DAYTONA BEACH -- As NASCAR gears up for Sunday's running of the Daytona 500, let's take a look back down memory lane to the previous races at the world center of motor racing: Daytona International Speedway.
Highlights: It all started in 1959 with a photo finish that had Johnny Beauchamp the unofficial winner before the "official" results three days later had Lee Petty winning. The inaugural race also is noteworthy because several of the drivers were in convertibles, including a young driver named Richard Petty, son of Lee Petty, who lasted all of eight laps. He'd go on to have quite a stellar career, though, winning the 500 a record seven times. The were 59 drivers in the race. The race lasted 3:41:22, with an average speed of 135.521 mph. There were no cautions.
DAYTONA BEACH -- Carl Edwards is a speed demon and his pole-winning qualifying time for the Daytona 500 is a testament to that label: With a lap of 194.738 mph today, he posted the fastest time in more than a decade on the super speedway.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Martin Truex Jr. won the pole for today's 34th annual Budweisrer Shootour at Daytona Internationl Spedway.
Driving the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing, Truex drew the pole position for the shootout. Making his second career Budweiser Shootout start, Truex peeled off the No. 1 wrapper on the Budweiser bottle.
"Came here with a plan and I'm sticking to it," said Truex Jr., driver of the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota owned by Michael Waltrip Racing, on his strategy of winning the 75-lap non-points race.
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DAYTONA BEACH -- ESPN is reporting that a deal has been worked out that would guarantee Danica Patrick a start in the Daytona 500 and provide her with spots for much of the Sprint Cup schedule.
DAYTONA BEACH -- Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip, a pair of three-time NASCAR champions, led the field of five among racing's greats for this year's NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Credit: Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR
Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, comes to the finish line to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sept. 6 in Hampton, Ga.
Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR
Jeff Gordon celebrates in Victory Lane holding up three fingers representing three wins in 2011 after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sept. 6 in Hampton, Ga.
Jeff Gordon: Victory No. 85 Adds To Legend
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Fans and racing teams alike will remain silent during the third lap of today's Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, which will celebrate Dale Earnhardt’s career 10 years after his death in this very race.
