Courtesy of Daytona Beach Morning Journal February 15, 1960 via Newspapers.com
JOHNS SPINS, JOHNSON WINS IN WILD DAYTONA 500
Wind, wreckage and heartbreak mark second running of stock car classic
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Feb. 14 — Longshot Robert “Junior” Johnson of Ronda, N.C., drove through wind, wreckage and misfortune Sunday to capture the second annual Daytona 500 before a chilled but electrified crowd estimated at nearly 40,000 at Daytona International Speedway.
Johnson, driving a 1959 Chevrolet owned by John Masoni, took the lead with nine laps remaining after Bobby Johns’ Pontiac spun wildly when its rear window was torn loose by fierce winds. Johnson went on to complete the 200‑lap grind in four hours and 30 seconds, averaging 124.74 miles per hour — the slowest Daytona 500 on record, but one of the most dramatic.
The race was run under trying conditions, with steady winds gusting to more than 30 miles per hour. Those winds, combined with the high speeds on the 2½‑mile high‑banked oval, produced a staggering 21 accidents and forced officials to slow the field for 32 laps under the yellow caution flag.
Johns, a 27‑year‑old Miami driver, appeared to have victory in hand after seizing the lead late in the race. But as he entered the west turn with only 25 miles remaining, the rear window of his 1959 Pontiac popped free. The sudden rush of air lifted the car, sending it spinning across the infield and costing Johns precious seconds — and the race.
Johnson, who started ninth, was there to capitalize. Calm and steady throughout the afternoon, he led 67 laps and stayed among the front runners all day. His winning margin was 23 seconds, earning him $19,600 from the $88,250 purse.
Bobby Johns finished second, followed by 22‑year‑old rookie Richard Petty in a 1960 Plymouth. Petty’s father, Lee, the winner of last year’s inaugural Daytona 500, placed fourth in another Plymouth, giving the famed racing family two cars in the top four.
The race was marred by several frightening accidents. Tommy Herbert suffered a broken arm and severe eye injury when his Thunderbird disintegrated after slamming the wall on the backstretch. Tom Pistone was injured in a late‑race crash, while George Green narrowly escaped serious harm when his Chevrolet burst into flames in front of the main grandstand.
Despite the carnage, the crowd remained on edge throughout the afternoon, roaring as cars skidded, flipped and limped back to the pits. NASCAR officials later canceled two races scheduled for the following weekend, citing the extensive damage suffered by teams at Daytona.
When it was over, Johnson stood as the survivor of a brutal contest — a driver who arrived without a ride only weeks earlier and left with one of stock car racing’s richest prizes.
“It could have been worse,” Johns said quietly afterward. “I could have gone in the lake.” But for Junior Johnson, on a cold and blustery Valentine’s Day, it could hardly have been better.