The 1962 Daytona Continental: A Photographic Retrospective

Eventual winner Dan Gurney waits for the checkers to fall with a failed engine

The year was 1962, and the Daytona International Speedway was barely three years old. NASCAR and DIS president Mr. William France Sr. was oddly intrigued by diminutive sports racers and wished to have his newly built track brought into the limelight on the world stage. As such, he requested that Daytona be the first round of that year’s World Sportscar Championship.

With the upcoming 50th anniversary of this race being celebrated at this years Rolex 24 at Daytona, it seems apropos that we go back in time to show you the event that started it all.

A.J. Foyt and his Pontiac Tempest lead the first lap… And retired on the second…

NASCAR legend Fireball Roberts and his Ferrari

A young David Hobbs beside his Jag E-type. The car would not last the race.

Before the "busstop chicane" was added, the sportscar course ran 3.81 miles

At the time, they were just racing drivers, though today, many of them number among the legends of the sport. Here is a partial drivers list of the event.

Jim Clark
Stirling Moss
A. J. Foyt
Dan Gurney
Phil Hill
Fireball Roberts
Joe Weatherly
Rodger Ward
Olivier Gendebien
Pedro Rodriguez
Ricardo Rodriguez
Marvin Panch
Jo Bonnier
Innes Ireland
Dick Rathmann
Bob Holbert
Peter Ryan
Walt Hansgen
Roger Penske
David Hobbs
Paul Goldsmith
Jim Hall

As always, pictures only take you so far, so here is a bit of period video to provide the sounds and sights in more vivid detail. It’s worth watching the ten minute clip, if only for the visual image of Dave Despain with hair. (Why doesn’t SPEED show stuff like this anymore?)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4Dn3mdfB2E[/youtube]

A hearty hat tip is due to Mr. Scrogzilla, and a deserved thank you to Sportscar Digest and Louis Galanos for providing the full story as well as MORE PICTURES!

The 1962 Daytona Continental: A Photographic Retrospective

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