[8] It is also the series' first race of the year; this phenomenon is virtually unique in sports, which tend to have championships or other major events at the end of the season rather than the start.

The 2006 Daytona 500 attracted the sixth largest average live global TV audience of any sporting event that year with 20 million viewers.

Bob Welborn, winner of the 100-mile (160 km) Grand National qualifying race earlier in the week, started on the pole position.

On lap 50, Pistone took over first place and Jack Smith moved into second; Beauchamp was third and Lee Petty was fifth.

Richard Petty also had to retire from the race with an engine problem and earned $100 ($1,045.21 when adjusted for inflation) for his 57th-place performance.

Beauchamp was declared the unofficial winner by NASCAR officials, and he drove to victory lane.

"[10] Early leader Fireball Roberts, who was standing by the finish line, said: "There's no doubt about it, Petty won.

[10] In the end, with the help of photographs and newsreel footage, Petty was officially declared the winner.

The delayed results to determine the official winner kept NASCAR and the Daytona 500 on the front page of newspapers.