Fifty years later, the Daytona 500 is NASCAR’s biggest, richest and most prestigious race.
“The Great American Race,” which traditionally hosts a sell out crowd, has the biggest total payout in prize money for any motorsports event in the United States, surpassing the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400. The 2007 Daytona 500 posted awards exceed more than $18 million with race winner Kevin Harvick pocketing more than $1.5 million.
The perks of winning the Daytona 500 are more than just collecting the largest payout in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series or hoisting the prestigious Harley J. Earl trophy. Winning stock car racing’s greatest prize also brings fame and fortune.
“It’s the ultimate race,” said three-time Daytona 500 winner Jeff Gordon following his 2005 Daytona 500 victory. “There’s just no better place to win at than Daytona. You know the sport’s getting more competitive. It’s getting bigger and it’s just one of those races if you pick one, this is the one you want to win.”
Traditionally, following a victory in the Daytona 500, the winner goes on a whirlwind media tour that includes visits to New York City and Los Angeles with appearances on such a high-profile shows like “Late Show with David Letterman” and “Live with Regis and Kelly.”
In addition, the Daytona 500 winning car rests inside Daytona 500 Experience, “The Official Attraction of NASCAR,” for a year for race fans to view and the winning driver has his hand prints, right foot and autograph immortalized in cement at the Daytona 500 Champion’s Walk Of Fame.
Bill Davis Racing reaped a huge benefit after their 2002 Daytona 500 win with then-driver Ward Burton in the form of a sponsorship deal.
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Here’s a quick look at some of the other exciting Daytona 500 finishes:
2002 Daytona 500
On a restart with six laps to go, Sterling Marlin, running second, slowed as he approached the green flag in order to get a run on race leader Jeff Gordon.
Gordon quickly reacted and blocked Marlin and the two cars made contact. Gordon spun out into the grass while Marlin took the lead but suffered damage to his right front fender. At the same time Marlin and Gordon tangled, a multi-car crash broke out.
NASCAR quickly threw out the red flag and stopped all the cars on the Superstretch to clean up the accident. Marlin climbed out of his No. 40 Coors Light Dodge, walked over to his right front and began to pull the fender away from the tire.
Teams are not allowed to work on their machines under the red flag and NASCAR officials quickly ordered Marlin back to his race car and forced him to start at the tail end of the lead lap.
Marlin’s loss was Ward Burton’s gain as Burton went on to lead the final five laps to become the first Virginian to win the Daytona 500.
1990 Daytona 500
This edition of the “Great American Race” offered one of the race’s biggest upsets.
Dale Earnhardt, who had won almost everything at DIS except the Daytona 500, looked like he would finally break his losing streak.
Earnhardt’s famous black No. 3 Chevrolet was the class of the field as he led 150 laps and nearly lapped the field. But Earnhardt couldn’t lead the most important lap - the final one.
About a quarter lap away from the checkered flag and his elusive first Daytona 500 victory, Earnhardt’s right rear tire failed after running over a piece of bell housing.
Earnhardt miraculously kept his car off the wall, but he was off the pace and out of contention. Derrike Cope, with Terry Labonte behind, passed Earnhardt as they headed toward the checkered flag.
Cope, an up-and-coming driver from Spanaway, Wash., in only his third Daytona 500 start, fended off Terry Labonte to record one of the greatest upsets in motorsports history.
Meanwhile, Earnhardt had to wait until 1998 and his 20th Daytona 500 start before finally hoisting the Harley J. Earl trophy in Daytona’s Victory Lane.
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