The Daytona 500 spawns both memories and milestones, and as the countdown begins to the 48th annual Daytona 500 on Feb. 19 at Daytona International Speedway, another countdown begins today to the Best Five Daytona 500 Victories. #5 – With much of the East Coast immobilized by ice and snow, the 1979 Daytona 500 gained an immeasurable number of viewers on Sunday, Feb. 18. The first Daytona 500 carried live on network television [CBS], the event offered thrilling side-by-side racing against the backdrop of sparkling Florida sunshine. As laps wound down, millions watched as Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison dueled to the finish. In their last-lap dash to a win, Yarborough and Allison wrecked each other on the backstretch entering Turn 3. Seven-time series champion Richard Petty swept past them to claim the win. Then, it happened. Furious with each other, Yarborough and Allison climbed from their damaged cars and exchanged words. They were soon joined by Donnies brother Bobby and the argument escalated into a three-man tussle, on the grass infield, treating the days spectators and untold others on television, to one of the sporting worlds best-known fights. Grimy and sweating from several hours of racing, Allison and Yarborough unwittingly boosted national awareness for the sport, launching it on the first of what would be many popularity surges.(NASCAR Media)(2-10-2006)
