For the first time in Daytona 500 history a female driver would start the race, Janet Guthrie. She would start 39th and finish the race a respectable 12th place. Cale Yarborough would start in 4th and go on to be the 1977 Daytona 500 winner. After 30 lead changes among 10 drivers, running 37 laps under 6 cautions and an average speed of 153.218. Cale Yarborough took the checkered flag in front of Benny Parsons and Buddy Baker. Coo Coo Marlin would come in 4th place. Cale was the second NASCAR driver in history to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated Magazine. The first being Curtis Turner on the February 26th 1968 issue.
To see more, go to the Daytona 500 Winners website.
To hear Cale Yarborough tell his story on video, go to the KnowItAll.org website.