
Pettys fly over wall in preliminary races; Arizona driver killed in practice

Video by NASCARAllOut / Use by Headline Surfer® / Pontiac was the dominant car for the 1961 running of the Daytona 500, and Marvin Panch who didn't even have a ride for the season, won the race as a last-minute driver behind the wheel of a year-old Pontiac for race car owner Smokey Yunick on the recommendation of fellow driver Fireball Roberts, who had the pole and led the most laps before blowing an engine in the closing laps.
SPECIAL FEATURE: Headline Surfer® brings you a snapshot of every Daytona 500 race, from 1959 to the present. This segment: 1961...
DAYTONA BEACH -- Fireball Roberts led the most laps -- 170 -- but on lap 187, it was the driver he recommended team owner Smokey Yunick also sponsor for the Daytona 500 who passed him to go on and take the checkered flag after 13 laps out front.
It was the first 500 without a caution, though tensions were high going into the 500 with some big crashes and a fatal during Speedweeks.