1966 Firecracker 400

The 1966 Firecracker 400 was a NASCAR Grand National Series event that was held on July 4, 1966, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.[2]

1966 Firecracker 400
Race details[1]
Race 28 of 49 in the 1966 NASCAR Grand National Series season
Track map of Daytona International Speedway showing mainly the speedway.
Date July 4, 1966 (1966-July-04)
Official name Firecracker 400
Location Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida
Course Permanent racing facility
2.500 mi (4.023 km)
Distance 160 laps, 400 mi (643 km)
Weather Temperatures reaching of 93 °F (34 °C); wind speeds of 12 miles per hour (19 km/h)
Average speed 153.813 miles per hour (247.538 km/h)
Attendance 46,200[2]
Pole position
Driver
Jon Thorne
Most laps led
Driver Sam McQuagg Ray Nichels
Laps 126
Winner
No. 98 Sam McQuagg Ray Nichels

The transition to purpose-built racecars began in the early 1960s and occurred gradually over that decade. Changes made to the sport by the late 1960s brought an end to the "strictly stock" vehicles of the 1950s.

Race report

Forty-six thousand and two hundred stock car racing fans would watch this live event from the start until the finish.[2] It took two hours and thirty-six minutes to completely finish the race.[2] Four cautions slowed the race for 23 laps.[2] The average speed of the race was 153.813 miles per hour (247.538 km/h).[2] Sam McQuagg would beat Darel Dieringer by racing the entire duration of the race exactly one minute and six seconds faster than Darel.[2]

This was the first time that a rear spoiler would be used in any NASCAR Cup Series race.[3] On the day of the race, the factory engineers at Dodge would install this new invention on McQuagg's car (which would eventually cause him to go several miles per hour faster than his opponents).[3]

Individual winnings for this event ranged from the winner's share of $13,600 ($107,168 when considering inflation) to the last-place finisher's share of $350 ($2,758 when considering inflation). A grand total of $55,105 was handed out to every qualifying driver who participated in this racing event ($434,227 when considering inflation).[4]

Qualifying
Grid[2] No. Driver Manufacturer Owner
1 12LeeRoy Yarbrough'66 DodgeJon Thorne
2 43Richard Petty'64 PlymouthPetty Enterprises
3 13Curtis Turner'66 ChevroletSmokey Yunick
4 98Sam McQuagg'66 DodgeRay Nichels
5 99Paul Goldsmith'66 PlymouthRay Nichels
6 56Jim Hurtubise'66 PlymouthNorm Nelson
7 31Don White'66 DodgeRay Nichels
8 5Mario Andretti'66 DodgeCotton Owens
9 3Buddy Baker'65 DodgeRay Fox
10 71Earl Balmer'65 DodgeNord Krauskopf

Finishing order
  1. Sam McQuagg† (No. 98)
  2. Darel Dieringer† (No. 16)
  3. Jim Paschal† (No. 14)
  4. Curtis Turner† (No. 13)
  5. Jim Hurtubise† (No. 56)
  6. Don White (No. 31)
  7. Marvin Panch (No. 04)
  8. Tiny Lund† (No. 24)
  9. James Hylton (No. 48)
  10. John Sears† (No. 4)
  11. Buddy Baker*† (No. 3)
  12. Frank Warren (No. 79)
  13. Elmo Langley† (No.64)
  14. Bobby Allison (No. 2)
  15. David Pearson† (No. 6)
  16. Harold Smith (No. 55)
  17. Larry Hess (No. 44)
  18. Eddie MacDonald (No. 89)
  19. Wendell Scott† (No. 34)
  20. Blackie Watt (No. 93)
  21. J.D. McDuffie† (No.70)
  22. Jack Lawrence (No. 06)
  23. Henley Gray (No. 97)
  24. LeeRoy Yarbrough*† (No. 12)
  25. Roy Mayne† (No. 00)
  26. Jimmy Helms* (No. 53)
  27. Paul Goldsmith* (No. 99)
  28. Doug Cooper* (No. 02)
  29. Richard Petty* (No. 43)
  30. Earl Balmer* (No. 71)
  31. Mario Andretti* (No. 5)
  32. Wayne Smith* (No. 38)
  33. Buck Baker*† (No. 86)
  34. Bunkie Blackburn*† (No. 39)
  35. G.C. Spencer*† (No. 49)
  36. Buddy Arrington* (No. 69)
  37. J.T. Putney*† (No. 19)
  38. Bobby Johns* (No. 7)
  39. Jabe Thomas*† (No. 25)
  40. Joel Davis* (No. 33)

† signifies that the driver is known to be deceased
* Driver failed to finish race

References
  1. "1966 Firecracker 400 weather information". Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2012-07-01.
  2. "1966 Firecracker 400 racing results". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2010-11-19.
  3. "NASCAR Driver of the Day: Sam McQuagg". NASCAR Driver of the Day. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
  4. "1966 Firecracker 400 winnings information". Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 2012-12-02.
Preceded by
1966 Pickens 200		 NASCAR Grand National races
1966		 Succeeded by
1966 untitled race at Old Dominion Speedway
Preceded by
1965		 Firecracker 400 races
1966		 Succeeded by
1967
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