3 times Lee Petty made NASCAR history ft. 1959 Daytona 500 win

The late Lee Petty was one of the pioneers of NASCAR. With 54 career Cup Series wins and three championships, Petty was one of the most accomplished drivers of all time.

As one of NASCAR's early greats, the father of seven-time Cup Series champion managed to accomplish a lot of the sport's first. Take a look at three times Petty achieved NASCAR history.

Inaugural Daytona 500 win in 1959

The first Daytona 500 took place on February 22, 1959, at Daytona International Speedway. While it didn't come without controversy, Lee Petty became the inaugural Daytona 500 champion.

The race saw an incredible photo finish between Petty and Johnny Beauchamp. As the leaders approached Joe Weatherly, a lapped car, Beauchamp and Petty raced to the checkered flag in what was a three-wide photo finish at the line. The finish was close, but NASCAR initially gave the win to Beauchamp.

However, after a closer look at still photos from the finish, Petty was awarded the victory three days later. He wasn't the initial winner, but in the end, he made NASCAR history by becoming the first winner of "The Great American Race."

First three-time Cup Series champion

Only 10 drivers in NASCAR history have been able to call themselves three-time Cup Series champions. Lee Petty is one of them and was the first of those 10 drivers to win the Cup Series titles.

Petty won the Cup championships in 1954, 1958, and 1959. In 1954, he recorded seven wins, 24 top fives, and 32 top 10s en route to the championship. The 1958 campaign saw Petty win another seven races and post 28 top fives and 43 top 10s. The following year, Petty won 11 races and registered 27 top fives and 35 top 10s to call himself the champion in 1959. Among all his great achievements, being the first three-time champion might be Petty's greatest feat.

First driver to win 50 NASCAR Cup Series races

As prestigious as it is to win three NASCAR Cup Series titles, it's also significant to reach 50 career Cup wins. Only 15 drivers in NASCAR history have been able to notch 50 career Cup victories.

Lee Petty was the first driver to reach that mark. On April 24, 1960, he captured the checkered flag at Asheville-Weaverville, which was the 50th Cup win in his career. It was Petty's first of five victories in the 1960 campaign.

Petty won only four more Cup Series races, with his final career win coming at Jacksonville in 1961. He ran only six more races from 1962-64, until ultimately retiring from NASCAR competition after 1964.

Petty's son, Richard Petty, went on to win a record 200 races in his career. His grandson, Kyle, won eight Cup Series races.