Daytona 500: An Official History Bob ZellerHardcover in DJ in Good Condition With roots dating back to the earliest days of motor racing, the Daytona 500 isn't just America's most popular automobile raceit is an American institution. No other race is as widely followed by stock car racing fans, and no driver's record is fully complete without a 500 victory. When Lee Petty and Johnny Beauchamp roared side by side to the checkered flag in the inaugural race in 1959, they established a tradition