The Daytona 500 stands alone in American sports in that stock car racing’s signature event occurs at the start of the season and not the end.

The 500 celebrated 50 years in 2008, having begun literally on the sands of Daytona Beach before the Speedway was born.

Over the first 50 years, there were many historic moments. "The Intimidator" Dale Earnhardt Sr. died in this race, which for many years had tormented him and in return added to the 3 car’s legendary status that made him the sport’s most popular figure.

Richard Petty, NASCAR’s all-time champion and the sport’s premier charismatic driver, had a memorable spinout with archrival David Pearson on the final lap when both careened to the infield. Pearson was able to recover and won. 

The Great American Race was the first 500 miler ever to be televised live from start to finish. Yes, that does include the Indianapolis 500. 

Here’s a brief review of what has made the 500 the Super Bowl of auto racing.

1959: Lee Petty wins the inaugural 500, which actually took three days to decide. NASCAR initially called Johnny Beauchamp the winner. After reviewing photographs and film of the finish, the call was reversed. Petty received $19,050 for winning.

1962: After three years of being the best driver never to win the Daytona 500, Glenn "Fireball" Roberts dominated the race, leading 144 of the 200 laps and finally won his first (and ultimately only) Daytona 500.

1964: Driving a potent Plymouth with the new Hemi engine, Richard Petty led 184 of the 200 laps to win the 1964 Daytona 500 going away. Plymouths ran 1-2-3 at the finish. The triumph was Petty’s first on a super-speedway.

1967: This year saw Mario Andretti dominate the race. He led 112 of the 200 laps, including the last 33 laps to capture his only win in the Sprint Cup Series.

1970: Pete Hamilton took the checkered flag in front of the largest crowd to ever have seen the Daytona 500 (an estimated 103,800). It was the first of four victories Hamilton would have in his brief NASCAR career.

1974: Due to the Oil Crisis, the 500 was shortened to 180 laps (450 miles). Richard Petty overcame tough luck of his own and capitalized on the misfortunes of Donnie Allison to win his fifth Daytona 500. A record 53 laps were run under caution.

1976: The Petty-Pearson final lap spin to the infield. Petty’s car didn’t start, but Pearson was able to keep his car running and limp over the finish line for the win. Many fans consider this finish to be the greatest in the history of NASCAR.

1979: The first 500-mile race to be broadcast live on national television, airing on CBS. A final lap crash and subsequent fight between leaders Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison (along with Donnie’s brother Bobby Allison) brought national (if unwelcome) publicity to NASCAR, with the added emphasis of a snowstorm that bogged down much of the northeastern part of the United States. Richard Petty won it.

1984: Cale Yarborough completed a lap of 201.848 mph (324.828 km/h), officially breaking the 200 mph (320 km/h) barrier at Daytona. He won the race for the second year in a row, and fourth time in his career, with the identical last-lap pass, this time outpacing Darrell Waltrip.

1987: Bill Elliott qualified for the pole position at an all-time Daytona record of 210.364 mph (338.532 km/h). He had already won convincingly in the 1985 race, and won his second Daytona 500 in dominating fashion.

1988: Restrictor plates were mandated to reduce dangerously high speeds at Daytona and its sister track, Talladega Speedway. The race began despite uncertainty about how well these would work. Eventually, Bobby Allison and his son Davey Allison finished 1-2.

1989: Darrell Waltrip wins his first Daytona 500 victory after 17 attempts. Coincidentally, the car he drove to victory, the Tide Ride, wore number 17.

1990: After several years of futility, Dale Earnhardt appeared headed for certain victory until running over a bell housing from the blown engine of Rick Wilson’s car. He blew a tire, slowed suddenly, and veered out of the groove, allowing the relatively unknown Derrike Cope to slip by and take the his first career win in a major upset.

1991: Earnhardt’s Daytona 500 frustrations continued as Ernie Irvan passed Earnhardt with six laps to go. Earnhardt’s day started out on a sour note as he hit a seagull in the opening laps. The damage inflicted by the bird affected the aerodynamics and damaged the radiator, causing high water temperatures. Ultimately, Earnhardt spun out with two laps remaining.

1995: Sterling Marlin amazingly became the first driver since Cale Yarborough to win back-to-back Daytona 500s. During a late caution, Marlin stayed out in the lead, while many of the leaders pitted for new tires. Dale Earnhardt dramatically charged from 14th to 2nd, but Marlin managed to hold him off on the final lap, despite running on old tires.

1997: Jeff Gordon became the youngest driver to win the Daytona 500. Gordon and his Hendrick Motorsports teammates Terry Labonte and Ricky Craven ganged up on race leader Bill Elliott during the final 10 laps. The race ended under the caution flag as the teammates grabbed a 1-2-3 finish.

1998: Earnhardt finally won the Daytona 500 after 20 years of trying. The victory was widely celebrated, even by people who weren’t his fans, and was a defining moment in Earnhardt’s career and legacy.

2001: The darkest day in NASCAR with Earnhardt’s tragic death on a last lap crash into the outside wall. He suffered a fatal basilar skull fracture at the same time his team cars were crossing the finish line first and second. The race ushered in a new era of safety in NASCAR and marked the beginning of NASCAR’s new television control with FOX.

2004: Dale Earnhardt Jr. made a daring move late in the race without drafting help, going into turn three to get by Tony Stewart. Junior’s win came six years to the date after his father won the event.

2005: The start time was changed, allowing the race to finish under the lights at dusk. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. made a popular charge to the front on lap 197, but made his move too soon. Gordon slipped by to re-take the lead and held on to win his third Daytona 500.

2006: Jimmie Johnson wins after a green-white-checker finish, but failed post-race inspection due to an illegal rear window. He maintains the win, but the team was fined $200,000 and crew chief Chad Knaus was handed a four-race suspension. Johnson goes on to capture the first of five straight NASCAR driving championships.

2008: The celebrated 50th running of the Daytona 500 was the first using NASCAR’s Car of Tomorrow. It also marked the first race under the "Sprint Cup Series" banner, following the merger of Sprint with NEXTEL in 2006.