Who was the first-ever Daytona 500 winner? Exploring the record and more

Lee Petty won the inaugural edition of the Daytona 500, which took place in 1959. The race, held at the newly-built Daytona International Speedway, was a milestone in NASCAR history. However, Petty’s win wasn’t immediately recognized as NASCAR initially declared Johnny Beauchamp the winner. After three days of reviewing photographs and newsreel footage, officials confirmed Petty as the rightful victor.

The 1959 Daytona 500 was the second race of the NASCAR Grand National Series season, held on February 22 in front of 41,921 spectators. It was the first event at the 2.5-mile track, designed by NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. to replace the Daytona Beach Road Course.

During qualifying, Cotton Owens posted the fastest lap at 143.198 mph. The starting lineup was determined by two qualifying races—one for Convertibles and another for hardtop Grand National cars. Bob Welborn secured the pole position by winning the Grand National race, while Shorty Rollins won the Convertible race and started second.

The Daytona 500 race had no cautions, making it one of NASCAR’s rare "perfect games." Early leaders included Tom Pistone, Joe Weatherly, and Fireball Roberts. By lap 149, only Beauchamp and Petty remained in contention. With three laps to go, Petty took the lead. As they crossed the finish line, they were nearly side by side in a photo finish. NASCAR initially named Beauchamp the winner, but Petty protested, insisting he had won by two feet.

To settle the dispute, Bill France Sr. examined photographic evidence. After three days, NASCAR reversed the decision and officially awarded Petty the victory for the first-ever, Daytona 500.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame preserves artifacts from the race, including the Harley J. Earl Trophy, Petty’s uniform and helmet, and the famous photograph by T. Taylor Warren that confirmed Petty’s win. The race had a total purse of $53,050, with Petty earning $19,050—making it the richest race of 1959. The controversy surrounding the finish kept NASCAR in the national spotlight for days.

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Lee Petty’s Journey in NASCAR beyond the Daytona 500

Lee Petty, father of NASCAR legend Richard Petty, founded Petty Enterprises, one of the sport’s most successful teams. His early life was marked by financial struggles. Growing up in a large farming family, he worked hard to make ends meet. In a lost audio recording shared by Petty Brothers Racing, Lee recalled his family’s hardships,

"I had five brothers and five sisters… we were poor as church rats. My daddy was a farmer and did odd jobs to get by." [4:10]

At 35, Petty borrowed a friend’s Buick Roadmaster to enter his first NASCAR race. Though he crashed, the experience sparked his passion for racing. Determined to continue, he began competing in factory cars and soon established Petty Enterprises.

In one instance, after badly damaging his car, Petty considered quitting. His brother convinced him to keep racing. That weekend, he won back-to-back events. He later recalled,

"We ran Friday night, then Winston-Salem on Saturday night—I won both. Suddenly, I was a racer. From then on, it was about winning to survive and make it to the next race." [6:10]

Ranking 9th in overall race win tallies, Petty won a total of 54 races in his career. He won the NASCAR Cup Series championship in 1954, 1958, and 1959 and was the first driver to win three championships in the NASCAR Cup Series.