1966 Daytona 500

Auto race run in Florida in 1966 July 2012 1966 CUST Race 5 of 49 in the 1966 NASCAR Grand National Series season 1966_Daytona_500_program_cover_and_logo.jpg 1966 Daytona 500 program cover 1966 2 27 198 495 796.625 200 Temperatures reaching as high as 60.1 F C; wind speeds approaching 12 mph km/hhttp://www.almanac.com/weather/history/FL/Daytona%20Beach/1966-02-26 Weather of the 1966 Daytona 500 The Old Farmers' Almanac 2013-06-25 160.927 mi/h Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Paul Goldsmith Ray Nichels Earl Balmer Ray Fox Richard Petty Petty Enterprises 108 43 Plymouth Richard Petty Petty Enterprises The 1966 Daytona 500, the 8th running of the event, was won by Richard Petty driving a 1966 Plymouth on February 27, 1966. Petty drove his number 43 to victory in just over three hours after starting the race on the pole. There were four caution flags which slowed the race for 22 laps. Petty came from two laps down to win the event after 198 laps were completed. The race was shortened by two laps due to rain. The win was Petty's second victory of the season.Fleischman Pearce 2004 227 1966 season 1966 in NASCAR The 1966 season marked the return of the Chrysler Hemi engine in NASCAR competition, while Ford took a one-year leave from competition before realizing that the ploy was detrimental to their sales. The 1966 Daytona 500 was the fifth event of 49 in the 1966 season, which included the two qualifying races for the 500. The 1966 season opened in Augusta with Petty taking the win in the season inaugural event. Dan Gurney followed with a win in Riverside before the drivers and their teams ventured to Daytona International Speedway for the 500 mi on event.Fleischman Pearce 2004 227 NASCAR ran a total of 49 events, ending at the Rockingham Speedway in October. David Pearson won the NASCAR Grand National Series Championship after winning 15 events while 168 drivers competed in at least one event during the 1966 season. Background Qualifying Richard Petty captured the pole position for the event with a speed of 175.165 mph km/h us. The two 100-mile qualifying events were won by Paul Goldsmith and Earl Balmer. A total of 50 drivers started the Daytona 500 in 1966. Qualifying race results 30em First qualifier #99 – Paul Goldsmith #43 – Richard Petty #7 – Don White #21 – Marvin Panch #28 – Fred Lorenzen #98 – Sam McQuagg #71 – Gordon Johncock #16 – Darel Dieringer #9 – Larry Frank #27 – Cale Yarborough Second qualifier #3 – Earl Balmer #56 – Jim Hurtubise #29 – Dick Hutcherson #12 – LeeRoy Yarbrough #11 – Ned Jarrett #6 – David Pearson #26 – Bobby Isaac #14 – Jim Paschal #49 – G.C. Spencer #79 – Frank Warren The Race 250px|thumb|Richard Petty, winner of the 1966 Daytona 500 After starting on the pole, Petty led the first six laps of the event, before relinquishing the lead to Paul Goldsmith, who had started in the third position. Petty and Goldsmith swapped the lead four times before Dick Hutcherson drove his 1966 Ford into the lead on lap 34. Petty suffered from tire problems early in the race, yet work by his pit crew, and having one of the fastest cars allowed him to work his way back to the front of the field. In 2008 Petty said: "...we was the quickest car all week long. That car, again, like the '64 car, was just a real fast car, and we just outrun everybody." Petty returned to the lead on lap 97 when he overtook Goldsmith. A total of six drivers exchanged the lead 15 times throughout the event, with Petty, Goldsmith, Hutcherson, Cale Yarborough, Marvin Panch, Jim Hurtubise all leading at least one lap. On lap 113, Petty took the lead for the final time, and went on to finish more than a full lap ahead of second-place finisher Yarborough. Petty led a race-high 108 laps. The victory by Petty was his second Daytona 500 victory, having won the event in 1964. Richard Petty's victory at the 1966 Daytona 500 was the first and only time that he captured the pole position, despite winning the event a record seven times. As of 2026, Richard Petty is the only driver to win the event seven times: 1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, and 1981. The 1966 Daytona 500 was the first time that a driver won the event for a second time. Race results Pos Grid No. Car number Driver Entrant Manufacturer Laps Laps completed Winnings Laps led Laps as the lead driver Time/Status 1 1 43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises 1966 Plymouth 198 $28,150 108 3:04:54 2 19 27 Cale Yarborough Banjo Matthews 1966 Ford 197 $12,800 33 +1 Lap 3 12 6 David Pearson Cotton Owens 1966 Dodge 196 $7,950 0 +2 Laps 4 9 28 Fred Lorenzen Holman-Moody 1966 Ford 196 $4,250 0 +2 Laps 5 11 98 Sam McQuagg Ray Nichels 1966 Dodge 195 $3,600 0 +3 Laps 6 6 56 Jim Hurtubise Norm Nelson 1966 Plymouth 195 $2,700 4 +3 Laps 7 10 11 Ned Jarrett Bondy Long 1966 Ford 195 $2,100 0 +3 Laps 8 8 12 LeeRoy Yarbrough Jon Thorne 1966 Dodge 193 $1,750 0 +5 Laps 9 23 48 James Hylton Bud Hartje 1965 Dodge 193 $1,500 0 +5 Laps 10 17 9 Larry Frank Ray Nichels 1966 Plymouth 192 $1,425 0 +6 Laps 11 16 14 Jim Paschal Tom Friedkin 1966 Plymouth 192 $1,350 0 +6 Laps 12 15 16 Darel Dieringer Bud Moore Engineering 1966 Mercury 192 $1,275 0 +6 Laps 13 28 34 Wendell Scott Wendell Scott 1965 Ford 184 $1,250 0 +14 Laps 14 37 19 J. T. Putney J. T. Putney 1965 Chevrolet 184 $1,225 0 +14 Laps 15 43 25 Jabe Thomas Jeff Handy 1964 Ford 182 $1,200 0 +16 Laps 16 20 79 Frank Warren Harold Rhodes 1964 Chevrolet 177 $1,170 0 +21 Laps 17 31 97 Henley Gray Henley Gray 1966 Ford 172 $1,165 0 +26 Laps 18 3 99 Paul Goldsmith Ray Nichels 1966 Plymouth 153 $2,060 43 +45 Laps 19 33 38 Wayne Smith Archie Smith 1966 Chevrolet 148 $1,155 0 Fuel line 20 44 24 Bobby Allison Betty Lilly 1965 Ford 143 $1,150 0 Engine 21 14 26 Bobby Isaac Junior Johnson & Associates 1966 Ford 141 $1,145 0 Crash 22 32 87 Buck Baker Buck Baker 1966 Oldsmobile 136 $1,140 0 Ignition 23 45 0 Johnny Allen Reid Shaw 1964 Ford 132 $1,135 0 Overheating 24 18 49 G. C. Spencer G. C. Spencer 1965 Plymouth 129 $1,130 0 Engine 25 21 41 Curtis Turner Wood Brothers Racing 1966 Ford 122 $1,125 0 Windshield 26 7 21 Marvin Panch Wood Brothers Racing 1966 Ford 119 $1,820 8 Windshield 27 5 07 Don White Ray Nichels 1965 Dodge 115 $1,115 0 Ignition 28 42 33 Johnny Rutherford Curtis Satterfield 1966 Chevrolet 115 $1,110 0 Crash 29 13 71 Gordon Johncock Nord Krauskopf 1965 Dodge 112 $1,105 0 Engine 30 29 61 Ned Setzer Toy Bolton 1966 Chevrolet 110 $1,100 0 Wheel 31 48 93 Blackie Watt Harry Neal 1964 Ford 107 $1,095 0 Piston 32 36 88 Buddy Baker Buck Baker 1965 Chevrolet 69 $1,090 0 Oil leak 33 22 47 A. J. Foyt Junior Johnson & Associates 1966 Ford 46 $1,085 0 Head gasket 34 35 04 John Sears L. G. DeWitt 1964 Ford 40 $1,080 0 Head gasket 35 2 29 Dick Hutcherson Holman-Moody 1966 Ford 38 $1,075 2 Windshield 36 40 22 Bunkie Blackburn Bob Rosenthal 1965 Chevrolet 36 $1,070 0 Engine 37 39 13 Mario Andretti Smokey Yunick 1966 Chevrolet 31 $1,065 0 Crash 38 30 72 Bill Champion Bill Champion 1964 Ford 29 $1,060 0 Head gasket 39 46 57 Lionel Johnson Clay Eastridge 1964 Ford 28 $1,055 0 Engine 40 47 18 Stick Elliott Toy Bolton 1966 Chevrolet 28 $1,050 0 Transmission 41 4 3 Earl Balmer Ray Fox 1965 Dodge 21 $1,045 0 Engine 42 38 44 Larry Hess Larry Hess 1964 Ford 19 $1,040 0 Engine 43 25 46 Roy Mayne Tom Hunter 1966 Chevrolet 13 $1,035 0 Transmission 44 49 76 Ronnie Chumley H. B. Bailey 1964 Pontiac 8 $1,030 0 Engine 45 26 64 Elmo Langley Elmo Langley / Henry Woodfield 1965 Chevrolet 4 $1,025 0 Oil pressure 46 27 23 Calvin Kelly Hubert Howard 1964 Ford 4 $1,020 0 Clutch 47 50 90 Sonny Hutchins Donlavey Racing 1964 Ford 3 $1,015 0 Oil pressure 48 34 08 Bob Derrington Bub Strickler 1964 Ford 2 $1,010 0 Clutch 49 24 36 H. B. Bailey H. B. Bailey 1966 Pontiac 1 $1,005 0 Engine 50 41 03 Rene Charland Ed Ackerman 1964 Ford 1 $1,000 0 Vibration Source1966 Daytona 500 References Citations http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1966_Daytona_500/W 1966 Daytona 500 racing-reference.info July 30, 2012 http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-racing/nascar/season-recaps/1960s/1966-nascar.htm 1966 NASCAR Grand National Recap HowStuffWorks, Inc.; Publications International, Ltd. 1 August 16, 2009 http://www.racing-reference.info/raceyear/1966/W 1966 Grand National Results racing-reference.info August 25, 2009 http://www.racing-reference.info/yeardet/1966/W Grand National standings for 1966 racing-reference.info July 30, 2012 http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/motorsports/2001/daytona500/news/2001/02/11/nascar_winners_ap/ https://web.archive.org/web/20010517064520/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/motorsports/2001/daytona500/news/2001/02/11/nascar_winners_ap/ dead May 17, 2001 Past Daytona 500 Champions CNN Sports Illustrated June 10, 2009 http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1966_Daytona_500_Qualifier_1/W 1966 Daytona 500 Qualifier #1 racing-reference.info July 30, 2012 http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1966_Daytona_500_Qualifier_2/W 1966 Daytona 500 Qualifier #2 racing-reference.info July 30, 2012 http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/News/DAYTONA-500-History/DAYTONA-500-Winners/1966-Daytona-500-Results.aspx 1966 DAYTONA 500 Results Daytona International Speedway August 25, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20110718120940/http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/News/DAYTONA-500-History/DAYTONA-500-Winners/1966-Daytona-500-Results.aspx July 18, 2011 dead mdy-all http://www.news-journalonline.com/speed/special/daytona500/richardpetty021408.htm Daytona 500 50th Anniversary; RICHARD PETTY Zeller Bob February 14, 2008 Speed Magazine; News-Journal Corporation August 25, 2009February 2019 InternetArchiveBot yes http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/News/DAYTONA-500-History/DAYTONA-500-Winners/Richard-Petty.aspx Richard Petty Daytona International Speedway August 25, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20101228073020/http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/News/DAYTONA-500-History/DAYTONA-500-Winners/Richard-Petty.aspx December 28, 2010 dead mdy-all http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/News/DAYTONA-500-History/DAYTONA-500-Winners.aspx DAYTONA 500 Winners 2009 Daytona International Speedway August 25, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20101227021826/http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/News/DAYTONA-500-History/DAYTONA-500-Winners.aspx December 27, 2010 dead mdy-all https://www.espn.com/sportscentury/features/00016403.html He made racing not-so-Petty Flatter Ron ESPN Sports Century ESPN.com 1 August 25, 2009 Bibliography Fleischman Bill Al Pearce The Unauthorized NASCAR Fan Guide: 2004 Checkered Flag Press; Visible Ink Press Canton, MI 2004 10 2004 227 At A Glance: Year-by-Year Summaries; 1961 978-0-681-27587-4 registration https://archive.org/details/unauthorizednasc00/page/227 Daytona 500 Daytona 500 Daytona 500 Category:NASCAR races at Daytona International Speedway