Daytona 500 Anniversary - The 50th Run

From 1959 forward, the Daytona 500 has left a ribbon of history as colorful as the sport itself. Lee Petty's career ended in 1961 at Daytona after he and Beau-champ locked up in turn three during one of the qualifying races and Petty sailed over the wall, suffering injuries that led to his eventual retirement.

Meanwhile, Lee's son, Richard, became a seven-time winner of the 500.

Dale Earnhardt once turned a car over down the backstretch, got out, looked at the car, got back in and finished the race in the crumpled car.

It took Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip a long time to ever be declared winners of the 500, with Earnhardt finally claiming victory in 1998, nine years after Waltrip claimed his sole win in the event. In 2001, the great Earnhardt died in a fourth-turn crash on the last lap of the Daytona 500.

Junior Johnson won the second annual Daytona 500 and claims he discovered how one car drafts another in the wind currents.

Bobby Johns finished Second, a young Richard Petty Third, Lee Petty Fourth and Johnny Allen Fifth.

Marvin Panch won the 500 in Smokey Yunick's Pontiac in 1961. Joe Weatherly finished Second, Paul Goldsmith was Third, Fred Lorenzen was Fourth and Cotton Owens Fifth.

The great Fireball Roberts won the 1962 Daytona 500. Richard Petty was Second, Joe Weatherly was Third, Jack Smith Fourth and Fred Lorenzen rounded out the top five.

Tiny Lund won the 500 in 1963, taking over for Marvin Panch in the Wood Brothers Ford after he pulled Panch from a burning car during a sports car race. Fred Lorenzen finished Second, Ned Jarrett Third, Nelson Stacy Fourth and Dan Gurney Fifth.

The year 1964 was not a good one for racing. Weatherly, Roberts and Jimmy Pardue were all killed in accidents. Richard Petty, however, with the introduction of the Hemi engine, drove to his first Daytona 500 victory. Jimmy Pardue finished Second, Paul Goldsmith Third, Marvin Panch Fourth and Jim Paschal Fifth.

Victory in 1965 went to Fred Lorenzen. Second was Darel Dieringer, Third was Bobby Johnson, Fourth Earl Balmer and Fifth Ned Jarrett.

Richard Petty bounced back into the Daytona 500 spotlight in 1966, winning for the second time and beating Cale Yarborough, who edged David Pearson, who was in front of Fred Lorenzen, who finished ahead of Sam McQuagg.

Mario Andretti stopped off at Daytona from his racing days at Indianapolis and won the 1967 Daytona 500. Fred Lorenzen finished Second, James Hylton Third, Tiny Lund Fourth and Jerry Grant Fifth.

Then began the Cale Yarborough era. He won the 1968 Daytona 500. LeeRoy Yarbrough finished Second, Bobby Allison Third, Al Unser Fourth and David Pearson Fifth.

LeeRoy Yarbrough in Junior Johnson's Ford won the 1969 Daytona 500. Charlie Glotzbach in Cotton Owens' Dodge was Second, followed by Donnie Allison, A.J. Foyt and Buddy Baker.

Pete Hamilton, in a Petty Plymouth prepared by Maurice Petty, slipped by David Pearson to win the 1970 Daytona 500. Bobby Allison was Third, Charlie Glotzbach was Fourth and Bobby Isaac Fifth.

It was Richard Petty's turn again in 1971. A.J. Foyt slipped in to win in 1972, and Petty took First again in 1973 and 1974, winning two years straight in Dodges.

Benny Parsons, driving a Chevrolet, won in 1975, and David Pearson was the 1976 winner in a Mercury after surviving a last-lap crash with Petty.

Cale Yarborough came back to the front in 1977, and Bobby Allison took the 1978 Daytona 500.

Richard Petty won in 1979 and his last victory in the 500 at the Big D was in 1981 with Buddy Baker getting his win in 1980.

Bobby Allison won in 1982, and Cale Yarborough took the next two straight, winning in 1983 and 1984.

Bill Elliott came on the scene in 1985 and won the 500, followed by Geoff Bodine in 1986 and then Elliott again in 1987.

Allison got another victory in '88, and Waltrip won in 1989. Derrike Cope did the trick in 1990 while Ernie Irvan won in 1991. Davey Allison wheeled into Victory Lane in 1992, Dale Jarrett in 1993, and Sterling Marlin put back-to-back wins together in 1994 and 1995.

It was Dale Jarrett's turn in 1996, and Jeff Gordon's in 1997.

Earnhardt's win in the '500' came as NASCAR celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1998, and Gordon again in 1999. Jarrett won another one in 2000, and Michael Waltrip drove an Earnhardt-prepared car to victory just ahead of Earnhardt's fatal accident.

Ward Burton drove Bill Davis' Dodge to victory in 2002, and Michael Waltrip won again in 2003. Dale Earnhardt Jr. made it to Victory Lane in 2004, and Jeff Gordon in 2005. Then it was Jimmie Johnson, the winner in 2006, and Kevin Harvick won in 2007.

Yes, The Great American Race.