From the Daytona Beach News Journal:
PONCE INLET ? A popular restaurant with ties to the area?s rich racing history is temporarily closed after a kitchen fire damaged the building and destroyed several pieces of vintage memorabilia this weekend.
Firefighters responded about 1:30 a.m. Sunday after a Ponce Inlet police officer on patrol noticed smoke coming from Racing?s North Turn Beach Bar & Grille, said Fire Chief Dan Scales. When firefighters arrived at the location a ?considerable fire? had broken out in the kitchen area.
?Luckily, it did not get through the roof,? Scales said. ?It was significant, but it could have been a lot worse.?
Scales said authorities believe the fire started in the kitchen and it?s believed to be accidental.
On Monday, Rhonda Glasnak, who has owned the restaurant with her husband for 16 years, was trying to assess the damage. Most was contained to the kitchen, but Glasnak said about 50 vintage photographs were ruined, including about a half dozen one-of-a-kind items such as a commemorative photo collage given by Daytona International Speedway documenting Trevor Bayne?s drive on the beach in 2012.
?It breaks my heart,? she said. ?But you know what, we?ll get through it and we?ll get open.?
After hearing the news, Andrew Booth, a spokesman for the Speedway, said staff is planning to remake the item for the restaurant.
?We?re going to take care of them,? he said.
Racing?s North Turn sits near where cars used to take to Volusia County?s sands and complete a 4.1-mile loop starting in 1936 before the race now known as the Daytona 500 was moved to Daytona International Speedway in 1959. The Ponce Inlet Historic & Archaeological Preservation Board recognized the site as a historic landmark, according to the restaurant?s website.
Buz McKim, NASCAR Hall of Fame historian and former Daytona Beach resident, said the restaurant was first called The Sandpiper in the 1950s and served as the place where drivers would collect their earnings after the race.
?If those walls could talk …? he said.
Several area businesses are pitching in to help the 70 employees displaced by this weekend?s blaze. Scott Studner, who owns The Beach Bucket in Ormond Beach, said he and another restaurant are trying to hire some workers temporarily until North Turn reopens.
?Everybody would win,? he said.
Glasnak said there isn?t a timeline for the restaurant to reopen, but she hopes it will be soon.
?We?re going to have a lot of clean up,? she said. ?It?s going to be a while before we?re back up and running, but we?re working as quick as possible.?