50 years of Daytona - or how a Lotus won its first race using only the power of the starter motor
01/21/2012
One week from today, on January 28, 2012, an important motorsport event will take place in the USA: The "24 Hours of Daytona" celebrates its 50th birthday! It was first held in 1962, when it was still called the "Daytona Continental" and only lasted 3 hours, then 12 hours in 1964 and from 1966 the 24 hours that are still held today.
The first race in 1962 was won by Dan Gurney in a Lotus 19 with starting number 96 (picture above).
When you first see the photo above, you won't think anything special. Did the winner stop very slowly after the lap of honor at the finish line to wave to the spectators and the team, just like in Formula 1 today? No, it wasn't like that.
The rules of the race at the time stipulated that you would only be included in the final ranking if you reached the finish line after the winning car had passed. Many drivers who had retired early due to material problems therefore laboriously rolled their vehicle to just before the finish line so that they could quickly push their racer across the line after the winner had passed. Better a bad finish than a DNF (did not finish).
Dan Gurney in the Lotus 19 was in the same position. He had pulled out a very large lead and was already clearly predicted to be the winner. A few minutes before the end of the race, however, his engine unexpectedly stopped and he had to push the car towards the finish line using his own physical strength. Shortly before the finish line, he parked his Lotus on the right and waited out the remaining minutes of the three-hour race. The photo above was taken during this time.
As soon as the three hours were up, Dan Gurney turned the steering wheel to the left, permanently fired the starter to get some thrust and, thanks to the sloping track of the speedway, his Lotus rolled across the finish line powered by gravity - still in first place!
The following year, the rules were therefore adjusted. Only cars that crossed the finish line under the power of Moror were classified. Pushing and rolling were no longer permitted!
We will publish a detailed article on the history of Daytona before the 50th anniversary. But until then, you can at least enjoy all the Daytona winners since 1962 in one go.
