1976 Daytona 500

Richard Petty took the white flag for the Daytona 500 in the #43 STP Dodge with David Pearson s #21 Purolator Mercury on his back bumper, poised for a last-lap slingshot. Pearson made his move on the backstretch, taking the lead in Turn 3 with slight contact between the two. Petty pulled alongside Peason in Turn 4. The two bumped again as Petty lurched into the lead. The bump sent Pearson spinning toward the grass. Petty keeps control a moment longer and then slams into the wall. Pearson had the presence of mind to disengage the clutch during his spin, keeping his engine running. Pearson made his way through the grass past Petty, whose car came to rest only 100 feet from the finish line. Pearson s mangled Mercury took the checkered flag at 20 mph.