Local News Now

DAYTONA BEACH -- Could Sunday's running of the Daytona 500 be a repeat of the rain-shortened 2009 race? Things could get slick with the National Weather Service in Melbourne calling for a 40 percent chance of rain, though that precipitation could arrive by late afternoon.

EDGEWATER -- A 41-year-old Edgewater woman was killed Thursday night when she lost control of her SUV, which left the roadway on East New York Avenue and overturned several times, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Deborah Bennett, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was thrown from her 2002 Isuzu while the sport utility vehicle was overturning. She was pronounced dead at the scene of the 6:10 p.m. single-vehicle accident near the intersection of East New York Avenue and Damascus Road just outside DeLand, said Sgt. Kim Montes, spokeswoman for the Florida Highway Patrol.

Bennett was travelling west in the outside lane when for unknown resons she left the roadway to the right, and overcorrected, which resulted in the SUV overturning, Montes said. A traffic homice investigation is ongoing, including whether alcohol may have been a factor, she added.

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.

1959 winner: Lee Petty

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.