By Steve Waid
David Pearson and Richard Petty are considered two of the greatest stock car drivers in history. Both are enshrined in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
As you can well imagine, the two rivals have had some exciting, intense duels over the years.
Perhaps none have been more riveting than their battles at Daytona International Speedway.
The most famous matchup happened at the Daytona 500 of 1976. The two swapped the lead several times on the last lap and then crashed in the fourth turn. Both drifted into the infield.
Afterward, well let’s just say one of them won by crossing the finish line at 25 mph.
In the Firecracker 400 of 1975 Pearson knew he was going to finish second to Petty unless he came up with a desperate strategy.
He devised an improbable solution on the last lap and got the better of Petty.
That strategy was devious. What was it?
Well, suffice it to say Pearson was not nicknamed “The Silver Fox” for nothing.
For more than 32 years, Grand National/Winston Cup/NASCAR Scene writers and photographers were there to record NASCAR history as it was being made. Join hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid each week on The Scene Vault Podcast Presented by Q Ware as they take a look back at the extraordinary people, places and events woven into the rich tapestry that is our sport.
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