February 18 - This day in Petty history

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1962 - Richard finishes 2nd to Fireball Roberts - a year after he flew over the wall in his 1961 Daytona qualifying race. Bunkie Blackburn finishes 13th in a 2nd #42 Petty Plymouth. And Bob Welborn finishes 10th in a Julian Petty-fielded #44 Pontiac.

1973 - Richard wins his 4th Daytona 500 wearing a fu manchu mustache.



1979 - Richard wins his 6th Daytona 500 when Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough wreck on the back stretch on the final lap.

What amazes me to this day isn't the wreck or the fight or Richard's win. Its the fact Donnie and Cale were 1-2 at the end of the race after spinning earlier with Bobby. They spun down through all that sandy mud and standing water. Yet, they managed to recover, get back on the lead lap, and were in contention for the win when it mattered.

I love Ken Squire's comments to this day: "And there's a fight! They know they have lost." So much more succinct and genuine than the contrived boogity, boogity, boogity.

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February 18 - a big day for Richard Petty with wins at Daytona in 1973 and 1979. NASCAR had two additional memorable Daytona 500 finishes on February 18 where Petty was not at the center of the story: 1990 and 2001.

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