Jimmy Gleason ... Born ... AAA driver 1925 to 1931. He was killed in an AAA National Championship race in Syracuse NY in 1931.
1901
Myron Stevens ... Born ... AAA driver 1929, 1931
1910
Louis Tomei... Born ... AAA driver 1932 to 1949
1925
Colby Scroggin ... Born ... AAA/USAC driver 1954 to 1963
1957
Cotton Owens drove a factory Pontiac to victory in the 160 mile NASCAR Grand National race on the 4.1 mile Daytona Beach & road course. It marked the first GN win for Pontiac as a make and Owens as a driver.
1974
Richard Petty won the Daytona 500, actually the Daytona 450. The race was shortened by 50 miles to comply with a request from the Federal Energy Office because of the "energy crisis". Petty was a car length behind leader Donnie Allison with 19 laps left when a tire went down on his Dodge in turn 4. Petty made it to the pits, returning 38 seconds behind Allison. 8 laps later, Bob Burcham blew his motor in the tri-oval and Allison ran over debris, blowing both front tires and sending him spinning to the infield where his DiGard Chevy stalled. He was able to restart and finish 6th. Coo Coo Marlin was 3rd under the white flag, but mistook it for the checkered and eased off, allowing Cale Yarborough and Ramo Stott by for 2nd and 3rd.
1980
Buddy Baker drove the Harry Rainier Oldsmobile to a commanding win in the Daytona 500. Baker led 143 laps of the 200 laps and was 12 seconds ahead of Bobby Allison when the caution flag flew on the last lap. Allison was second in the Bud Moore Ford. Neil Bonnett finished 3rd, despite blowing the motor in the Wood Brothers Mercury on the last lap. 1979 rookie of the year Dale Earnhardt was the only serious threat to Baker, but lost a lap when the crew on the Rod Osterlund Olds left a lug nut off a rear tire on their last stop.
1985
Bill Elliott wrapped up a dominating SpeedWeek by driving his Thunderbird to victory in the Daytona 500. Elliott duplicated Fireball Roberts and Cale Yarborough's feat of winning the pole, qualifying race and 500. Elliott's only serious challenge was from Neil Bonnett who blew his motor with 6 laps to go. Lake Speed in the RahMoc Pontiac finished 2nd, just under a second behind Elliott.
1999
Dale Earnhardt undergoes back surgery to remove a ruptured disk at University Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
ONE DAY
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