The 1976 Daytona 500 began as always, with a full field and the high hopes of each driver. But it wound down to two drivers Richard Petty and David Pearson battling for the victory. They traded the lead for 45 of the final 46 laps, racing bumper-to-bumper and door-to-door. On the final lap, Petty and Pearson entered Turn 4 side-by-side; they collided and crashed into the outside wall, bouncing off of it, down the frontstretch. An oft-forgotten fact: after he and Petty collided, Pearsons car also hit that of Joe Frasson, who had shot down pit road to avoid him. Pettys #43 Dodge and Pearsons #21 Mercury finally stopped along the infield grass without crossing the finish line. Both drivers were fine. Their cars were not. Petty who still holds the record for the most Daytona 500 wins (seven) could not get his car restarted. The collision had pushed the radiator into the fan blade and kept it from running. Pearson, meanwhile, had pushed in his clutch. He managed to keep his engine running with minimal momentum but it was enough to propel him back onto the frontstretch and across the finish line at approximately 20 mph enough to claim the checkered flag and the only Daytona 500 victory of his storied career.(NASCAR Media)(2-13-2006)
