| Location | Daytona International Speedway |
| Date | February 16, 1997 |
| Laps | 200 |
| Daytona 500 Champion | Jeff Gordon |
| Average speed | 148.295 miles per hour (238.658 km/h) |
| Pole Sitter | Mike Skinner |
| Most Laps Led | Mark Martin |
| Qualifying Race Winners | Dale Jarrett and Dale Earnhardt |
| Television | |
| Network | CBS |
| Announcers | Ken Squier, Ned Jarrett, and Buddy Baker |
The 1997 Daytona 500 was run on February 16 at Daytona International Speedway. The #31 of Mike Skinner won the pole. The race was broadcast on CBS.
Results [link]
- 24-Jeff Gordon, Led 40 of 200 Laps
- 5-Terry Labonte
- 25-Ricky Craven
- 94-Bill Elliott, Led 30 Laps
- 4-Sterling Marlin, Led 8 Laps
- 37-Jeremy Mayfield
- 6-Mark Martin, Led 52 Laps
- 22-Ward Burton
- 10-Ricky Rudd
- 17-Darrell Waltrip
- 99-Jeff Burton
- 31-Mike Skinner*, Led 1 Lap
- 16-Ted Musgrave
- 44-Kyle Petty
- 43-Bobby Hamilton
- 40-Robby Gordon*
- 71-Dave Marcis
- 11-Brett Bodine
- 8-Hut Stricklin
- 28-Ernie Irvan, Led 13 Laps
- 18-Bobby Labonte
- 81-Kenny Wallace
- 88-Dale Jarrett
- 9-Lake Speed, 1 Lap down
- 98-John Andretti, 2 Laps down
- 19-Loy Allen, Jr., 2 Laps down
- 73-Joe Nemechek, 196 Laps Completed (Accident)
- 30-Johnny Benson, 195 Laps (Accident)
- 1-Morgan Shepherd, 195 Laps (Accident)
- 90-Dick Trickle, 195 Laps (Accident)
- 3-Dale Earnhardt, 5 Laps down; Led 48 Laps
- 21-Michael Waltrip, 12 Laps down; Led 5 Laps
- 33-Ken Schrader, 27 Laps down
- 7-Geoff Bodine, 52 Laps down
- 23-Jimmy Spencer, 54 Laps down
- 36-Derrike Cope, 124 Laps (Handling)
- 20-Greg Sacks, 120 Laps (Accident); Led 3 Laps
- 77-Bobby Hillin Jr., 111 Laps (Engine Failure)
- 29-Robert Pressley, 91 Laps (Handling)
- 41-Steve Grissom, 88 Laps (Accident)
- 2-Rusty Wallace, 47 Laps (Engine Failure)
- 46-Wally Dallenbach, Jr., 32 Laps (Engine Failure).
Failed to qualify: 91-Mike Wallace, 95-Gary Bradberry, 78-Billy Standridge, 15-Larry Pearson, 42-Joe Nemechek, 97-Chad Little, 75-Rick Mast, 96-David Green*, 0-Delma Cowart, and 84-Norm Benning.
Notes [link]
- Robert Pressley's car caught air after he spun on Lap 10. The rear of the car lifted so much, the car was temporarily sliding across the track on its nose. The landing was quite hard, so after the crew repaired the car, Busch Series compeitor Todd Bodine hopped in to complete more laps.
- Joe Nemechek's car owner Felix Sabates bought the #73 entry of Phil Barkdoll, who had qualified 38th. Both Nemechek and his new sponsor Bellsouth went to the #73 for the 500.
- Remington Arms placed their sponsor logos on the #19 Ford driven by Loy Allen Jr. for Tri-Star Motorsports after Rick Mast failed to qualify the RahMoc car.
- Dale Earnhardt rolled his #3 Goodwrench Chevrolet in a crash with the #28 Texaco-Havoline Ford of Ernie Irvan while in a four-way battle for the lead with 12 laps to go. During the crash, the hood of Irvan's car flew into the backstretch grandstand, injuring some fans. Earnhardt famously noticed that his tires were still on the car after the roll, had his car taken off the hook, and drove it back to pit road. The car was repaired and Earnhardt finished the race, 5 laps down in 31st.
- The race ended under caution after the Big One took place on lap 196, involving 13 cars.
- At age 25, Jeff Gordon became the youngest Daytona 500 winner ever. Richard Petty had previously been the youngest winner in 1964, when he won the 500 at age 26. Gordon's record was surpassed when Trevor Bayne won the 2011 Daytona 500 at age 20.
- Hendrick Motorsports posted a 1-2-3 finish with Gordon winning the race, Terry Labonte finishing second, and Ricky Craven finishing in third.
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1966 Daytona 500
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.
1966 Season
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-mile (800 km) event. NASCAR ran a total of 49 events, ending at the Rockingham Speedway in October.David Pearson won the NASCAR Grand National Championship (now Sprint Cup) after winning 15 events while 168 drivers competed in at least one event during the 1966 season.
2006 Daytona 500
The 2006 Daytona 500, the 48th running of the event, was the first race in the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. It was held on February 19, 2006 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Jimmie Johnson won the race in a green-white-checker finish. It was the second Daytona 500 in a row to go longer than 200 laps and 500 miles (800 km); this race, like the previous Daytona 500, had a total distance of 203 laps and 507.5 miles (816.7 km). This was also the first Daytona 500 to end after dark, ending even later than the 2005 race, in which the checkered flag had waved just a few moments after sunset.
Johnson's car failed pre-race inspection and as a result his crew chief, Chad Knaus was suspended for the first four races and the team was fined $200,000. As a result, Darian Grubb replaced him as crew chief. Knaus was not blocked, however, from contacting the team and by many accounts still had significant input. Johnson would go on to win his first championship that year.
