In 1979 the Daytona 500 was televised live, flag-to-flag, for the very first time. The race was a big hit, due in part to an infield fist fight between Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison after they crashed out fighting for the lead. Richard Petty, who was running in 3rd, was left to take his 6th Daytona 500 victory, and with that fateful right hook, NASCAR discovered a new TV audience. Interest in the sport grew exponentially, and at the same time the early 80s was giving birth to a new radically optimistic economy, there was a fresh generation of upwardly mobile consumers and a corporate world looking for new ways to reach them. To mutual benefit, NASCAR would quickly become saturated in the bright colours of corporate sponsorship… and the fans loved it.

Photos by Brian Cleary

Private Motor Club - Volume 3, Issue 1 - 2021