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Photo Gallery
1903-1919 | 1920-1929 | 1930-1949 | 1950-1969 | 1970-present
1950-1959
 | In just 10 months, a 446-acre tract of swampland became the World Center of Racing. Charles H. Moneypenny, a former Daytona Beach city engineer, designed the unique 2.5 mile tri-oval so that fans could view the whole course from their grandstand seats. The first race at Daytona International Speedway, won by Lee Petty, was Feb. 22, 1959. |
 | Mark Martin, whose 2002 points chase took a hit with a late-season rules violation, can take heart in knowing that even cars back in the beach/road course days were inspected for illegal parts. |
 | Anyone who has driven into Daytona International Speedway would recognize these huge tunnels - 14 feet in diameter - that are the infield ticketholder´s entryway into the Speedway. They were put into place and covered with earth during the track´s construction in 1958. |
1960-1969
 | In the early 1960s, Ralph Johnson, left, and Smokey Yunick worked together building cars and designing the four-barrel double pumper carburetor, which became standard racing carb and remains so today. |
 | Edward Glen Roberts, know from his baseball-playing days at Seabreeze High as Fireball won 33 races during his 15-year Winston Cup career but never won a points title. |
 | Glen “Fireball” Roberts, at right with famed local mechanic Smokey Yunick, was one of racing´s biggest stars when he suffered severe burns during a crash. Roberts, a Daytona Beach resident with 33 wins, died six weeks later, prompting NASCAR to re-examine its safery measures. |
 | Kyle Petty, at center after father Richard Petty´s 1966 Daytona 500 win. |
 | Marvin Panch won the 1961 Daytona 500 in the car Fireball Roberts ran at Daytona in 1960. After losing his ride when Ford pulled out of NASCAR in 1966, Panch got another loaned car - this time from Lee Petty - and he won the Charlotte 600 for his last career victory. |
Special Report: 100 YEARS OF RACING |  |