Question: What driver won the first Daytona 500 in 1959 after someone else was named champion?
Answer: Lee Petty
Racing moved from the beach-road course to Daytona International Speedway in 1959, and the first Daytona 500 took place on February 22 in front of a crowd of over 41,000. Car entries included both hard tops and convertibles. The finish of the inaugural Daytona 500 was too close to call. Johnny Beauchamp went to Victory Lane, but 61 hours later, Lee Petty was declared the official winner after a clip of newsreel footage showed that Petty nipped Beauchamp at the line by approximately two feet.
