Photos for Headline Surfer / Dubbed the biggest pile-up in auto-racing history in 1960, the Daytona Modified Sportsman Race at Daytona International Speedway was collossal for the sheer number of vehicles collected -- 37. This trio of snapshots and the display image above were were taken from the vintage video by Automobile History USA and downloaded from YouTube for this story. 
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline SurferDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Right from the onset, the 1960 Daytona Modified Sportsman race at Daytona International Speedway was a disaster of epic proportions with the biggest collection of cars caught up in a single crash at a NASCAR-sanctioned racing event -- 37 of them. Fortunately, though, there were no casualties.
With 68 cars in the field -- more than half were quickly out of action as the green flag dropped to start the race. Thirty-seven cars were wrecked before the first lap was even completed. Eight drivers suffered minor cuts and bruises.
The potential for loss of life was there, considering all those cars were filled to the brim with gasoline for the start of the big race, but by some miracle or perhaps even divine intervention, fire did not break out. Still, the sheer volume of wrecked cars showed what can happen with high speeds.
This race could even be considered a pre-cursor for "The Big One" NASCAR fans have come to enjoy at restrictor plate races, especially on the super speedways of Daytona and Talladega, where cars are bunched up in one or more large packs and three- and four-wide in some cases where a wrong move here or there can spell major disaster.
The potential for loss of life was there, considering all those cars were filled to the brim with gasoline for the start of the big race, but by some miracle or perhaps even divine intervention, fire did not break out. Still, the sheer volume of wrecked cars showed what can happen with high speeds.
This race could even be considered a pre-cursor for "The Big One" NASCAR fans have come to enjoy at restrictor plate races, especially on the super speedways of Daytona and Talladega, where cars are bunched up in one or more large packs and three- and four-wide in some cases where a wrong move here or there can spell major disaster.So while this 1960 vintage race is not on the list for serious injury or death, the sheer volume of vehicles destroyed makes it a viable choose in the countdown of the "worst of the worst motorsports crashes.
Did You Know?
The highlight reel from the video footage has a one-liner from the narrator that truly is a classic: "Roll bars, crash helmets, seat belts and lady luck save lives this afternoon."
Fast Facts: To date, this crash remains the biggest in NASCAR history.
Motorsports fans are drawn to racing for different reasons: The excitement of speed, skill of drafting & passing; strategies on when to pit for fuel, tires or repairs; the will to win and so forth. Ultimately, though, it's the big crashes that fans seem to like more than anything. And though nobody wishes serious injury or death to drivers, crew members, emergency personnel & especially spectators, the sad reality is carnage is always lurking. Despite the latest technology & improvements in aerodynamics of vehicles, driver equipment and enhanced track safety features, the fine line between life & death is always at play in any given sanctioned motorsport. Given that Headline Surfer® puts such an emphasis on racing with Daytona Beach International Speedway, the 24/7 internet news outlet is counting down its listing of the top 1,000 WORST of the Worst. While on the surface it may come across as gratuitous gore to critics, there can never be enough discussion about the need for constant vigilance in looking at safety.
Henry Frederick is publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched 12 years ago that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed more than a hundred journalism industry awards in print & online -- more than all other members of the working press combined in Central Florida since the mid-1990s. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism with academic honors from Full Sail University in 2019. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary programs on Discovery ID and Reelz for his investigative reporting and cops & courts breaking news stories.