DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 13, 1960: In the foreground are two victims of the 1960 modified-sportsman race at Daytona, which produced a 37-car pile-up on lap two. Sonny Palmer (No. 01), and Earl Balmer (No. 64) were aboard the '57 Chevies. (Photo by ISC Archives via Getty Images)
It won't be long now: In just 68 days on FOX, the field will roll off for the Daytona 500, the first-ever points race in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
Sounds good, doesn't it?
In honor of Daytona and the No. 68, we take you back to 1960, just the second year of operation for the 2.5-mile superspeedway.
In the 1960 NASCAR Sportsman race at Daytona, the field was an amazing 68 cars. NASCAR's founder and chairman William Henry Getty France, a/k/a "Big Bill" led the field to the green flag behind the wheel of a 1960 Buick Electra 225 convertible pace car.
But one the opening lap, there was a huge melee in Turn 4, as 37 cars crashed, setting a record that still stands today for the largest crash in NASCAR history. Miraculously, there were only eight drivers who suffered minor injuries.
It amazing how far safety advances have come since that day at Daytona.
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