Sunday 14th February 1971
Richard Petty led teammate Buddy Baker across the line in the Daytona 500. It was Petty’s 3rd Daytona 500 win. Petty’s Plymouth finished 10 seconds ahead of Baker’s Petty Enterprises Dodge with A.J. Foyt third in the Wood Brothers Mercury. Foyt was leading with 39 laps to go when he ran out of gas, losing a lap in the process. Foyt unlapped himself in the final 20 laps, but couldn’t catch the Petty team. Donnie Allison was leading at the time of the last yellow, but he was eliminated after his Mercury darted into the wall during the last caution lap. Petty averaged 144.462 mph.