Daytona 500: When was the first event and which driver emerged victorious?

The inaugural Daytona 500 race took place on February 22, 1959. The event was known as the “1959 First 500 Mile NASCAR International Sweepstakes at Daytona”. The historic race was the second race of the 1959 NASCAR Grand National Series. Around 42,000 spectators gathered to watch the 500 mile race at the newly purpose-built Superspeedway.

NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. built the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway to replace the Daytona Road Beach Course. The four-turn super speedway also featured two other layouts - a tri-oval 3.56-mile sports car course, and a 2.95-mile motorcycle course.

Driving the No. 42 Oldsmobile, Petty Lee etched his name in history as the winner of the inaugural Daytona 500. The eventful race ended in a photo finish as Johnny Beauchamp was wrongly declared the winner.

Two Qualifying races were held, one for convertibles and one for hardtop Grand National Cars. Bob Welhorn grabbed the maiden pole position for the Daytona 500 by winning the Grand National qualifying race. Shorty Rollins lined up second, having won the qualifying race for the Convertibles. The maiden race event recorded 59 official entries.

On race day, Bob Welborn led the initial part of the race, retiring after 75 laps. In the last 30 laps, the race turned into a two-horse battle between Lee Petty and Johnny Beauchamp. The Superspeedway's first-ever race had a thrilling end as Lee Petty (No. 42) and Johnny Beauchamp (No. 73) battled for the win till the checkered flag. Lee Petty led at the start of the final lap but both drivers finished the race side-by-side, ending the race with a photo finish. Johnny Beauchamp was unofficially declared the winner of the first-ever Daytona 500.

Lee Petty protested the results, saying:

"I had Beauchamp by a good two feet. In my own mind, I know I won."

Beauchamp replied to the protests:

"I had him by two feet. I glanced over to Lee Petty's car as I crossed the finish line and I could see his headlight slightly back of my car. It was so close I didn't know how they would call it, but I thought I won."

All the controversy surrounding Daytona’s inaugural winner grabbed national headlines as the official results were announced three days later.

NASCAR’s founding father Bill France Sr., announced three days later that Lee Petty was the official winner of the inaugural Daytona 500. France Sr. decided on the results with the help of photographs and newsreel footage captured at the finish line.

The controversy surrounding the photo finish helped NASCAR reach a wider audience. The delayed results meant the Daytona 500 was on the front page of the newspaper until the official results were announced. Charley Griffith took the final podium spot, finishing one lap behind the race leaders.

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Daytona International Speedway set to host the 65th Daytona 500 event

The 65th edition of the Daytona 500 will mark the beginning of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series. The Superspeedway at Daytona beach is gearing up to host motorsports' biggest spectacle. Daytona International Speedway will be the world's center stage as millions of fans across the globe tune in to watch the iconic race. Daytona Beach will host more than 100,000 visitors from across America who will witness the action from the grandstands.

The Schedule for the season opener is packed with events. Daytona will host the season openers of the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, Truck, and ARCA Menards series over the five-day event. The entry list for the Cup Series has also been released.

As millions of fans wait in anticipation for the green flag to drop on February 19, another exciting race at Daytona is guaranteed.