DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A man wanted for murder in Texas apparently wanted to spend his potential final moments as a free person at Daytona International Speedway.

Joe Earl Smith is accused of killing his uncle over a property dispute in Marion County, Texas. He was arrested in Daytona Beach Shores on Thursday and told authorities that he was in town to attend the events of Speedweeks at Daytona. Though, as the Daytona Beach News-Journal notes, it’s unclear if he ever got to fulfill his desire of seeing racing at the track.

Smith also made it pretty easy for authorities to find him. His family told investigators in Texas that he was likely headed in the direction of NASCAR’s opening weekend. That put authorities on alert in Volusia County and he was found sleeping in his SUV.

“He was parked in the lot right next to City Hall so he made it easy for us,” Fowler said. Fowler said officers recognized Smith’s 1993 Explorer from the descriptions given in an alert by Volusia County sheriff’s dispatch on Thursday afternoon

Smith’s uncle, 68-year-old Jack Smith, was found dead behind a house in Marion County on Wednesday. According to KTBS, the alleged dispute “originated over land ownership and possible heirship of the land where the shooting occurred.”

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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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