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21 February 2013 Posted by Kevin J. 729 views No Comment

The 2013 Daytona 500 is already an historic one, with Danica Patrick being the first female to ever earn a pole position in NASCAR’s highest division. Fanatics salutes NASCAR and race fans everywhere with our collection of Daytona 500 Gear. We have all the best Daytona 500 Merchandise, including NASCAR T-Shirts, Hats and more for all your favorite drivers, so you can display your NASCAR fandom from the stands or the sofa. In honor of the 55th running in Daytona, we now take a look at the Best Daytona 500 Finishes in  history:

#5: 1988 Daytona 500 – Father vs. Son

The 1988 Daytona 500 will go down in history for two reasons: One, it was the first NASCAR race to feature mandatory restrictor plates to and second, Bobby Allison defeated his son, Davey.

In an historic finish, a miscalculation by the younger Allison allowed father, Bobby, to hold onto his final lap leap and hit the checkered flag as the oldest driver to ever win the Daytona 500. The race was also made memorable by a spectacular crash involving fan favorite Richard Petty, in which his vehicle rolled over eight times only to be hit by Brett Bodine’s #15 car. All drivers would walk away uninjured. The 1988 race was also the third 1st- and 2nd-place finish by a father and son in a NASCAR Cup Series race.

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#4: 2007 Daytona 500 – The Photo Finish

One of the closest finishes in Daytona history: That’s how the 2007 Daytona 500 is often remembered. While many hoped fan favorite Mark Martin would finally grab the checkered flag on his 29th career Daytona start, it was not to be on that fateful February day. But, Martin did come ever so close.

Mark Martin led 26 laps, including leading going into the final lap at Daytona. Yet, when Kyle Busch got loose on lap 199, a pileup ensued that would alter the fate of the final lap for everyone. Instead of freezing the field under a caution flag, NASCAR allowed Mark Martin and Kevin Harvick, both unscathed by the aforementioned wreck, to race to the checkered flag. Harvick and Martin took part in a memorable drag race to the finish, with Harvick’s #29 car just edging Martin’s #1 with a winning margin of .02 seconds.

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#3: 1979 Daytona 500 – A ‘Hello’ to Arms

While the 1979 made TV history for being the first 500-mile race to be fully broadcast on television; it also became historic for the fight that unfolded off the track.

CBS made television history, when they decided to air the first-ever flag-to-flag car race. As it would happen, much of the East Coast at the time was kept indoors due to a snowstorm, ensuring a higher than normal viewership. A rain delay only served to heighten the anticipation both on the track and in the houses all over North America. While 1979 would become Richard Petty’s 6th-ever Daytona 500 win, it would also make headlines for something entirely different. During the last lap of the race, as both racers were dueling to a win, Donnie Allison blocked a passing Cale Yarborough attempt, causing a crash that allowed Petty to win the race. Yet, while Petty was holding off the likes of A.J. Foyt and Darrell Waltrip, Allison and Yarborough were at each other’s throats. Fifteen million people watched the fight between Yarborough and Allison, as the race made national headlines and helped establish NASCAR as a major American sport.

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#2: 1998 Daytona 500 – Thanks for the Memories

After coming close so many times before, Dale Earnhardt finally grabbed a victory at “The Great American race” in 1998.

Earnhardt had famously struggled to win at Daytona, coming close but never grabbing the checkered flag. Until that day in February, Earnhardt had remained winless in 59 previous starts. It was both Earnhardt’s 20th career start at Daytona and CBS 20th consecutive broadcast of the race. Yet, Earnhardt prevailed in winning at the third-fastest Daytona 500 ever. What made this race historic, though, was its ending. As “The Intimidator” cruised into victory lane, a few hundred friends and foes gathered to congratulate Earnhardt in a move of sportsmanship rarely seen at such a prestigious event. It was an emotional win and perhaps the biggest of Earnhardt’s career.

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#1: 1976 Daytona 500 – Close Call

Many NASCAR historians rank the 1976 running of the Daytona 500 as the best finish ever. Whether you agree with that statement or not, you can’t argue with the fact that it was definitely one of the craziest finishes in Daytona history.

Richard Petty came mere inches from winning another Daytona 500 victory and would have, too, if not for what occurred on the final lap in ’76. With Petty leading the race going into the last lap, David Pearson narrowly passed him on the backstretch. Petty attempted to turn under Pearson, but could not clear his car. Both cars were damaged as the drivers spun into the infield, just short of the finish line. Yet, Petty’s car suffered most and shut down as Pearson’s battled behemoth just passed on the infield grass to grab the checkered flag. Petty would finish second with his crew pushing his car over the finish line.

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Home » Featured
17 February 2011 Posted by Addie 1,251 views No Comment

Engines for the 53rd Annual Daytona 500 will rev up next week and we’ve got you covered! Gear up for the big 2011 race with official merchandise for your favorite NASCAR driver at Football Fanatics.

 

 

 

 

Home » Featured Products, Sports
10 February 2010 Posted by David 1,854 views No Comment

There will be a lot of excitement heading into this weekend with several races scheduled, but all eyes are on one race. The 52nd running of the Daytona 500 is scheduled to go on February 14, Valentine’s Day. The 500 is the most watched NASCAR event and holds more prestige than any other race in the country – it’s like the Super Bowl or The Masters for NASCAR.

You might recall last year Matt Kenseth won the Daytona 500 even though the race wasn’t run a full 200 laps. It was called with 48 laps remaining on account of rain. Bummer, I know! This year there is no rain in the forecast and fans are expecting a competitive race.

If you’re heading to Daytona for the weekend, you might also want to check out Saturday’s Nationwide Series race, where IndyCar star Danica Patrick will make her NASCAR debut. “To be the one driving that [GoDaddy.com] car at Daytona means a lot to me,” Patrick said Monday in a news release. “Racing in the Nationwide Series was my goal during this entire two-month preparation process, but we wanted to make sure it was the right thing to do.”

Also wanted to remind you that Football Fanatics has a great selection of Daytona 500 and general NASCAR merchandise for sale. With our 3-Day and express shipping options, you can still get your gear in time for the race.

 

 

 

 

Home » Stump Zeke
8 June 2009 Posted by David 1,438 views No Comment

NASCAR is unique in that they host their premier event at the beginning of the season rather than the conclusion. The Daytona 500 is the biggest event in NASCAR… it’s the one race every driver wants to win. Some drivers have had great success in Daytona, while others can’t seem to find their place. Today’s “Stump Zeke” sports trivia question is related to NASCAR: Who is the only Daytona 500 champion to win the race with four different car makes?

It’s a tough question. Even die-hard NASCAR fans might not get this one right. Check out the video for the correct answer plus a few bonus questions.

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Home » Sports
13 May 2009 Posted by David 1,196 views No Comment

The 2009 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race is this weekend at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. This is the 25th running of the race. This is not your typical race. It’s 100 laps broken down into segments with mandatory pit stops. In 2008, Kasey Kahne, who happened to be voted in by the fans, won the event and the $1 million prize.

According to NASCAR, the race includes:

• Race-winning drivers from the previous and current Cup Series seasons.
• Cup Series champions from the past 10 years who are active drivers and have competed in at least one series event during the previous or current season.
• Past winners of the All-Star Race.
• Two drivers who qualify for the premier event by finishing first and second, respectively, in the Showdown (formerly the Open).
• One driver who joins the All-Star Race field by winning the Fan Vote.

We actually have a member of our staff traveling to North Carolina to attend the race. So check back next week to see if we have some exclusive photos of the track and the drivers. In the mean time, here’s an awesome NASCAR crash video for you to enjoy.

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Home » Sports
9 February 2009 Posted by David 1,979 views No Comment

The 2009 NASCAR will open this week with the sports biggest event: The Daytona 500. Martin Truex Jr. claimed the top pole position for Sunday’s race. Normally, you’d think starting the race in 1st place would be a good thing, but since 2002, the pole winner for the big event has finished outside the top 10 six times.

The Daytona 500 is regarded by many as the most important and prestigious race on the NASCAR calendar, carrying by far the largest purse. 150,000+ fans will pack Daytona International Speedway for the 51st running. This year’s race is wide open. Of course there are the usual favorites, but I think anyone has a shot at winning.

Who will win the Daytona 500?

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Football Fanatics has a large selection of officially licensed NASCAR merchandise. No matter who your favorite driver is, we have hats, tees, swweatshirts, jackets, cups, collectibles and more. Shop NASCAR Now.

Or if you’re looking for specific Daytona 500 Gear, here’s a sample of what we have to offer. Order today and receive 3-day shipping for only $4.99!