This article documents historical records, statistics, and race recaps of the Daytona 500, held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Pre-race history
The table below summarizes the pace cars, grand marshals, honorary starters, and performers of the national anthem at the Daytona 500. Since 2006, the pace car has been driven by a celebrity guest at the start of the race (mirroring the tradition used the Indy 500). During the race, however, a NASCAR official drives the pace car during caution periods. Since 2004, Brett Bodine has served as the official pace car driver. Previously, Robert "Buster" Auton and Elmo Langley were pace car drivers. Since 2010, the United States Air Force Thunderbirds perform two flyovers after the national anthem and after the starting command. Since 2024, the national anthem has been performed by a military ensemble or personnel.
YearPace Car(Celebrity driver)Grand marshalHonorary starterNational anthem1959Pontiac Bonneville convertible1960Buick convertible1961Pontiac Bonneville convertible1962Pontiac Bonneville convertible1963Buick convertible1964Dodge Coronet convertible1965Dodge Coronet convertible1966Plymouth Belvedere convertible1967Pontiac FirebirdMike Womer1968Chevrolet Camaro convertibleAlan S. Boyd1969Chevrolet Camaro convertibleFred Hartley (Union)1970Ford Torino GT convertibleSemon Knudsen1971Porsche Audi 9141972Pontiac LeMansJames Garner1973Pontiac LeMansGeorge C. WallaceJoe Littlejohn1974Pontiac Grand AmMajor Jacques MauryRobert Miller Montague1975Pontiac LeMansAlejandro OrfilaCharlie Rich1976Pontiac Grand PrixGeorge C. Wallace1977Pontiac Grand PrixJoseph J. SiscoKen Stabler1978Pontiac Grand PrixGeorge H. W. BushJames A. Michener1979Pontiac Trans-AmRobert StempelBen Gazzara1980Pontiac Firebird Turbo Trans-AmAugust A. Busch IIIHugh A. Carter Jr.1981Pontiac Firebird Turbo Trans-AmCharles J. Pillod Jr. (Goodyear)William E. Hoglund (Pontiac)US Air Force Band1982Pontiac Firebird Trans-AmEdward A. Horrigan Jr. (R.J. Reynolds)Joseph Block (Pepsi)1983Pontiac Firebird Trans-AmDonald M. KendallGeorge H. W. BushJim Hayes1984Pontiac Firebird Trans-AmWilliam S. McConnor (Union)William R. Howard (Piedmont)1985Pontiac Firebird Trans-AmF. James McDonaldJere W. Thompson (Southland Ice Corp.)The Upland People Organization 1986Pontiac Firebird Trans-AmMichael J. Roarty (Anheuser-Busch)Richard Stegemeier (Union)Scott Weidenmiller1987Pontiac Firebird Trans-AmF. Ross JohnsonJon MillsT. G. Sheppard1988Pontiac Grand PrixDolph Von Arx (R.J. Reynolds)Roger Beech (Unocal)Harry Burney1989Pontiac Turbo Grand PrixRichard Stegemeier (Union)Neal Pilson (CBS)1990Pontiac Turbo Grand PrixGeorge J. MitchellAnthony J. CelebrezzeThe Osmonds1991Pontiac Grand Prix GTPJim SasserAlfred E. Dudley (First Brands)T.G. Sheppard and Slow Burn1992Pontiac Grand Prix GTPRichard PettyRay Pinion (First Brands)1993Pontiac Trans-AmJohn D. DingellRichard Petty 1994Pontiac Trans-AmPeter S. P. Dimsey (MasterCard)Troy AikmanMichelle Wright1995Pontiac Trans-AmEd Woolard (DuPont)Jim KellyDiamond Rio1996Pontiac Trans-AmJoin R. Leach (Sears)Lawrence M. Higby (Unocal)Engelbert Humperdinck1997Pontiac Grand PrixBob Rewey (Ford)Jim Keown (Pepsi)Lorrie Morgan1998Pontiac Grand PrixBill GravesDan MarinoKathy Mattea1999Pontiac Trans-AmClarence ThomasBrett FavreEdwin McCain2000Pontiac Grand PrixSam Gibara (Goodyear)Jackie Joyner-KerseeJesse McGuire2001Pontiac Aztek (Frankie Muniz)James P. Kelly (UPS)Terry BradshawO-Town2002Pontiac Trans-AmCharles O. Holliday (DuPont)Angie HarmonDenyce Graves2003Pontiac Grand PrixJohn TravoltaMariah Carey2004Chevrolet Corvette C5President George W. BushWhoopi GoldbergLeAnn Rimes2005Chevrolet CorvetteMatthew McConaugheyAshton KutcherVanessa L. Williams2006Chevrolet Corvette C6(Jay Leno)James CaanHannah Teter and Gretchen BleilerFergie2007Chevrolet Corvette C6(Cal Ripken)Nicolas CagePhil ParsonsBig & Rich2008Chevrolet Corvette C6(Junior Johnson)24 then living Daytona 500 ChampionsRichard PettyTrisha Yearwood2009Chevrolet Camaro SS(Tom Cruise)Charlie CristBobby AllisonGavin DeGraw2010Ford Mustang GT(Richard Petty)Junior JohnsonGlen and Leonard WoodHarry Connick Jr.2011Chevrolet Camaro SS(Brad Paisley)Josh Duhamel, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Michael BayMartina McBride2012Toyota CamryKate Upton and Jane LynchJohn Cena (Sunday)The Wood Brothers family (Monday)Pat Monahan2013Chevrolet SS(Mark Reuss)James FrancoRay LewisClay Cook2014Chevrolet SSChris EvansGary SiniseAloe Blacc2015Toyota Camry(Amy Purdy)Vince VaughnAbby WambachPhillip Phillips2016Toyota Camry(John Cena)Gerard ButlerKen Griffey Jr.82nd Airborne Division Chorus2017Chevrolet Camaro(Jeff Gordon)Owen WilsonLaDainian Tomlinson Jordin Sparks2018Toyota Camry(Peyton Manning)Dale Earnhardt Jr.Charlize TheronNavy Band Southeast2019Chevrolet Silverado(Dale Earnhardt Jr.)J. J. WattJulian Edelman82nd Airborne Division All-American Band and Chorus2020Toyota Camry(Sheamus)"The Beast"(President & First Lady)President Donald TrumpDale Earnhardt Jr.Nalani Quintello2021Chevrolet CorvettePitbullMercedes MonéSam Allen2022Toyota Camry(Big E)Charles WoodsonLachlan MurdochTrace Adkins2023Chevrolet Corvette Z06(Pete Davidson)Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, Bill Elliott, Dale Jarrett, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, and Joey Logano Tiffany HaddishBreland2024Toyota Camry(Madison Marsh)Dwayne "The Rock" JohnsonDJ Khaled82nd Airborne Division All-American Chorus2025Chevrolet Blazer EV SS(Alan Ritchson)Anthony MackieWood Brothers RacingMichael J. Aiello2026Toyota Camry (Kurt Russell)Nate BargatzeBart Simpson (person in costume)Benton Felty
Race recaps
1959–1969 Lee Petty, patriarch of the racing family, won the 1959 Daytona 500 on February 22, 1959, defeating Johnny Beauchamp in a highly unusual manner. Petty and Beauchamp were lapping Joe Weatherly at the finish. Petty, Beauchamp, and Weatherly crossed the finish line three abreast with Weatherly on the outside, Beauchamp on the inside, and Petty in the middle. A photo finish in a race of that duration and speed seemed inconceivable and photo-finish cameras were not installed at the track. NASCAR initially declared Beauchamp the winner. After reviewing photographs and newsreels of the finish for three days, the call was reversed, and Petty was awarded the win. Petty received $19,050 for winning. Ken Marriott was scored as the last place driver having completed one lap and won $100.
In 1960, Robert "Junior" Johnson won, despite running a slower, year-old car in a field of 68 cars, most in Daytona 500 history through the present day. Johnson made use of the draft, then a little-understood phenomenon, to keep up with the leaders.
After three years of being the best driver never to win the Daytona 500, Glenn "Fireball" Roberts came to the 1962 edition race of the Daytona 500 on a hot roll, he won the American Challenge for winners of 1961 NASCAR events, the pole position for the Daytona 500, and the Twin-100-mile qualifier. He dominated the race, leading 144 of the 200 laps and finally won his first (and ultimately only) Daytona 500.
In 1963, it was DeWayne "Tiny" Lund who took the victory for the Wood Brothers, however the real drama began a couple weeks before the race when Lund helped pull 1961 winner Marvin Panch from a burning sportscar at a considerable risk to himself. As a result of his heroism, the Wood Brothers asked Lund to replace Panch in the Daytona 500 and Lund took the car to the winner's circle.
Driving a potent Plymouth with the new Hemi engine, Richard Petty led 184 of the 200 laps to win the 1964 Daytona 500 going away. Plymouths ran 1-2-3 at the finish. The triumph was Petty's first on a super-speedway.
The first rain-shortened Daytona 500 was the 1965 event. Leader Marvin Panch and Fred Lorenzen made contact on Lap 129, as rain began to fall; Panch spun out, and Lorenzen won when the race was finally called on Lap 133. The 1966 Daytona 500, won by Richard Petty, was also shortened, to 198 laps, due to rain.
1967 saw Mario Andretti dominate the race. He led 112 of the 200 laps including the last 33 laps to capture his only win in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
The 1968 race saw a duel involving Cale Yarborough and LeeRoy Yarbrough. For much of the day, both drivers traded the lead. With 5 laps to go, Cale made a successful slingshot pass on the third turn to take the lead from LeeRoy and never looked back as he won his first Daytona 500 by 1.3 seconds. LeeRoy Yarbrough would inflict the same treatment on Charlie Glotzbach the next year, winning the 1969 Daytona 500 on the last lap.
1970–1979
The 1970s opened with Cale Yarborough qualifying at pole with a run. Fate played a major role in the 1970 race, claiming one driver after another as soon as the green flag fell. Richard Petty, then Yarborough who dropped out after leading 26 of the first 31 laps, Donnie Allison, and A. J. Foyt also dropped out of the race. Later in the race, Pete Hamilton, an unknown driver prior to this race, was contested the lead with the likes of Charlie Glotzbach and David Pearson. On lap 192, Hamilton passed Pearson for the lead, and although Pearson tried valiantly to regain the lead, it was Hamilton who took the checkered flag in front of the largest crowd to ever have seen the Daytona 500 (an estimated 103,800). It was the first of 4 victories Hamilton would have in his brief NASCAR career.
The 1972 race was called a One-Sided Daytona 500. A. J. Foyt cruised lanyard into the lead with about 300 miles to go and captured the victory. It was Foyt's sixth career Winston Cup Grand National victory, and it gave the famed Wood Brothers of Stuart, VA, their third Daytona 500 triumph. They had previously won with Tiny Lund in 1963 and Cale Yarborough in 1968. In the event punctuated by a weak field because of factory withdrawal, Foyt outlasted four rivals and beat runner-up Charlie Glotzbach by nearly two laps. Jim Vandiver was six laps down and finished third; Benny Parsons was fourth and James Hylton fifth. Only three caution flags for 17 laps interrupted Foyt's pace. He averaged 161.550 mph—an all-time record for the Daytona 500.
During the start of the 1974 NASCAR season, many races had their distance cut ten percent in response to the 1973 oil crisis. As a result, the 1974 Daytona 500, won by Richard Petty (his second straight, making him the first driver ever to do it), was shortened to 180 laps (450 miles), as symbolically, the race "started" on Lap 21. The Twin 125 qualifying races were also shortened to 45 laps (112.5 miles). Richard Petty overcame tough luck of his own and capitalized on the misfortunes of Donnie Allison to win his fifth Daytona 500. The 47-second triumph was petty's 155th in Winston Cup Grand National competition. A record 53 laps were run under the caution flag, which reduced Petty's average winning speed to 140.894 mph.
In 1975, it appeared David Pearson was on his way to his first Daytona 500 victory as he built a sizable lead on second place Benny Parsons late in the race. However, Richard Petty, who was several laps behind the leaders, and Parsons hooked up in a draft and began reeling in Pearson who was slowed by lapped traffic. The key moment of the race occurred two laps from the end when contact with a backmarker sent Pearson spinning on the backstretch. Parsons avoided the accident and went on to take the win.
In the 1976 500, Richard Petty was leading on the last lap when he was passed on the backstretch by David Pearson. Petty tried to turn under Pearson coming off the final corner, but didn't clear Pearson. The contact caused the drivers to spin into the grass in the infield just short of the finish line. Petty's car didn't start, but Pearson was able to keep his car running and limp over the finish line for the win. Many fans consider this finish to be the greatest in the history of NASCAR.