50 Years of the Daytona 500

[JohnBM01]

The 2008 Daytona 500 marks the 50th time "The "Great American Race" has been run. No better way to kick off the NASCAR season than with the running of the Daytona 500. On February 17, 2008; NASCAR opens up another season with the Daytona 500. The Daytona 500 is one of the few oval racing events I actually say I closely watch. Others include the Pepsi 400, Cola-Cola 600, and especially the Indianapolis 500. The Daytona 500 has had a long history even while the first days of the event were along the beaches of Daytona Beach and on a highway. Winning the Daytona 500 bears as much significance as winning the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Indianapolis 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and many other historical acheivements in sports. The purpose of this thread is for you all to share your favorite Daytona 500 moments from the past 49 races as we look forward to the 50th race. This can be of ANY event you may best remember with the Daytona 500. So go ahead.

I'll start with a good memory... followed by a tragic one.

The Daytona 500 in 1979 had the popular fight between Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison. Funny that this was the first-ever televised Daytona 500. Here's a fact I learned from Wikipedia- this race was the SECOND race of the 1979 season. It's traditionally the first race of the season.

Now the sad memory... I can remember with the Daytona 500 in 2001 in which Dale Earnhardt Sr. was killed on the final lap of the Daytona 500 in 2001. The moment I saw the crash, it didn't look very bad. It wasn't like the horrific wreck that killed Greg Moore in 1999 at "The 500" at California Superspeeday in (then) CART. Dale Earnhardt Sr. drove a black GoodWrench #3 Chevrolet and is known as The Intimidator. He was one of my personal favorite NASCAR drivers of all time along with Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. I highly respect Dale Earnhardt Sr. Just having this terrible memory in my mind even years later really stuns me. I often wonder what he would say about how NASCAR is today versus when he was ruling the high banks and the road courses.

What are some of your memories of the past Daytona 500s? I may even allow for discussion here of memories of the 50th Daytona 500 once that race concludes. But what are some of your favorite or memorable Daytona 500 moments?

 

[Motominded]

i hate modern nascar!

but i cant go with out saying Nascar 1976 & 1979 are two of the best races in nascar history. If Nascar would return to stuff like that, i wouldn't hate nascar as much as i do (lots).

 

[CAMikaze]

What are some of your memories of the past Daytona 500s?

I'll agree with you about the sad moment of Dale Earnhardt's death in 2001. But lemme put for the more positive moment of Dale Sr. finally winning the Great American Race in 1998. And afterwards every pitcrew from all the teams taking part were lined up along pit road to congratulate Dale on finally winning the one Daytona race that eluded hime for most of his racing career.

Speaking of that, here's another question to put out there for all interested parties to answer: Who is the greatest driver to date in NASCAR to never win the Daytona 500? Many drivers have tried, but there are only a select few who go on to win the biggest stock car race in America. But for those greats who do win it, there are some other great drivers that have not gotten the victory they long sought after. So, who to you believe is the greatest driver - past or present - to have never won the Daytona 500?