Daytona 500
{{NASCAR race infobox|
Name=Daytona 500|
Logo=2006Daytona500logo.jpg|
Img_size=232px|
Venue=
Daytona International Speedway|
Sponsor=None|
First race=
1959|
Distance=500 miles (805 km)|
Laps=200|
Previous names=
Daytona 500 by STP(1991-1993)| TV networks=
ABC (1976-1978) (Final laps only)
CBS (1979-2000) (Flag to Flag)
FOX Sports (2001-2005, alternating odd years on NASCAR television contract, 2007-2014, new NASCAR television contract)
NBC sports (2002-2006, alternating even years on NASCAR television contract)|The
Daytona 500 is a 200-lap, 500 mile (805 km)
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race held annually at the
Daytona International Speedway in
Daytona Beach,
Florida. It is one of the few
restrictor plate races on the schedule.
The Daytona 500 is widely considered to be NASCAR's most important and prestigious race, and has the largest purse, although it is equivalent to other races on the calendar for championship purposes. It is also the circuit's first race of the year; this phenomenon is virtually unique in sports, which tend to have championships or other major events at the end of the season rather than the start. Since 1995, U.S.
television ratings for the Daytona 500 have been the highest for any auto race of the year, surpassing the traditional leader, the
Indianapolis 500. The event is also known as "The
Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing" and "The Great American Race."
The race is the direct successor of shorter races that were held on
Daytona Beach itself; however, the Daytona 500 has been held at the Daytona International Speedway since its inaugural run in
1959.
1959-1969
Lee Petty, patriarch of a famous racing family whose most renowned member was his son
Richard, won the first Daytona 500 on
February 22,
1959 defeating
Johnny Beauchamp in a highly unusual manner. Petty and Beauchamp were lapping the car of
Joe Weatherly at the finish, when officials initially called Beauchamp the winner as the three cars crossed the line. After reviewing photographs and film of the finish for three days, the call was reversed, and Petty won the first Daytona 500.
The first rain-shortened Daytona 500 was the
1965 event. Leader Marvin Panch and
Fred Lorenzen made contact on Lap 129, as rain began to fall; Panch spun out, and Lorenzen won when the race was finally called on Lap 133. The
1966 Daytona 500, won by
Richard Petty, was also shortened to 198 laps due to rain.
[Bob Zeller, Daytona 500: An Official History (Phoenix: David Bull Publishing, 2002): 48-52.]1970-1979
The
1974 Daytona 500, won by
Richard Petty, was shortened to 180 laps (450 miles) in response to the energy crisis. To preserve the 200-lap count, the first lap was counted as Lap 21. The Twin 125 qualifying races were also shortened to 112.5 miles.
[Zeller, 84-87.]In the
1976 Daytona 500,
Richard Petty was leading on the last lap when he was passed on the backstretch by
David Pearson. Petty tried to turn under Pearson coming off the final corner, but didn't clear Pearson. The contact caused the drivers to spin in to the grass in the infield just short of the finish line. Petty's car didn't start, but Pearson was able to drive his wrecked car just enough to limp over the finish line for the win.
The
1979 Daytona 500 was the first 500-mile race to be broadcast live on national television. A final lap crash and subsequent fight between leaders
Cale Yarborough and
Donnie Allison (along with Donnie's brother
Bobby Allison) brought enough publicity to put NASCAR on the national radar. Donnie Allison was leading the race on the final lap with Yarborough drafting him tightly. As Yarborough attempted a slingshot pass at the end of the backstretch, Allison attempted to block him. Yarborough refused to give ground and as he pulled alongside Allison, his left side tires left the pavement and went into the wet and muddy infield grass. Yarborough lost control of his car and contacted Allison's car halfway down the backstretch. As both drivers tried to regain control, their cars made contact several more times before finally locking together and crashing into the outside wall in turn three. After the cars settled in the grass, Allison and Yarborough began to argue. After they had talked it out,
Bobby Allison, who was lapped at that point, pulled over and began defending his brother, and a fight broke out.
Richard Petty, who was over half a lap behind at the time of the crash, went on to win the race.
1980-1989
The
1988 Daytona 500 was the first race requiring the use of new
restrictor plates. Before the race, there was much uncertainty about how well the restrictor plates would work. They were mandated because it was felt the speeds were getting too high at the superspeedways, as demonstrated at
Bobby Allison's crash at
Talladega in 1987. In the 1988 Daytona 500, Bobby Allison beat his son
Davey Allison to the finish line for the win; father and son celebrated together in Victory Lane. Bobby Allison thus became the oldest driver to win the Daytona 500. The race is also remembered for
Richard Petty's wild accident. Petty spun, got airborne and tumbled along a large section of catch fence before his car came to a stop. The car was then torn nearly in half from hits by
A. J. Foyt and
Brett Bodine. Petty escaped without serious injury.
The
1989 Daytona 500 was won by
Darrell Waltrip, his first Daytona 500 victory after 17 attempts. (Coincidentally, the car he drove to victory wore the number 17.) Fans loudly cheered the child-like exuberance of Waltrip's victory celebration. As he was being interviewed by CBS pit reporter
Mike Joy, Waltrip shouted, "I won the Daytona 500! I won the Daytona 500!" Shortly after, an exuberant Waltrip performed an "
Ickey Shuffle" dance in Victory Lane.
1990-1999
After years of trying to win the Daytona 500,
Dale Earnhardt appeared headed for certain victory in the 1990 event until a series of events in the closing laps. On lap 193
Geoff Bodine spun in the first turn, causing the third and final caution of the race. Everyone pitted except
Derrike Cope, who stayed out on the track. On the lap 195 restart, Earnhardt retook and held the lead. On the final lap, Earnhardt punctured a tire when he drove over a piece of metal bell housing that had fallen from the failed engine of
Rick Wilson's car. As Earnhardt's damaged car slowed, Cope drove past and earned his first
Winston Cup (now NEXTEL Cup) victory. It was the first of two victories for the relatively unknown Cope in the
1990 season.
[http://www.nascar.com/2002/kyn/history/races/02/02/90daytona500/]In
1998,
Dale Earnhardt finally won the Daytona 500 after 20 years of trying. Though Earnhardt had usually been a strong competitor in the Daytona 500, mechanical problems, crashes or bad luck had prevented him from winning the race. In 1998, however, Earnhardt was leading when
Lake Speed and
John Andretti made contact on Lap 198, causing the race to end under caution. After his victory, a joyous Earnhardt drove slowly down pit road, where members of other race teams had lined up to give him handshakes and high-fives. The victory was widely celebrated, even by people who weren't his fans, and was a defining moment in Earnhardt's career and legacy.
[http://www.nascar.com/2003/kyn/history/daytona/02/11/daytona_1998/index.html]2000-present
On the last turn of the final lap of the
2001 Daytona 500, NASCAR superstar
Dale Earnhardt was killed in a crash. This was the second restrictor-plate race run under a rules package (discontinued after the 2001 season) that included a small strip atop the car's roof and a small lip on the rear spoiler.
[http://www.jayski.com/stats/restrictor.htm] Though it was meant to give power back to the drivers and help produce more lead changes, critics charged that it created dangerous racing conditions. An 18-car crash on lap 173, which sent
Tony Stewart's car flying end-over-end, caused the race to be red-flagged (stopped) while the track was made safe.
Michael Waltrip, making his first start for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., won the race, with his teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finishing second.
[http://www.jayski.com/next/2001/2001daytona500.htm]The 2001 Daytona 500 was also the first NASCAR Winston Cup (now Nextel Cup) points race to be televised by the
Fox Network, which covered the other major Cup events during Speedweeks, as well as the previous day's
Busch Series race. Fox's commentators and reporters included
Darrell Waltrip, Michael's brother, and
Larry McReynolds, who had been Dale Earnhardt's crew chief at the 1998 Daytona 500.
Sterling Marlin was battling
Jeff Gordon for the lead of the
2002 Daytona 500 when they made contact. Gordon spun and caused a multi-car crash. NASCAR red-flagged the race so it could be raced to completion, and stopped the field on the backstretch. Marlin had been told that the right front fender on his car had been knocked into the right front tire, and jumped out of the car to pull the fender away from the tire. NASCAR officials in the safety vehicle immediately jumped out and stopped him. Since no one is allowed to work on a car during red-flag conditions, Marlin was sent to the back of the field. Marlin's move led to
Ward Burton's win.
In 2003,
Michael Waltrip won when rain shortened the race to 109 laps,
[http://racing-reference.info/race?id=2003-01&series=W] and in 2004,
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won the race three years after his father's death and exactly six years to the date that his father won the Daytona 500. In 2005, Jeff Gordon won his third Daytona 500 in the first instance NASCAR used the "green-white-checkered" rule in the 500. Jimmie Johnson took the honors in 2006, also under a green-white-checkered finish.
Qualifying is unique at Daytona for the 500. Some teams must race their way into the Daytona 500 field. However, since 2005, all exempt teams (the top 35 teams of the previous year in owner points) are guaranteed a spot in the Daytona 500. The first row is set by one round of qualifying, normally held one week before the race. (Prior to 2003, this was two rounds; prior to 2001, it was three rounds.) The remainder of the field is set by qualifying races (these were 100 miles from 1959-1967; 125 miles from 1969-2004; and 150 miles, with two-lap overtime if necessary, beginning in 2005. These races were not held in 1968 because of rain), with the top two cars not exempt advancing. After the exempt teams and top two non-exempt cars are added to the field, the top three non-exempt cars are added by fastest qualifing laps. A former Nextel Cup champion, if necessary, is added. Otherwise, the fourth fastest car is added to the field.
Prior to 2005, after the top two cars were set, the top 14 cars in the qualifying races advanced to the field, and then between six (1998-2003), eight (1995-97, 2004), or ten (until 1994) fastest cars which did not advance from the qualifing race were added, and, since the mid-1980's, between two and seven cars were added by previous year's points performance and or championship.
The Daytona 500 was the first 500-mile auto race to be televised live and in its entirety when
CBS aired it in 1979. CBS continued airing the Daytona 500 until 2000. From 2001 to 2006, the race alternated between
FOX and
NBC under the terms of a six year, $2.48 billion NASCAR television contract. Starting in 2007, Fox will be the exclusive home of the Daytona 500 under the terms of NASCAR's new television package.
A byproduct of both the track's 1998 lighting and the 2001 television package has been later start times. The race started at 12:15 p.m. (Eastern United States time) from 1979 until 2000. The start time was moved to 2:30 p.m. for the convenience of West Coast fans. The 2005 race ended at sunset for the first time in its history, and in 2006 it ended in near-complete darkness. The changing track conditions caused by the onset of darkness in the closing laps force the crew chiefs to predict the critical car setup adjustments needed for their final pit stop.
In
1986, the Daytona 500 paid tribute to astronauts who died in the
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, and many cars carried a decal in memory of the
STS-51L crew. Seventeen years later, in
2003, a similar tribute was paid to the astronauts who died in the
Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. All cars carried a decal in memory of the
STS-107 crew.
| Year | Driver | Car # | Car Make | Start | Laps Led | Winner's prize | Average Speed (mph) |
|---|
| 1959 | Lee Petty | 42 | Oldsmobile | 15th | 38 | $19,050 | 135.521 |
| 1960 | Robert G. "Junior" Johnson | 27 | Chevrolet | 9th | 67 | $19,600 | 124.740 |
| 1961 | Marvin Panch | 20 | Pontiac | 4th | 13 | $21,050 | 149.601 |
| 1962 | Edward G. "Fireball" Roberts | 22 | Pontiac | 1st | 144 | $24,190 | 152.529 |
| 1963 | DeWayne L. "Tiny" Lund | 21 | Ford | 12th | 127 | $24,550 | 151.566 |
| 1964 | Richard Petty | 43 | Plymouth | 2nd | 184 | $33,300 | 154.334 |
| 1965 | Fred Lorenzen | 28 | Ford | 4th | 25 (of 129) | $27,100 | 141.539* |
| 1966 | Richard Petty | 43 | Plymouth | 1st | 108 (of 198) | $28,150 | 160.927* |
| 1967 | Mario Andretti | 11 | Ford | 12th | 112 | $48,900 | 146.926 |
| 1968 | Cale Yarborough | 21 | Mercury | 1st | 76 | $47,250 | 143.251 |
| 1969 | LeeRoy Yarbrough | 98 | Ford | 19th | 18 | $38,950 | 157.950 |
| 1970 | Pete Hamilton | 40 | Plymouth | 9th | 13 | $44,850 | 149.601 |
| 1971 | Richard Petty | 43 | Plymouth | 5th | 70 | $45,450 | 144.462 |
| 1972 | A.J. Foyt | 21 | Mercury | 2nd | 167 | $44,600 | 161.550 |
| 1973 | Richard Petty | 43 | Dodge | 7th | 17 | $36,100 | 157.205 |
| 1974 | Richard Petty | 43 | Dodge | 2nd | 73 (of 180) | $39,650 | 140.894* |
| 1975 | Benny Parsons | 72 | Chevrolet | 32nd | 4 | $43,905 | 153.649 |
| 1976 | David Pearson | 21 | Mercury | 7th | 37 | $46,800 | 152.181 |
| 1977 | Cale Yarborough | 11 | Chevrolet | 4th | 137 | $63,700 | 153.218 |
| 1978 | Bobby Allison | 15 | Ford | 33rd | 28 | $56,300 | 159.730 |
| 1979 | Richard Petty | 43 | Oldsmobile | 13th | 12 | $73,900 | 143.977 |
| 1980 | Buddy Baker | 28 | Oldsmobile | 1st | 143 | $102,175 | 177.602 |
| 1981 | Richard Petty | 43 | Buick | 8th | 26 | $90,575 | 169.651 |
| 1982 | Bobby Allison | 88 | Buick | 7th | 147 | $120,360 | 153.991 |
| 1983 | Cale Yarborough | 28 | Pontiac | 8th | 23 | $119,600 | 155.979 |
| 1984 | Cale Yarborough | 28 | Chevrolet | 1st | 89 | $160,300 | 150.994 |
| 1985 | Bill Elliott | 9 | Ford | 1st | 136 | $185,500 | 172.265 |
| 1986 | Geoff Bodine | 5 | Chevrolet | 2nd | 101 | $192,715 | 148.124 |
| 1987 | Bill Elliott | 9 | Ford | 1st | 104 | $204,150 | 176.263 |
| 1988 | Bobby Allison | 12 | Buick | 3rd | 70 | $202,940 | 137.531 |
| 1989 | Darrell Waltrip | 17 | Chevrolet | 2nd | 25 | $184,900 | 148.466 |
| 1990 | Derrike Cope | 10 | Chevrolet | 12th | 5 | $188,150 | 165.761 |
| 1991 | Ernie Irvan | 4 | Chevrolet | 2nd | 29 | $233,000 | 148.148 |
| 1992 | Davey Allison | 28 | Ford | 6th | 127 | $244,050 | 160.256 |
| 1993 | Dale Jarrett | 18 | Chevrolet | 2nd | 8 | $238,200 | 154.972 |
| 1994 | Sterling Marlin | 4 | Chevrolet | 4th | 30 | $258,275 | 156.931 |
| 1995 | Sterling Marlin | 4 | Chevrolet | 3rd | 105 | $300,460 | 141.710 |
| 1996 | Dale Jarrett | 88 | Ford | 7th | 40 | $360,775 | 154.308 |
| 1997 | Jeff Gordon | 24 | Chevrolet | 6th | 40 | $377,410 | 148.295 |
| 1998 | Dale Earnhardt | 3 | Chevrolet | 4th | 105 | $1,059,805 | 172.712 |
| 1999 | Jeff Gordon | 24 | Chevrolet | 1st | 15 | $1,172,246 | 161.551 |
| 2000 | Dale Jarrett | 88 | Ford | 1st | 87 | $1,277,975 | 155.669 |
| 2001 | Michael Waltrip | 15 | Chevrolet | 19th | 23 | $1,331,185 | 161.783 |
| 2002 | Ward Burton | 22 | Dodge | 19th | 5 | $1,409,017 | 130.810 |
| 2003 | Michael Waltrip | 15 | Chevrolet | 4th | 68 (of 109) | $1,419,406 | 133.870* |
| 2004 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | 8 | Chevrolet | 3rd | 59 | $1,495,070 | 156.341 |
| 2005 | Jeff Gordon | 24 | Chevrolet | 15th | 28 (of 203) | $1,497,150 | 135.173* |
| 2006 | Jimmie Johnson | 48 | Chevrolet | 9th | 24 (of 203) | $1,505,120 | 142.734* |
*All of the above races were 500 miles (200 laps) long, except those listed below:
*
1965: 322.5 Miles (129 laps) because of rain
*
1966: 495 Miles (198 laps) because of rain
*
1974: 450 Miles (180 laps) because of energy crisis
*
2003: 272.5 Miles (109 laps) because of rain
*
2005: 507.5 Miles (203 laps) because of green-white-checkered rule
*
2006: 507.5 Miles (203 laps) because of green-white-checkered rule
NOTE: Effective
July 25,
2004, NASCAR changed finish rules in national (Nextel Cup Series, Busch Series, Craftsman Truck Series) competition. If at any time during the penultimate lap the race is under caution, the race will end with two green flag laps or the next caution upon the ensuing restart.
*
List of current NASCAR races*
Top 10 Daytona 500 moments*
Video clip from 1964 Scenes of pre-race time trials which include several crashes and spin outs. From the State Library & Archives of Florida.
*
Official track website*
Daytona 500 history from official track website*
2006 Daytona 500 results, use the left dropdown menu to select a different year{{NASCAR next race|
Series = Nextel Cup |
Previous_race =
Gatorade Duel | Next_race =
Auto Club 500|
