Highlights: Junior Johnson took the race lead on lap 1292 and would not relinquish it as he took the checkered flag in a contest that featured 68 drivers. There were 13 lead changes with the race lasting 3:41:22. The average speed was 135.521 mph. The attendance was 38,775.
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.
