity in the early 1970s, chartered airliners were used to bring race fans from Europe to Daytona Beach.

[11] Duhamel's pole position on the tiny 350cc Yamaha motorcycle against the larger 750cc four-strokes marked the beginning of the two-stroke era in AMA road racing competitions.

[14] The 1972 race was held at Daytona International Speedway on an artificial track on the grass surface between the main grandstand and the pit lane.

[17] In an effort to slow the fastest bikes down and save on tire wear, a chicane was added in 1973 at the end of the Daytona back straight.

[18] The dangers that motorcycle racers were exposed to was highlighted in 1975 when a documentary crew were filming as Barry Sheene crashed on the banked track at over 170 mph when his rear tire failed.

[3] The loss of Grand Prix machinery meant that fewer international competitors were interested in entering the race and, began a slow decline in the event's prestige.

On December 1, 2014, American Sportbike Racing Association, parent company of Championship Cup Series (CCS), which sanctions the Fall Cycle Scene autumn events at Daytona, agreed to sanction the Daytona 200 with Supersport motorcycles racing 57 laps on the full motorcycle layout.

Conducted despite the pandemic, the 2021 race saw a thrilling finish line victory by rising star, American Brandon Paasch.