1. In 1959, the inaugural Daytona 500 was
run caution-free.2. The
1967 Daytona 500 was the only
NASCAR win for racing superstar
Mario Andretti.
3. Tiny Lund won the 1963 Daytona 500 on
one set of tires. His pit crew, the famous
Wood Brothers known for their lightning-
fast pit stops, didn't have to change a
single tire all day.
4. Paul Bass drove an Edsel convertible in
the inaugural Daytona 500. It was the only
appearance of an Edsel in NASCAR
competition.
5. The 1974 Daytona 500 was actually
the
"the Daytona 450". NASCAR cut the
distance of its races by 10 percent in the
early part of the season because of
America's energy crisis.
6. In 1989, Darrell Waltrip finally won the
Daytona 500 in his 17th attempt. He
drove car number 17 that day and pitted
in pit stall number 17.
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7. Upon seeing the mammoth Daytona
International Speedway for the first time,
in preparation for the first Daytona 500,
driver Jimmy Thompson said, "There
have been other tracks that separated
the men from the boys. This is the track
that will separate the brave from the
weak after the boys are gone."
8. Curtis Turner's 1967 Daytona 500 pole
speed of 180.831 mph was the first
time a NASCAR stock car had
qualified at over 180 mph.
9. Jimmie Johnson, Ly Allen Jr. and Mike
Skinner all won the pole for the 500 in
their rookie seasons.
10. A total of six drivers have scored their
first NASCAR Sprint Cup win in the
Daytona 500. They are Tiny Lund
(1963), Mario Andretti (1967), Pete
Hamilton (1970), Derrike Cope (1990)
Sterling Marlin (1994), and Michael
Waltrip (2001). |
