| Race details[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 2 of 44 in the 1959 NASCAR Grand National Series | |||
 Lee Petty No. 42 and Johnny Beauchamp No. 73 battle on the last lap of the 1959 Daytona 500. | |||
| Date | February 22, 1959 | ||
| Official name | First 500 Mile NASCAR International Sweepstakes at Daytona | ||
| Location |
Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S. | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.5 mi (4.023 km) | ||
| Distance | 200 laps, 500 mi (800 km) | ||
| Weather | Chilly with temperatures reaching up to 68 °F (20 °C); wind speeds up to 15 miles per hour (24 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 135.521 mph (218.100 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 41,921 | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | |||
| Time | 140.121 mph (225.503 km/h) | ||
| Qualifying race winners | |||
| Duel 1 Winner | Bob Welborn, Shorty Rollins and Jack Smith | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Jack Smith | ||
| Laps | 57 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 42 | Lee Petty | Petty Enterprises | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | Not televised | ||
The 1959 First 500 Mile NASCAR International Sweepstakes at Daytona[2] (now known as the 1959 Inaugural Daytona 500) was the second race of the 1959 NASCAR Grand National Series season. It was held on February 22, 1959, in front of 41,921 spectators.[3] It was the first race held at the 2.5-mile (4.0 kilometer) Daytona International Speedway.[4]
- ^ Weather information for the 1959 Daytona 500 at The Old Farmers' Almanac.
- ^ Caraviello, David (February 16, 2008). "In 1959, first Daytona 500 changed city, sport forever". NASCAR. Archived from the original on September 15, 2010. Retrieved October 10, 2008.
- ^ Race results; Retrieved October 24, 2007.
- ^ Jan 7, Joe Menzer; ET, 2017 at 5:35p. "Classic photos from controversial first Daytona 500 in 1959". FOX Sports. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
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