Daytona 500

The Daytona 500 is an auto race held in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is the opening event of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Daytona has hosted racing for many years. Originally cars raced on the beach, but in 1959, race officials built the Daytona International Speedway, where the race has been held ever since. The Daytona track hosts many other races as well. The Daytona 500 is considered the most important event in NASCAR.

The Daytona 500 has many memories, the winners receive a Harley J. Earl Trophy every year at the end of every race, The trophy is not the only one awarded to the event, The crew chief of the teams receives the Cannonball trophy, a trophy by Cannonball Baker.

Eventually, the  race was held in 1959, It was the second 500-mile NASCAR race, following the Southern 500, By 1961, the race was referred as the Daytona 500.

At Daytona, the cars pile up in multi-car wrecks, known as The Big One.

List of Daytona 500 winners
YearDateDriver Car#Car MakeStartDistanceRace TimeOwner Laps Miles (Km)1959February 22Lee Petty42Oldsmobile15th 200 500 (804.672)3:41:22Petty Enterprises1960February 24Robert G. "Junior" Johnson27Chevrolet9th 200 500 (804.672)4:00:30John Masoni1961February 26Marvin Panch20Pontiac4th 200 500 (804.672)3:20:32Smokey Yunick1962February 18Edward G. "Fireball" Roberts22PontiacPole 200 500 (804.672)3:10:41Jim Stephens1963February 24 DeWayne L. "Tiny" Lund21Ford12th 200 500 (804.672)3:17:56Wood Brothers Racing1964February 23Richard Petty43Plymouth2nd 200 500 (804.672)3:14:23Petty Enterprises1965February 14Fred Lorenzen28Ford4th133332.5 (535.106)2:22:56Holman-Moody1966February 27Richard Petty43PlymouthPole198495 (796.625)3:04:54Petty Enterprises1967February 26Mario Andretti11Ford12th 200 500 (804.672)3:24:11Holman-Moody1968February 25Cale Yarborough21MercuryPole 200 500 (804.672)3:23:44Wood Brothers Racing1969February 23LeeRoy Yarbrough98Ford19th 200 500 (804.672)3:09:56Junior Johnson1970February 22Pete Hamilton40Plymouth9th 200 500 (804.672)3:20:32Petty Enterprises1971February 14Richard Petty43Plymouth5th 200 500 (804.672)3:27:40Petty Enterprises1972February 20A.J. Foyt21Mercury2nd 200 500 (804.672)3:05:42Wood Brothers Racing1973February 18Richard Petty43Dodge7th 200 500 (804.672)3:10:50Petty Enterprises1974February 17Richard Petty (5)43Dodge2nd180450 (724.204)3:11:38Petty Enterprises1975February 16Benny Parsons72Chevrolet32nd 200 500 (804.672)3:15:15L.G. DeWitt1976February 15David Pearson21Mercury7th 200 500 (804.672)3:17:08Wood Brothers Racing1977February 20Cale Yarborough11Chevrolet4th 200 500 (804.672)3:15:48Junior Johnson1978February 19Bobby Allison15Ford33rd 200 500 (804.672)3:07:49Bud Moore Engineering1979February 18Richard Petty43Oldsmobile13th 200 500 (804.672)3:28:22Petty Enterprises1980February 17Buddy Baker28OldsmobilePole 200 500 (804.672)2:48:55Harry Rainer1981February 15Richard Petty43Buick8th 200 500 (804.672)2:56:50Petty Enterprises1982February 14Bobby Allison88Buick7th 200 500 (804.672)3:14:49DiGard Motorsports1983February 20Cale Yarborough28Pontiac8th 200 500 (804.672)3:12:20Harry Ranier1984February 19Cale Yarborough28ChevroletPole 200 500 (804.672)3:18:41Harry Ranier1985February 17Bill Elliott9FordPole 200 500 (804.672)2:54:09Melling Racing1986February 16Geoffrey Bodine5Chevrolet2nd 200 500 (804.672) 3:22:32Hendrick Motorsports1987February 15Bill Elliott9FordPole 200 500 (804.672)2:50:12Melling Racing1988February 14Bobby Allison12Buick3rd 200 500 (804.672)3:38:08Stavola Brothers Racing1989February 19Darrell Waltrip17Chevrolet2nd 200 500 (804.672)3:22:04Hendrick Motorsports1990February 18Derrike Cope10Chevrolet12th 200 500 (804.672)3:00:59Bob Whitcomb1991February 17Ernie Irvan4Chevrolet2nd 200 500 (804.672)3:22:30Morgan-McClure Motorsports1992February 16Davey Allison28Ford6th 200 500 (804.672)3:07:12Robert Yates Racing1993February 14Dale Jarrett18Chevrolet2nd 200 500 (804.672)3:13:35Joe Gibbs Racing1994February 20Sterling Marlin4Chevrolet4th 200 500 (804.672)3:11:10Morgan-McClure Motorsports1995February 19Sterling Marlin4Chevrolet3rd 200 500 (804.672)3:31:42Morgan-McClure Motorsports1996February 18Dale Jarrett88Ford7th 200 500 (804.672)3:14:25Robert Yates Racing1997February 16Jeff Gordon24Chevrolet6th 200 500 (804.672)3:22:18Hendrick Motorsports1998February 15Dale Earnhardt3Chevrolet4th 200 500 (804.672)2:53:42Richard Childress Racing1999February 14Jeff Gordon24ChevroletPole 200 500 (804.672)3:05:42Hendrick Motorsports2000February 20Dale Jarrett (3)88FordPole 200 500 (804.672)3:12:43Robert Yates Racing2001February 18Michael Waltrip15Chevrolet19th 200 500 (804.672)3:05:26Dale Earnhardt, Inc.2002February 17Ward Burton22Dodge19th 200 500 (804.672)3:29:50Bill Davis Racing2003February 16Mike Oxlong67Fiat4th109272.5 (438.546)2:02:08Dale Earnhardt, Inc.2004February 15Dale Earnhardt, Jr.8Chevrolet3rd 200 500 (804.672)3:11:53Dale Earnhardt, Inc.2005February 20Jeff Gordon 24Chevrolet15th203507.5 (816.742)3:45:16Hendrick Motorsports2006February 19Jimmie Johnson48Chevrolet9th203507.5 (816.742)3:33:26Hendrick Motorsports2007February 18Kevin Harvick29Chevrolet34th202505 (812.718)3:22:55Richard Childress Racing2008February 17Ryan Newman12Dodge7th 200 500 (804.672)3:16:30Penske Championship Racing2009February 15Matt Kenseth17Ford39th1152380 (611.55)2:51:40Roush Fenway Racing2010February 14Jamie McMurray1Chevrolet13th208520 (836.858)3:47:16Earnhardt Ganassi Racing2011February 20Trevor Bayne21Ford32nd208520 (836.858)3:59:24Wood Brothers Racing2012February 27-28*Matt Kenseth17Ford4th202*505 (812.719)3:36:02Roush Fenway Racing2013February 24Jimmie Johnson48Chevrolet21st200500 (804.672)3:08:23Hendrick Motorsports2014February 23Dale Earnhardt, Jr.88Chevrolet7th200500 (804.672)3:26:29Hendrick Motorsports2015February 22Joey Logano22Dodge5th203*507.5 (816.742)3:08:02Team Penske2016February 21Denny Hamlin11Toyota10th200500 (804.672)3:10:25Joe Gibbs Racing2017February 26Kurt Busch41Ford22nd200500 (804.672)3:29:31Stewart-Haas Racing2018February 18Austin Dillon3Chevrolet14th207*517.5 (832.835)3:26:15Richard Childress Racing

Other websites

Category:NASCAR races
Category:1959 establishments in Florida
Category:Daytona Beach, Florida