1966 Daytona 500

1966 Daytona 500
Race details[1]
Race 5 of 49 in the 1966 NASCAR Grand National Series season
1966 Daytona 500 program cover
1966 Daytona 500 program cover
Date February 27, 1966 (1966-02-27)
Location Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S.
Course Permanent racing facility
2.5 mi (4.023 km)
Distance 198 laps, 495 mi (796.625 km)
Scheduled Distance 200 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km)
Weather Temperatures reaching as high as 60.1 °F (15.6 °C); wind speeds approaching 12 miles per hour (19 km/h)[2]
Average speed 160.927 miles per hour (258.987 km/h)
Pole position
Driver
Petty Enterprises
Qualifying race winners
Duel 1 Winner Paul Goldsmith Ray Nichels
Duel 2 Winner Earl Balmer Ray Fox
Most laps led
Driver Richard Petty Petty Enterprises
Laps 108
Winner
No. 43 Plymouth Richard Petty Petty Enterprises

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.[1] The race was shortened by two laps due to rain.[3] The win was Petty's second victory of the season.[4]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Race-Ref-Info 1966 Daytona 500 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Weather of the 1966 Daytona 500". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference HSW-1966 Recap was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Fleischman & Pearce 2004, p. 227.