Retrospecto Carreras Americanas Direct
Possibly the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash (1971-1979). An illegal, unsanctioned cross-country sprint from New York to Los Angeles. Brock Yates and Dan Gurney won the final race in 1979 in a Ferrari Daytona, driving 2,863 miles in 32 hours and 51 minutes. That’s the outlaw spirit. The Modern Era (1980s–Today) The 1980s brought the Daytona 500 to global prominence. The 1979 Daytona 500—the first live flag-to-flag broadcast on national TV—ended with a fistfight between Cale Yarborough and the Allison brothers on the infield. America fell in love.
By: Historical Motorsport Desk
The first winner of the Daytona 500 (1959) was Lee Petty, father of Richard Petty. And the winner of the first NASCAR race at the L.A. Coliseum in 2023? That was Martin Truex Jr. – same sport, same passion, 74 years apart. If you enjoyed this retrospective, check out archival footage of the 1966 Daytona Continental (the first 24-hour race at Daytona) or read “The Unfair Advantage” by Mark Donohue—one of America’s greatest drivers.
Possibly the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash (1971-1979). An illegal, unsanctioned cross-country sprint from New York to Los Angeles. Brock Yates and Dan Gurney won the final race in 1979 in a Ferrari Daytona, driving 2,863 miles in 32 hours and 51 minutes. That’s the outlaw spirit. The Modern Era (1980s–Today) The 1980s brought the Daytona 500 to global prominence. The 1979 Daytona 500—the first live flag-to-flag broadcast on national TV—ended with a fistfight between Cale Yarborough and the Allison brothers on the infield. America fell in love.
By: Historical Motorsport Desk
The first winner of the Daytona 500 (1959) was Lee Petty, father of Richard Petty. And the winner of the first NASCAR race at the L.A. Coliseum in 2023? That was Martin Truex Jr. – same sport, same passion, 74 years apart. If you enjoyed this retrospective, check out archival footage of the 1966 Daytona Continental (the first 24-hour race at Daytona) or read “The Unfair Advantage” by Mark Donohue—one of America’s greatest drivers.