February 13, 2008
By Rebecca Gladden
I'm predicting plenty of caution periods during this year's Daytona 500 - which should give you plenty of time to challenge your friends to some fun Daytona 500 trivia. I don't consider these your run-of-the-mill trivia questions though, and I'll bet some of the answers will surprise you.
So, commit the answers to memory (or a crib sheet) and maybe you'll come home from your Daytona 500 party a few dollars richer.
Here goes …
Questions:
1. Does the winner of the Daytona 500 receive the Harley J. Earl Perpetual Trophy?
2. Who was the first celebrity National Anthem performer at the Daytona 500 and in what year?
3. How many times has a current or future U.S. Presidential Candidate or President served as Grand Marshal for the Daytona 500?
4. Which race has a bigger total payout in prize money - the Daytona 500 or the Indy 500?
5. Who is the oldest driver ever to win the Daytona 500?
6. What is the fewest number of race leaders in a single Daytona 500 race?
7. What was the purse for the winner of the first Daytona 500?
8. How many practice sessions are there for this year's Daytona 500?
9. How many times has the Daytona 500 winner gone on to win the championship in the same year?
10. The Daytona 500 has been run since 1959, but when did it become NASCAR's season opening race?
Answers Below:
1. No. The Daytona 500 winner takes home a replica of the Harley J. Earl trophy. The original Harley J. Earl "Perpetual" Trophy is housed at the Daytona 500 Experience year-round and is inscribed with the name of every Daytona 500 winner in history. Harley J. Earl was a famous car designer (he designed the Chevy Corvette) and was a friend of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr.
2. The Osmond Boys, a group of second-generation Osmond sons, sang the National Anthem at the 1990 Daytona 500. In the year 2000, Arizona trumpeter Jesse McGuire played an instrumental version. This year's singer will be "Dancing with the Stars" competitor Julianne Hough.
3. A total of four times:
- 1973 - George Wallace - Future Presidential Candidate
- 1976 - George Wallace - Presidential Candidate
- 1978 - George Bush (41) - Future President of the U.S.
- 2004 - George W. Bush (43) - President of the U.S.
4. The Daytona 500. Last year, total prize money for the Daytona 500 exceeded $18 million, while the Indy 500 came in at about $13.4 million.
5. Bobby Allison in 1988 at age 50 years, 2 months and 11 days. If Mark Martin wins the Daytona 500 this year, he will just miss setting a new record at age 50 years, 1 month and 6 days.
6. Three. In 1972, there were just three different laps leaders for the entire race: A.J. Foyt led 167 laps, Richard Petty, 31, and Bobby Allison, 2. Foyt was the race winner.
7. Lee Petty earned $19,050 for winning the Daytona 500 in 1959. Last year's winner, Ryan Newman, earned over $1.5 million.
8. There are six practices scheduled: Two each on Saturday 2/7 and Wednesday 2/11, and one each on Friday 2/13 and Saturday 2/14.
9. This has happened eight times in 50 years:
- Lee Petty - 1959
- Richard Petty - 1964, 1971, 1974, 1979
- Cale Yarborough - 1977
- Jeff Gordon - 1997
- Jimmie Johnson - 2006
10. Although the first Daytona 500 was first held in 1959, it did not become the traditional season opener until 1982.
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