IndyCars At Daytona

In April of 1959, Indy Cars raced at Daytona International Speedway. The high speeds were like nothing ever seen before. At the time, the 100 mile race was the fastest auto race ever run.

But safety was far behind the speeds. Cars built to race on dirt were entered and pole-sitter Dick Rathmann raced wearing a short-sleeve shirt. With 1950s engineering unable to match the high-speeds, the race was incredibly dangerous and Indy Cars never returned to Daytona after that.

Copyright © 2023 nascarman History & Brock Beard