The 67th running of the Daytona 500 is set for this upcoming Sunday. But did you know that it has been the season-opener only since 1982?
The first “Great American Race” occurred on February 22, 1959. Lee Petty won in his No. 42 Oldsmobile Super 88 in his first appearance at the event. He led 38 laps, winning by two feet in a photo finish with Johnny Beauchamp and Joe Weatherly.
Coincidentally, twenty-five years later, his son, Richard Petty, captured his 200th win at Daytona in the Firecracker 400 on July 4, 1984.
The Daytona 500 trophy is arguably the most coveted award in the NASCAR Cup Series but did you know that 43 different drivers have won the Daytona 500?
Richard Petty leads the series with seven wins (1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1981), followed by Cale Yarborough with four wins. Bobby Allison, Dale Jarrett and Jeff Gordon have each won three Daytona 500s. Bill Elliott, Sterling Marlin, Michael Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth have won the Daytona 500 two times.
Denny Hamlin leads active drivers with three wins (2016, 2019, 2020) but did you know that he is one of eight active drivers who will participate in this weekend’s race?
They include Jimmie Johnson who has 2 previous wins in 2006 and 2013, and William Byron (2024), Ricky Stehouse Jr. (2023), Austin Cindric (2022), Michael McDowell (2021), Austin Dillon (2018) and Joey Logano (2015) with one win each.
Thirty years separate the oldest and youngest drivers who have won the 500. Trevor Bayne became the youngest driver (20 years, 0 months, 1 day) on Feb. 20, 2011, when he captured the checkered flag in his first start in the Daytona 500. It was also his first career Cup Series victory. Bobby Allison won his third Daytona 500 on Feb. 14, 1988, making him the oldest Daytona 500 winner (50 years, 2 months, 11 days).
Many say that where you finish is more important than where you start. However, when it comes to the Daytona 500, qualifying well is a key factor. Did you know that the pole position has produced more winners (nine) than any other position?
Sixteen of the 66 DAYTONA 500s (24.24%) have been won from the front row. Nine have been won from the pole and seven have been won from the second-place starting position.
The Daytona 500 is one of the most sought-after wins in NASCAR’s premier series, and for good reason.
Five drivers who won the 500 went on to become the Cup Series Champion the same year. The list includes Richard Petty (1964, 1971, 1974, 1979), Johnson (2006, 2013), Lee Petty (1959), Cale Yarborough (1977) and Jeff Gordon (1997).
The 67th Daytona 500 will kick off the 2025 season Sunday with television coverage on Sunday, Feb. 16 on FOX at 2:30 p.m. Radio coverage will be available on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR.
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