The 44 Year Old Daytona 500 That Ended in an All-Out Brawl

42 contenders accelerate at top speed for that one spot in the victory lane. And that spot brings them more than just fame, glory, and money. So it is quite normal for the drivers to try to win by hook or by crook. And surely, the speed baked with the desperation to win creates quite a show for NASCAR fans during important races like the Daytona 500.

Among other memorable races in the annals of NASCAR history, enthusiasts have predominantly remembered, the 1979 Daytona 500. No stages, no restrictor plates, no phantom debris, but grass making the track look beautiful, a muddy brawl, and an exciting finish without overtime—this race saw it all.

Anger, dudgeon, and a bitter defeat from Daytona 1979

A blizzard hit the Mid-Atlantic states in early 1970, bringing four to six inches of snow. Over 15 million pair of eyes fixated on this race as it earned its fame as the highest-rated NASCAR race until 2001. So what was so special about this race?

The 1979 Daytona 500 was the second race of the year and the first to have ever broadcasted live from start to finish by CBS. The finishing lap of the race holds immense importance to the TRP. The 1976 Champion started a tussle with the Allison brothers by tapping Bobby’s bumper at the beginning of the race. This made all three cars hurtle through the infield. Although all three of them recovered, the last lap of the race saw Yarborough nudging into Donnie Allison’s left bumper. As a result, both hit the wall and spun towards the infield, taking each other out.

Veteran CBS commentator Ken Squier called the crash a “sad moment for these people, Out of turn 2: Donnie Allison in first. Donnie Allison froze the block. Cale hits him, he slides, Donnie Allison slides… they head on the wall… they’re out of it,” he said.

Just moments later, cameras caught Allison and Yarborough exchanging kicks and punches in the vicinity. The latter kicked Donnie Allison, who caught his foot and hurled him to the ground. Both of them started fighting like children as their crew members held them off of each other.

The lap-by-lap commentator then exclaimed, “There’s a fight between Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison, the tempers overflowing. They’re angry, they know they’ve lost and what a bitter defeat!”

All the three drivers were fined $6000, and the Allison brothers were sent on probation. Amidst the hullabaloo, another man who had not seen the face of victory in a long time drove past and made it to the victory lane.

The winner of the 1979 Daytona 500 drove with just one-third of his stomach

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As the two drivers got entangled in the skirmish, Richard Petty had the last laugh as he secured his 6th Daytona 500 win. Petty bagged the lead on the last lap after the first two cars driven by Allison and Yarborough knocked each other out in an automotive fury.

Richard exclaimed in a post-race interview, “this is the first time I remember in a long time I won one this good… I aint worried about the doctor but I’m feeling good no matter what.”

“we had a super good chance… when I’d seen that caution flag coming off the third corner there in the second corner, my heart just went right through me,” he further added.

Petty could not win in the 1976 Daytona. After a major ulcer operation, Petty drove again in 1979 against the advice of his doctor. The risk he took seemed to have paid off as he broke his 45-race losing streak and heaved a sigh of relief.

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