Stock Car Racing's Top Event Has Provided Decades Of Drama, Surprise Finishes Since Its Inception
Is there a Derrike Cope in the lineup? How about another Michael Waltrip?
The only thing predictable about the Daytona 500 is that it's unpredictable. Anything can happen-and it often does-during the 500 miles that make up stock car racing's premier event.
Cope's win in 1990, after leader Dale Earnhardt fell back with a cut tire, and Waltrip's dramatic victory last season stand as two of the biggest surprises in the rich history of the event.
No race on the Winston Cup schedule holds as much prestige and charm as the Daytona 500, though, which was first held in 1959.
It was Lee Petty's photo-finish victory over Johnny Beauchamp in the inaugural 500 that set the standard for drama and excitement and hinted at what the racing world had in store. Four years later, Tiny Lund drove the Wood Brothers Ford to Victory Lane while subbing for Marvin Panch, who chose Lund as his replacement just days after Lund helped pull Panch from a flaming crash.
In '69 LeeRoy Yarbrough put Junior Johnson's Ford in Victory Lane to take the first win in what would be a remarkable season for Johnson and Yarbrough, as they claimed seven superspeedway victories. Seven years later, Richard Petty and David Pearson crashed on the last lap of what many consider the greatest stock car race ever, won by Pearson as his Wood Brothers Mercury limped across the finish line.
Who can forget '79? Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison crashed while battling for the lead on the last lap, but the real action began after they emerged from their crumbled cars. That's when Cale and the Allison brothers-Bobby had stopped to check on Donnie-duked it out on national television, while Petty sailed to his sixth Daytona 500 win.
The '85 Daytona 500 was a coming-out party for Bill Elliott. His victory foreshadowed a season for the ages, one during which Bill and brother Ernie took NASCAR by storm and won 11 superspeedway races.
Bobby Allison and son Davey finished 1-2 in the '88 Daytona 500. One year later, Darrell Waltrip did the "Icky Shuffle" after finally nabbing the 500.
Dale Earnhardt's failure to claim the Daytona 500 was a study in frustration -until '98. Earnhardt's long ride down pit road that year-as he received congratulations from rival crews-endures as one of the sport's most touching images. Fittingly, Earnhardt then celebrated by spinning doughnuts on the infield grass.
Another Great One?So where does it all lead us? Right back to another running of America's No. 1 stock car race. And the 2002 Daytona 500 has the potential to join the list of memorable races.
When the circuit visited Daytona last July, it was Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr. standing triumphantly on the infield grass. Earnhardt Jr.'s Firecracker 400 victory, with Waltrip second, reversed their 1-2 finish in the 500 five months earlier and was cathartic for the Dale Earnhardt Inc. teammates, allowing them to purge months of grief and anguish following Earnhardt's fatal crash in the 2001 Daytona 500.
Is there a bigger sentimental favorite to win the Daytona 500 this year than Earnhardt Jr? Seeing the No. 8 DEI Chevrolet cross the finish line first would make for quite a story. It took Earnhardt Sr. nearly 20 years before he could add stock car racing's top event to his resume.
Kenny Wallace, subbing for Steve Park, will drive the third DEI car in the 500. Given DEI's recent Daytona success, don't be surprised to see Junior, Waltrip or Wallace, or any combination of the three, in the hunt.
Dale Jarrett has three wins in the Daytona 500, tops among active competitors, and any credible list of potential winners has to include the veteran driver, who last won the 500 in 2000. Jarrett's slide to fifth in last season's points race has team manager Todd Parrott, new crew chief Jimmy Elledge, and their Robert Yates Racing teammates hungry for redemption. A Daytona win would certainly give the team a big jump on regaining championship form.