Friday 23rd March 1923
Born on this day, Johnny Beauchamp, a two-time winner in NASCAR’s top series. The Harlan, Iowa, native, who died in 1981, is forever linked to two pivotal moments in NASCAR Hall of Famer Lee Petty’s career. In 1959, Beauchamp was declared the winner of the first Daytona 500, but the ruling was reversed three days later, handing the win to Petty. Two years later, Beauchamp and Petty crashed in a Daytona 500 qualifying race, with both cars sailing out of the speedway. The wreck effectively ended the NASCAR careers of both men.
