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1966 Firecracker 400

{{short description|Auto race held at Daytona International Speedway in 1966}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{NASCAR race season infobox

| Type = CUST

| Description = Race 28 of 49 in the 1966 NASCAR Grand National Series season

| Race Name = Firecracker 400

| Details ref = {{cite web | url = http://www.almanac.com/weather/history/FL/Daytona%20Beach/1966-07-04| title = 1966 Firecracker 400 weather information | publisher = Old Farmers' Almanac | accessdate = 2012-07-01}}

| Fulldate = {{Start date|1966|07|4}}

| Year = 1966

| Race_No = 28

| Season_No = 49

| Image = 1966_Firecracker_400_program_cover_and_logo.png

| Caption = 1966 Daytona 500 program cover

| Official name = Firecracker 400

| Location = Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida

| Course_mi = 2.500

| Course_km = 4.023

| Distance_laps = 160

| Distance_mi = 400

| Distance_km = 643

| Avg = {{convert|153.813|mi/h}}

| Weather = Temperatures of {{convert|93|F|C}}; wind speeds of {{convert|12|mph|km/h}}

| Attendance = 46,200

| Pole_Driver = LeeRoy Yarbrough

| Pole_Team = Jon Thorne

| Pole_Time =

| Most_Driver = Sam McQuagg

| Most_Team = Ray Nichels

| Most_laps = 126

| Car = 98

| First_Driver = Sam McQuagg

| First_Team = Ray Nichels

}}

The 1966 Firecracker 400 was a NASCAR Grand National Series event that was held on July 4, 1966, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.{{cite web | url = http://racing-reference.info/race/1966-28/W| title = 1966 Firecracker 400 racing results | publisher = Racing Reference | accessdate = 2010-11-19}}

Race report

Forty-six Thousand two hundred fans would attended this event. It took two hours and thirty-six minutes to finish. Four cautions slowed the race for 23 laps. The average speed of the race was {{convert|153.813|mi/h}}. Sam McQuagg would beat Darel Dieringer by one minute and six seconds.

This was the first time that a rear spoiler would be used in any NASCAR Cup Series race.{{cite web | url = http://www.nascardriveroftheday.com/2010/02/sam-mcquagg.html| title = NASCAR Driver of the Day: Sam McQuagg | publisher = NASCAR Driver of the Day | accessdate = 2011-01-07}} On the day of the race, the factory engineers at Dodge would install this new invention on McQuagg's car (which caused him to go several miles per hour faster than his opponents).

Individual winnings for this event ranged from the winner's share of $13,600 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|13600|1966|r=0}}}} when considering inflation) to the last-place finisher's share of $350 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|350|1966|r=0}}}} when considering inflation). A total of $55,105 was handed out to every driver (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|55105|1966|r=0}}}} when considering inflation).{{cite web | url = http://fantasyracingcheatsheet.com/nascar/races/results/1966/daytona-international-speedway/firecracker-400/989| title = 1966 Firecracker 400 winnings information | publisher = Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet | accessdate = 2012-12-02}}

=Qualifying=

class="wikitable"
Grid

! {{Tooltip|No.|Car number}}

! Driver

! Manufacturer

! Owner

1

| 12 || LeeRoy Yarbrough || '66 Dodge || Jon Thorne

2

| 43 || Richard Petty || '64 Plymouth || Petty Enterprises

3

| 13 || Curtis Turner || '66 Chevrolet || Smokey Yunick

4

| 98 || Sam McQuagg || '66 Dodge || Ray Nichels

5

| 99 || Paul Goldsmith || '66 Plymouth || Ray Nichels

6

| 56 || Jim Hurtubise || '66 Plymouth || Norm Nelson

7

| 31 || Don White || '66 Dodge || Ray Nichels

8

| 5 || Mario Andretti || '66 Dodge || Cotton Owens

9

| 3 || Buddy Baker || '65 Dodge || Ray Fox

10

| 71 || Earl Balmer || '65 Dodge || Nord Krauskopf

Finishing order

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}

  1. Sam McQuagg† (No. 98)
  2. Darel Dieringer† (No. 16)
  3. Jim Paschal† (No. 14)
  4. Curtis Turner† (No. 13)
  5. Jim Hurtubise† (No. 56)
  6. Don White (No. 31)
  7. Marvin Panch (No. 04)
  8. Tiny Lund† (No. 24)
  9. James Hylton (No. 48)
  10. John Sears† (No. 4)
  11. Buddy Baker*† (No. 3)
  12. Frank Warren (No. 79)
  13. Elmo Langley† (No.64)
  14. Bobby Allison (No. 2)
  15. David Pearson† (No. 6)
  16. Harold Smith (No. 55)
  17. Larry Hess (No. 44)
  18. Eddie MacDonald (No. 89)
  19. Wendell Scott† (No. 34)
  20. Blackie Watt (No. 93)
  21. J.D. McDuffie† (No.70)
  22. Jack Lawrence (No. 06)
  23. Henley Gray (No. 97)
  24. LeeRoy Yarbrough*† (No. 12)
  25. Roy Mayne† (No. 00)
  26. Jimmy Helms* (No. 53)
  27. Paul Goldsmith* (No. 99)
  28. Doug Cooper* (No. 02)
  29. Richard Petty* (No. 43)
  30. Earl Balmer* (No. 71)
  31. Mario Andretti* (No. 5)
  32. Wayne Smith* (No. 38)
  33. Buck Baker*† (No. 86)
  34. Bunkie Blackburn*† (No. 39)
  35. G.C. Spencer*† (No. 49)
  36. Buddy Arrington* (No. 69)
  37. J.T. Putney*† (No. 19)
  38. Bobby Johns* (No. 7)
  39. Jabe Thomas*† (No. 25)
  40. Joel Davis* (No. 33)

{{div col end}}

† signifies that the driver is known to be deceased

* Driver failed to finish race

References

{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}

{{succession box |

before = 1966 Pickens 200 |

after = 1966 untitled race at Old Dominion Speedway|

title = NASCAR Grand National races|

years = 1966 |

}}

{{s-end}}

{{s-start}}

{{succession box

|before = 1965

|after = 1967

|title = Firecracker 400 races

|years = 1966

}}

{{s-end}}

{{authority control}}

Firecracker 400

Firecracker 400

Category:NASCAR races at Daytona International Speedway