daytona-500nascarpetty

1979 Daytona 500: The race that changed everything

February 18, 1979

The race that changed everything. First live flag-to-flag TV coverage. Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough crash on the last lap and brawl in the infield while Petty cruises to victory.

The Finish

Richard Petty (#43) beat Darrell Waltrip (#88) to the checkered flag.

Key Moments

Buddy Baker (#28) leads early Cale Yarborough (#11) and Donnie Allison (#1) duel Yarborough and Allison crash on the last lap. Petty inherits the win The post-race brawl between the Allisons and Yarborough became the most famous moment in NASCAR history.

Squares Result

Winning digit: 3 (P1) and 8 (P2). If you had the square at (3, 8), you won the final.

Watch this race replayed on a squares board