By Mark Aumann, Turner Sports Interactive
January 9, 2003
9:30 AM EST (1430 GMT)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The inaugural Daytona 500 was an instant success, fueled by instant controversy resulting from a finish that most definitely needed an instant replay.
It took three days to confirm the winner, but NASCAR officials, scanning photographs and movies of the finish, decided that Lee Petty had edged Johnny Beauchamp by an official margin of victory of two feet. The official decision matched the post-race opinion of a fan, who scrambled up the giant Daytona scoreboard to place Petty's No. 42 ahead of Beauchamp's No. 73.
For the two combatants, the close finish was all a matter of perspective.
"I had him by two feet," Beauchamp said. "I glanced over to Lee Petty's car as I crossed the finish line and I could see his headlight slightly back of my car. It was so close I didn't know how they would call it, but I thought I won."
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Not surprisingly, Petty's view of the finish was completely the opposite.
"I had Beauchamp by a good two feet," Petty said. "In my own mind, I know I won."
Early leader Fireball Roberts, who was standing near the finish line, sided with Petty.
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"There's no doubt about it," he said. "Petty won."
Cotton Owens set the fastest lap in qualifying at 143.198 mph, but it was pole-sitter Bob Welborn, winner of the 100-miler earlier in the week, who took the early lead as 59 cars took the green flag.
Welborn, Tiger Tom Pistone and Joe Weatherly took turns at the front during the first 22 laps, then Roberts grabbed the lead on lap 23 and led the next 20 circuits.
Beauchamp then led for the first time before Pistone and Jack Smith battled over the top spot for the next 100 miles.
But by the three-quarter mark, it was clear that the winner would be either Beauchamp's Thunderbird or Petty's Oldsmobile. The two had broken away from the rest of the field and proceeded to swap the lead over the final 30 laps, trying to protect both engine and tires for the final sprint.
Petty took over on lap 197 and led until the white flag. Beauchamp finally made his move to the front, but felt he had been blocked by Weatherly's lapped car.
"I don't think Weatherly did it intentionally but I was hampered by his blocking at times," Beauchamp said. "We finally spread out and I found running room."
Beauchamp finally pulled side-by-side with Petty as the cars passed a backmarker in the tri-oval for a three-wide finish.
NASCAR officials stationed at the stripe thought Beauchamp may have won by 12 inches. But Petty disputed that, claiming he had beaten Beauchamp to the line by two feet. Without a photo finish camera, NASCAR President Bill France decided to delay the determination of the winner until officials could examine photographs and movies of the finish.
Lee's son, Richard, fared nearly as poorly as his father did well, completing just eight laps and finishing 57th.
Ironically, Petty and Beauchamp would be involved in a more serious incident two years later during a qualifying race for the 1961 Daytona 500.
When leader Banjo Mathews spun in front of them while they were racing side-by-side, Petty's and Beauchamp's cars tumbled over the guard rail at top speed. Petty's injuries were serious enough to force his immediate retirement.
This is one in a series of articles counting down to the 2003 Daytona 500.
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