THE FIRST DAYTONA 500
Plus:
1959 SOUTHERN 500
Here's a DVD doubleheader that
racing fans won't want to miss! All the historic action from two
of the most famous stock car races in history, both on one 53-minute
color DVD: the first Daytona 500 ever run (1959) and the famous
Labor Day classic at Darlington that same year! Petty fans especially
will want this one, as both Lee and young son Richard are shown
prominently throughout both races. In a controversial finish still
talked about to this day, Lee wins the first Daytona 500 by only
three feet, and the Southern 500 is young Richard's first race ever
at Darlington!
The DVD begins with a brief history
of beach racing at Daytona. Starting in the early 1900's, men such
as Ransom Olds, Louis Chevrolet, Henry Ford, Barney Oldfield, Vanderbilt,
Milton, Seagrave and Sir Malcolm Campbell set world records on what
became known as the world's most famous beach. The story behind
the building of the first gigantic 2 ½ mile modern superspeedway
is covered as well as the first practices at the new track where
no one knew what would happen at high speeds and where the phenomenon
of drafting was soon to be discovered. The new 'garage area' is
shown as it looked in 1959, and the pre-race color and ceremonies
are covered with closeups of drivers Tim Flock, Joe Weatherly, Buck
Baker, Fireball Roberts and rookie Fritz Wilson, as well as Lee
Petty and young 22-year old son Richard. Pole-sitter Bob Welborn
and Wilson (who started third) battle during the opening laps. Richard
Petty, driving the #43 Petty Engineering Plymouth convertible, exits
the race with engine failure, but is shown in the pits the rest
of the race as his father's crew chief. These are outstanding shots
of young Richard on the pit wall, urging his father to victory in
the fastest stock car race of all time! Fireball Roberts starts
in 46th position, but by lap 56 is leading the race when fuel pump
failure ends his bid to win. At the finish it's Lee Petty and Johnny
Beauchamp in a dead heat at the finish line in one of the most amazing
finishes in NASCAR history! The entire race is run with no cautions,
and some 61 hours after the race, moving pictures show that Lee
Petty is the winner of the first Daytona 500 by only three feet!
The second race on this DVD is the
annual Southern 500 at Darlington's famous raceway! Qualifying is
shown, in which Fireball Roberts wins the pole with a new record
speed of 123.7 MPH. A great camera shot catches Lee Petty's beautiful
blue #42 Plymouth waiting on the starting line as son Richard zooms
by in his #43 on his own qualification attempt! Also shown are scenes
in the garage area, the annual parade in downtown Darlington and
the beauty pageant the night before the race.
Once the 500 gets underway there's plenty of racing action! On lap three, Carl Burris is the first out of the race when his engine blows, causing him to spin turn 3, which nearly also takes out young Cale Yarborough! Soon after, Rex White spins out, with Jim Reed and Lee Petty narrowly missing him. Fast qualifier Fireball Roberts leads laps 3 thru 44, but has tire troubles all day and finishes 7th. Joe Eubanks blows in turn one on lap 26, and Elmo Langley's #10 Ratus Walters Buick throws a rod after 41 laps. There are great shots of rookie Richard Petty in his white/blue Plymouth #43 driving in his first Southern 500, including his spinout while leading laps 93-99. At this point, Marvin Panch relieves Richard until the car blows a tire late in the event, which probably costs him the race. On lap 130 Bob Welborn's #49 is through for the day. The last hundred laps, Jim Reed leads the race, but must hold off Lil' Joe Weatherly (who had relieved Bob Burdick in Roy Burdick's #73 T-Bird) and Panch, now driving Richard's #43 Plymouth.
Now you can get your own color copy
of both of these classic races for only $29.95 plus $4.00 for shipping.
(Illinois residents must add $2.00 tax.) You'll get your DVD by
FIRST CLASS MAIL within a week!
"RARE SPORTSFILMS N", 1126 Tennyson Lane, Naperville,
IL 60540 (630) 527-8890
Go Back
|
