Mario's Tribute to Daytona 500 Pace Cars 1959 to 2025

1959 Pontiac Bonneville 389 ci 260 hp. On February 22, 1959, Daytona Speedway hosted the first Daytona 500. The first race was held in Daytona Beach FL. A field of 59 cars took the green flag of the 200-lap race for 500 miles. Lee Petty, patriarch of the racing family, won the inaugural 500 Mile NASCAR Daytona Race in his Olds Super 88 #42.

1960 Buick. The track is a 2.5 mile “tri-oval” with a 31-degree bank. Junior Johnson made use of the draft, then a little understood phenomenon, to win in in his Chevy Impala while running a slower year-old car in a field of 68 cars, the most in the history of the Daytona 500.

1961 Pontiac Bonneville. First race to be called Daytona 500 in 1961. Marvin Panch won in his Pontiac Catalina.

1962 Pontiac Grand Prix. The Daytona 500 is regarded as the most important and prestigious race on the NASCAR calendar, carrying by far the largest purse. Fireball Roberts won in his Pontiac Catalina.

1963 Buick LeSabre Convertible. The race serves as the final event of Speedweeks and is also known as "The Great American Race" or the "Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing". Tiny Lund won in his Ford Galaxie.

1964 Dodge Coronet. Richard Petty the son of Lee Petty won this race in his Plymouth Belvedere #43. Since its inception, the race has been held in mid-to-late February.

1965 Dodge Coronet. The first rain-shortened Daytona 500. Fred Lorenzen in his Ford Galaxie was in the lead when the race was called on lap 133 and he was declared the winner.

1966 Plymouth Belvedere. Richard Petty “The King” becomes the first two-time winner, having previously won the 1964 race in his Hemi Plymouth Belvedere. Through 2024, only 12 drivers have won 2 or more Daytona 500s.

1967 Pontiac Firebird. Mario Andretti in his Ford Fairlane led 112 of the 200 laps including the last 33 to capture his first and only win in the Cup Series.

1968 Camaro. Actor James Garner at the wheel. For much of this race, both Cale Yarborough and (unrelated) LeeRoy Yarbrough traded the lead. With 5 laps to go, Cale made a successful slingshot pass on the third turn to take the lead from LeeRoy and never looked back as Cale Yarborough won his first Daytona 500 by 1.3 seconds in his Mercury Cyclone GT.

1969 Camaro SS396 350 hp. Having learned from the previous year, LeeRoy Yarbrough would use the same slingshot treatment out of turn 3 on Charlie Glotzbach, to score the victory on the final lap in his Ford Torino Cobra.

1970 Ford Torino GT. Daytona International Speedway is 2.5 miles long and a 500-mile race requiring 200 laps to complete. However, the race was considered official after halfway (100 laps/250 miles) had been completed from 1959 to 2016. Pete Hamilton won in his Plymouth Superbird.

1971 PORSCHE Audi 914. Richard Petty becomes the first three-time winner, including the 1964 and 1966 races in his Plymouth Road Runner.

1972 Pontiac Lemans. A. J. Foyt cruised into the lead on lap 80 and stayed there through the 200-lap race, lapping the entire field in his Mercury Cyclone GT.

1973 Pontiac Lemans Sports Coupe. Richard Petty becomes the first four-time winner, including the 1964, 1966, and 1971 races in his Dodge Magnum Charger.

1974 Pontiac Grand Am. During the start of the 1974 NASCAR season, many races had their distance cut ten percent in response to the 1973 oil crisis. As a result, the 1974 Daytona 500 was shortened to 180 laps (450 miles), as symbolically, the race "started" on lap 21. Richard Petty won in his Dodge Magnum Charger and became the first of only 5 drivers to win consecutive Daytona 500s.

1975 Pontiac Lemans. Benny Parsons won in his Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna. The Race has been associated with Presidents Day weekend, taking place on the third Sunday of February.

1976 Pontiac Grand Prix. In the 1976 race, Richard Petty was leading on the last lap when he was passed on the backstretch by David Pearson. Petty tried to turn under Pearson coming off the final corner but didn't clear Pearson. The contact caused the drivers to spin into the grass in the infield just short of the finish line. Petty's car didn't start, but Pearson was able to keep his car running and limp over the finish line for the win. Many fans consider this finish to be the greatest in the history of NASCAR. David Pearson won in his Mercury Cyclone.

1977 Pontiac Grand Prix. Cale Yarborough won his second Daytona 500 race in his Mercury Cyclone GT.

1978 Pontiac Grand Prix. Bobby Allison won his first of three in his Ford Thunderbird.

1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 400 ci. The 1979 race was the first Daytona 500 to be broadcast live on national television, airing on CBS. Richard Petty won in his Olds Cutlass.

1980 Pontiac Firebird Turbo Trans Am. Buddy Baker won the fastest Daytona 500 in history before the introduction of mandatory stage cautions in 2017, at 177.602 mph. He drove an Olds Cutlass.

1981 Pontiac Firebird Turbo Trans Am. Richard Petty driving a Buick Regal becomes the first seven-time winner, three wins more than the second-highest multiple winner Cale Yarborough. Petty is the only driver to win in three different decades.

1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. Bobby Allison wins his second Daytona 500, but many people consider this a controversial win because on lap 3 Bobby Allison's rear bumper broke away from his Buick Regal. Without a rear bumper, Allison's car gained an aerodynamic advantage and won the race by just over twenty-two seconds.

1983 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. Cale Yarborough was the first driver to run a qualifying lap over 200 mph in his Chevy Monte Carlo; only to crash out during the second qualifying lap. Yarborough raced in a backup Pontiac LeMans and won.

1984 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. Cale Yarborough completed a lap of 201.848 mph in his Chevy Monte Carlo officially breaking the 200-mph barrier at Daytona. He joined Richard Petty as the only drivers to win the race in consecutive years and to win the race four times overall.

1985 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. Bill Elliott dominated the race, and by lap 140, was close to lapping the entire field. Elliot won in his Ford Thunderbird.

1986 Pontiac Grand Prix. The race that came down to a two-car duel between Dale Earnhardt and Geoff Bodine. As Earnhardt left the pits, he burned a piston, allowing Geoff Bodine to cruise to victory in his Chevy Monte Carlo.

1987 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. Winner Bill Elliott qualified for the pole position at an all-time Daytona record of 210.364 mph. Bill Elliott dominated much of the race in his Ford Thunderbird, leading 104 of the 200 laps. During two different points in the race, he pulled away from the other leaders and was all by himself on the track, leading the first 35 laps, 29 in a row at another point, and the last three.

1988 Pontiac Grand Prix. Bobby Allison and his son Davey finished one-two and celebrated together in Victory Lane, making Bobby Allison the oldest driver to win the Daytona 500 at age 51. He drove a Buick Regal.

1989 Pontiac Grand Prix. Darrell Waltrip in his Chevy Monte Carlo stretches his final tank of fuel for 53 laps to win in his 17th try.

1990 Pontiac Grand Prix Turbo 3.1-liter V-6 205 hp. On the final lap Dale Earnhardt was in the lead, going into turn three, he ran over a bell housing from the blown engine of Rick Wilson's car. He blew a tire, allowing the relatively unknown Derrike Cope to slip by and take his first career win in a major upset. He drove a Chevy Lumina.

1991 Pontiac Grand Prix. Dale Earnhardt's Daytona 500 frustrations continued as Ernie Irvan passed Earnhardt with six laps to go. Ultimately, Earnhardt - who was battling issues with the car temperature after striking a seagull early in the race - spun with two laps remaining and Ernie Irvan won the race in his Chevy Lumina.

1992 Pontiac Grand Prix. Davey Allison dominated the second half en route to his lone Daytona 500 victory. He avoided a major wreck on lap 92 and went on to lead the final 102 laps in his Ford Thunderbird.

1993 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. In a frightening wreck on lap 170, Rusty Wallace flipped over multiple times on the back straightaway. With two laps to go, Dale Earnhardt was leading Jeff Gordon and Dale Jarrett. Dale Jarrett battled into the lead with one lap to go for the win in his Chevy Lumina.

1994 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. Sterling Marlin gambled on fuel and was able to complete the final 59 laps without stopping, to win his first career Cup victory in his Chevy Lumina.

1995 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. From 1995–2020, U.S. television ratings for the Daytona 500 were the highest for any auto race of the year, surpassing the traditional leader, the Indianapolis 500. Sterling Marlin became the first driver since Cale Yarborough, and only third overall, to win back-to-back Daytona 500s. This time he drove a Chevy Monte Carlo.

1996 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. Dale Jarrett won his second Daytona 500 in four years driving a Ford Thunderbird, again holding off Dale Earnhardt, who finished second for the third time in four years.

1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. Jeff Gordon in his Chevy Monte Carlo became the youngest winner of the event to that point at the age of 25. Since 1997, the winner of the Daytona 500 has been presented with the Harley Earl Trophy in Victory Lane, and the winning car is displayed in race-winning condition for one year at Daytona 500 Experience, a museum and gallery adjacent to Daytona International Speedway.

1998 Pontiac Grand Prix. Dale Earnhardt finally won the Daytona 500 after "20 years of trying, 20 years of frustration" in his Chevy Monte Carlo. Though Earnhardt had usually been a strong competitor in the Daytona 500, mechanical problems, crashes, or other misfortunes had prevented him from winning.

1999 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am LT-1 320 hp. Jeff Gordon accomplished the feat of winning the pole and the Daytona 500 race in his Chevy Monte Carlo marking the first time since 1987 when Bill Elliott did this.

2000 Pontiac Grand Prix. Dale Jarrett avenged his previous year's rollover accident by winning the 1999 season championship & 2000 Daytona 500 which was the final 500 broadcast for CBS. He drove a Ford Taurus.

2001 Pontiac Aztec. Also known as "Black Sunday," or the "darkest day in NASCAR,” as Dale Earnhardt died in a crash on the final lap. Dale Earnhardt died February 18, 2001, on the final lap of the 2001 race while leading the race & protecting Dale Jr. & Michael Waltrip who won in his Chevy Monte Carlo.

2002 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. Ward Burton won in his Dodge Intrepid.

2003 Pontiac Grand Prix. Michael Waltrip became a two-time winner in the shortest ever Daytona 500 after the race was shortened to 109 laps due to rain. He drove a Chevy Monte Carlo.

2004 Chevy Corvette. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his first Daytona 500 in his fifth attempt, six years after his father accomplished the feat after 20 attempts. He drove a Chevy Monte Carlo.

2005 Chevy Corvette. The start time was changed, allowing the race to finish under the lights at dusk. In the first use of the green-white-checkered finish rule in the Daytona 500, Jeff Gordon held off Kurt Busch, and Earnhardt Jr. to win his third Daytona 500. The race went 203 laps/507.5 miles. Gordon drove a Chevy Monte Carlo.

2006 Chevy Corvette Z06. Jimmie Johnson won in his Chevy Monte Carlo.

2007 Chevy Corvette. Running fifth with half a lap to go, Kevin Harvick in his Chevy Monte Carlo picked up a push and surged to the front to nip Mark Martin by 0.02 seconds at the line. Most of the rest of the field crashed across the line as The Big One erupted behind them.

2008 Chevy Corvette. The celebrated 50th running of the Daytona 500 was the first using NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow. It also marked the first race under the "Sprint Cup Series" banner, following the merger of Sprint with Nextel in 2006. Ryan Newman won in his Dodge Charger.

2009 Camaro SS. Matt Kenseth won in his Ford Fusion.

2010 Ford Mustang GT. The longest Daytona 500 distance until the 2020 event, 208 laps (520 miles), due to requiring two green-white-checker efforts to finish the race. Jamie McMurray came home in his Chevy Impala with the 2010 Daytona 500 victory.

2011 Camaro SS. Since this race marked the tenth anniversary of the death of Dale Earnhardt, the third lap was a "silent lap", meaning the TV and radio announcers were silent during the entire lap, and fans held up three fingers in reference to Earnhardt's car number. Trevor Bayne, at 20 years and one day old, became the youngest Daytona 500 winner ever in his Ford Fusion.

2012 Toyota Camry. 2012 was the longest time to complete the race. Scheduled for a 12 noon EST start on Sunday, rain delayed the race to Monday, then further delayed it to a 7 PM start that Monday night resulting in the first primetime Daytona 500 start. Matt Kenseth won in his Ford Fusion.

2013 Chevrolet SS 6.2-liter V8 415 hp. Rookie Danica Patrick won the pole, becoming the first woman on pole in the Daytona 500 and also the first woman to finish among the Top 10. Jimmie Johnson earned his second Daytona 500 victory in his Holden Commodore.

2014 Chevrolet SS. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his second Daytona 500, the third straight won by a past winner, after Kenseth in 2012 and Johnson in 2013. The race was delayed 6 hours, 22 minutes, and ended at 11:18 p.m. ET Sunday night. Dale drove a Holden Commodore.

2015 Toyota Camry. There were two big wrecks during the race, one with 19 laps to go for Justin Allgaier and Ty Dillon, brought out a red flag to ensue cleanup on the track, and one on lap 202 at a scheduled Green–white–checkered finish, Joey Logano won his first Daytona 500 in his Ford Fusion.

2016 Toyota Camry. Driver Denny Hamlin in his Toyota Camry led 95 laps during the race, and on the last lap, Hamlin passed leader Matt Kenseth. Hamlin would then beat Martin Truex Jr. by 0.010 seconds, which would become the closest finish in the Daytona 500.

2017 Camaro. Several big wrecks decimated the field but a long green run to the finish put everyone in fuel trouble. Kurt Busch in his Ford Fusion won as Elliott, Martin Truex Jr., and Kyle Larson all ran out of fuel in the last four laps.

2018 Toyota Camry. 20 years after Dale Earnhardt Sr. earned his iconic victory at Daytona, Austin Dillon won the race in his Chevy Camaro CL1.

2019 Chevrolet Silverado 6.1-liter V-8 414 hp. Denny Hamlin escaped through all the late crashes and would go on to win his second Daytona 500 race in his career in his Toyota Camry.

2020 Toyota Camry. Denny Hamlin won his third Daytona 500 in the second-closest finish in race history in his Toyota Camry, though the win was overshadowed by a horrific accident for Ryan Newman on the final lap, being sent to a nearby hospital.

2021 Chevy Corvette C8. Michael McDowel won in his Ford Mustang.

2022 Toyota Camry. Austin Cindric would hold off Bubba Wallace at the finish line to win the 500 in only his 8th Cup start, while also becoming the second youngest driver to win in his Ford Mustang.

2023 Chevy Corvette. The 2023 Daytona 500 saw Ricky Stenhouse Jr. claim victory after a dramatic double-overtime finish in his Camaro CL1.

2024 Toyota Camry. William Byron won in his Chevy Camaro CL1.

2025 Chevy Blazer EV SS. William Byron won again in his Chevy Camaro CL1.

2025 “The Beast”. President Trump and First Lady Melania attended the race and took a lap around the track. President Trump made his second Presidential attendance at the Daytona 500 Race.

Feb 17, 2020, Daytona Beach FL, In the final lap, Ryan Newman #6 goes airborne and wrecks during the Daytona 500 Race. He was in the lead when he lost control and hit a track wall at a speed of 195 miles per hour. The impact sent his car flying backwards and onto LaJoie’s vehicle.

Newman’s No. 6 Ford Mustang flipped over several times and became engulfed in flames before making its way across the finish line upside down, sparks showering the ground as the car skidded to a halt. A horrific accident for Ryan Newman on the final lap. He was airlifted to a nearby hospital and luckily Ryan survived with just bruises and was released from the hospital in two days.

Daytona International Speedway Map

Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach FL