On February 20 , 1977 1977: Cale Yarborough goes from last to first. A year after finishing last in the Daytona 500, Yarborough wins the race on a windy day when papers are blowing over the track and causes at least one car to lose an engine. Yarborough drives the Chevrolet of Junior Johnson, the “Last American Hero” of movie fame and the 1960 Daytona 500 winner, away from Benny Parsons’ Chevy on the last few laps to win by 1.39 seconds. Yarborough leads for leads for 137 of the 200 laps, including the last 29. He averages 153.21 mph and earns $63,700. The top rookie finisher is Janet Guthrie, the first woman to race in the Daytona 500. Booed at the start by the crowd of 135,000, she is cheered after finishing 188 laps and coming in 12th. This is Yarborough’s second Daytona 500 victory. He will win the race twice more. Only Richard Petty (seven victories) will win more Daytona 500s.
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