Daytona 500

Started 23873 days, 13 hours, 53 minutes ago

Date & Time
Sun 26th February 1961 Local
Sun 26th February 1961 12:00am UTC

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League
NASCAR Cup Series

Season
1961

Round
Round 1

Status

Location

Daytona International Speedway

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Description

The 1961 Daytona 500, was a NASCAR Grand National Series event that was held on February 26, 1961, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Marvin Panch won the race in the one-year-old 1960 Pontiac built and owned by Smokey Yunick after taking the lead on lap 187. Panch was not originally scheduled to drive, and was only added to Yunick's team after Fireball Roberts suggested adding him. Panch drove the number 20 to victory in three hours and 20 minutes. The race was run in its entirety without a single caution flag. Panch took the lead with 13 laps remaining when race leader Fireball Roberts' car suffered a blown engine. The win was Panch's first, and only victory of the season.