NASCAR - The Infamous Fistfight - Daytona 500 1979

Donnie Allison, Cale Yarborough, Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, AJ Foyt Jr., Bobby Allison. NASCAR

[@ecardona53]

Remember when sex was safe and racing was dangerous?

[@MrMoon-cg2yy]

Haven't heard of anyone dying of sex lately.

[@last-and-furious]

ever heard of AIDS?

[@corymatthews13]

Eric Cardona ouu I member

[@OakridgeCommCareHome]

Lol yall gotta remember that racing was way better but lots more dangerous back then.

[@ftsjr]

This was the first NASCAR race that was broadcast "live" on national television (ABC). Cale Yarborough was right. The thrilling finish (and the fight) boosted the popularity of NASCAR racing like nothing else could. That popularity has only grown since then.

[@mkl62]

It was CBS.

[@markschlesinger]

CBS

[@mkl62]

Other network sports variety shows either showed NASCAR races a week later edited or they were joined in progress. The 1976 Daytona 500 was. That was the one that came down between David Pearson & Richard Petty.

[@cidspimms]

This was NASCAR.

[@SGTJDerek]

What would the fine be if this happened today? The NASCAR office would drop dead of a heart attack.

[@WISHBONEL7]

Modern day liberalism constantly trickles into every arena of American life .

[@HOTWHEELSCOTT]

Who would thumb down this....? WTF..? This is real Nascar unlike the BS they call Nascar today...

[@johnderby1]

NASCAR is still cool ... but not like this

[@vinewood8295]

In all honesty, Cale had position on Donnie, Bobby's brother should've given way but instead he ran Cale to the grass & caused both of them to wreck just like the assholes I play against on ps3 NASCAR 14...

[@EclecticHillbilly]

Donnie did cut Cale off but you have to remember, this was the Daytona 500. A couple times Donnie had the race basically won, in earlier years, and lost due to bad luck (late flat tire in 1974 is one example), so Donnie wanted to win this race so bad he could taste it and of course, so did Cale. It was Donnie's fault but it was basically two fierce competitors determined to race as hard as they could.

[@APlaya-ol1xq]

I wonder if the Yarboroughs & Allisons get along now? Probably not lol

[@thelineman16]

Jennifer Sun You are dead wrong, Cale is and was the scrapper here, he took on two brothers at the same time and was holding his own. Donnie tried to cut Cale off and failed, period.

[@mustangflyer6878]

"It appears we may have a fist fight, we see driver's and helmets", LOL!!!!!!! That commentator at 0:10 sounds just like Mickey Mouse on PCP. Lol.

[@jelani96]

Donnie allison told one of the biggest lies ever!

[@EclecticHillbilly]

Notice Donnie was the smartest one...........he never took his helmet off. Years on the short tracks in the old days would teach you that. lol

[@jefrey5578]

Back when Nascar was fun and you could tell the various manufacturers apart.

[@OverlandOne]

Back when NASCAR was great, now it sucks.

[@VrOOm1337]

Cale didn't tap him in the back, look closely. They made contact on Donnie's left rear. Personally, I'd say Donnie is at fault here.

[@ShyteKreek46]

Cale held his line. You can see that Donnie clearly came from the outside to the inside.

[@Digitalear]

F1 is cool if you like to watch follow the leader for 2 hours.

[@MPZRACEVIDEO]

Wish we had the NASCAR at Germany.....

[@acegibson9533]

Then one week later they all went fishin' together.

[@EclecticHillbilly]

Actually no. The next race that both Cale and Donnie ran was a couple weeks later at Rockingham. In the first 10 laps of the race, Cale took Donnie out as a payback and it was a multi car crash which involved another Hoss Ellington car driven by Neil Bonnett. Only people that really followed racing at the time remember that.

[@MaggieandMissyPugs]

great stuff, brought NASCAR to the masses

[@0truckmafk]

I dont mind Toyota being in NASCAR but atleast make the RWD Carbureted 2 door Camery available to me ffs!

[@georgejacob3162]

Yeah and with a V8 engine rather than with the 2.4 litre 4 cylinder or 3 litre V6!

[@mdog2560]

I'm not a big fan of either drivers, so after watching it several times, I have to take Cale's side. He definitely would have made the pass, but as Donnie eased him down the track, he took Cale's momentum away and ended up side by side. As he kept easing down the track, at first it didn't look like he pushed him off the track, but then I noticed his left rear wheel did catch the mud and it was on from there. I think Donnie refuses to look at it objectively.

[@redoctober90]

I sent a video response to the owner....the two cars are in the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC, and I took a quick video of them up close so you can see Donnie and Cale's cars in the shape they were in right at the end of the race. Awesome that they kept the cars instead of scrapping them....something you don't see today.

[@mkl62]

I heard all 3 got death threats after this. Someone threatened to throw a beer bottle through Donnie's windshield when they came to Atlanta. 1 year later, Donnie's affiliation with Hoss Ellington ended after the Atlanta race. The TropArtic team would stay out late partying and was not 100% focused come race time. Except for the 1980 Rebel 500 with David Pearson, I don't think Hoss Ellington's drivers won another race.

[@BigRedJonson]

THE defining moment in NASCAR history, shown live on TV, the first Daytona 500 ever broadcast live. I was watching! Cale Yarborough sums it up beautifully- "I think it made a lot of fans for the sport. I think it's one of the biggest things to happen to the sport. It got people's attention." Those were the days! Thanks for posting!

[@RedroomStudios]

Donnie clearly ran Cale into the grass... I'll always remember this race, as others have mentioned this was the first Daytona 500 televised live. Ever after this I was huge Cale Yarbourough fan, and he's still a great guy!

[@critchley3819]

@nixipinion Yes It is a race that is hard on cars and drivers, probably nothing quite like it anywhere in the world, I think it started out in around 1960 as a production car race, that is any car that was on sale at the time with the stipulation that at least 200 cars had been sold, that to me was great to see,I can't remember what the race was called then but if you like I will find out so that you can find it on y tube.

[@altfactor]

@Dgb12651 It was not the first Daytona "500" to be televised. But it was the first one, as far as I know, to be televised live from start-to-finish. Reportedly, there was a cold wave in much of the country that an urban legend claims contributed to the high viewership. In reality, the big TV numbers were caused by the growth in fan interest auto racing received during the 1970's. Also: Isn't the 2011 edition of the Daytona "500" going to be run under the lights in prime time?

[@Kinetic38]

NASCAR has always been more of a spectator's sport than Formula or WRC, simply because it's both more exciting and easier to spectate. Formula and Touring car racing (or any form of racing with both LH and RH turns) is a fine art; more of an enthusiast's sport. It's about the feeling and finesse of car control on the limit. You hardly have time to think about where other cars are, let alone follow them. And it's not about the battles, it's about getting around the track as fast as possible

[@darfunkelidas]

Oh shut up. Skill? Formula 1 requires skill at every level. Advanced engineering, mechanics, physical trainers, computer fluid dynamics. The drivers have to negotiate twisty chicanes in tenths of a second while fighting against 5 G's of decceleration. And we can look past skin color (look at our world champion this year). The only skill nascar requires is who can eat more burgers and who can drink beer quicker than the others.

[@altfactor]

This was the first time since 1959 (and only the second time ever) the Daytona "500" aired live and in full on network TV (CBS). Thanks to heavy promotion of the telecast----and the last laps' duel which boosted the numbers as people called their neighbors to say "Turn On CBS! There's an amazing finish coming up in Daytona!"---the ratings were the largest ever for a NASCAR race (and maybe any kind of auto race) up to that time. Auto racing became a big-time TV sport thanks to this finish.

[@AlexR47x]

i dont think u have any idea how demanding it is to drive that. its like being on a rollercoaster, thats how big the g forces are. imagine doing that for up to 4-5 hours and tell me if ur an athlete then

[@earlyetman5588]

It's a Ford, a Chevy, a Toyota, a Dodge...Whoops, at least they left this clusterfuck! They use stickers for ID now, FUCK NASCAR!

[@gordondeprest]

It's obvious Donnie threw the block which is legal as long as he is in front which he was since Cale tapped him in the back, went below the line and lost control came up and hit Donnie in the door...all good stuff though, that's when it was real racing, not this crap Nascar puts out there every Sunday now.

[@critchley3819]

@sneezabonk Yes I know what you are saying. when cars where cars not just race cars with a differant body, Down here one of our more famous car race is the Bathurst 1,000 and it is not a banked track it is a bit of everything even a mountain, hard on cars, tires, brakes and drivers. but now its not production anymore its advertising and it is boring

[@arizonaresident1]

I race stock cars on dirt, which is obviously a lot slower than this but the corners are tighter. I was so surprised at the amount of g-forces I felt going into the corner. Now I got used to it and really don't feel it at all. People who race at all levels really put their life into it. It costs so much money to race even at the local dirt track.

[@Icewalker946]

This was the first race I remember seeing (I was 7 years old) and I thought it was so cool, not because of the crash or the fight but the fact that my Dad's favorite driver, 'King' Richard Petty won. He was so excited.....brings back good memories. He'll be watching today for the 50th running of the Great American Race (Daytona 500)

[@rommel1461]

60's and 70's was when NASCAR was made up of real men, not these candy ass corporate lap dogs. Yarborough, Petty, Allison's Foyt all Southern boys chewing tobacco, cursing and fighting. Now NASCAR is filled with little boys who whine and cry when they get bumped.

[@hmg789]

"I had no control over the car at the time" translated, "donnie u mfkr, im gonna put u in the wall just for that"..........."...i knew that he (cale) wasnt going to get under me before i got to turn 3" translated, "i knew that it just wasnt going to happen"....

[@WhiteHatBobby]

@critchley3819 If you listen closely you will hear the commentator who called Bathurst for US television last year as the back straight announcer. Mike Joy referenced this fight to Murph during the Ambrose phone conversation comparing this to the 2005 Bathurst squabble.

[@skylarSKC]

@fred1671 i know what u mean by that. it kind of turns people off to NASCAR, because everything is an advertisement. it gets really ridiculous how they promote so many corporations and stuff. and i hate WWE, its a disgrace to sports in my mind, to call those juiced up clowns athletes. they are actors

[@arizonaresident1]

It was a racing incident. If the front of your car meets the driver's door then he should give you room. In this case Cale was going a lot faster than Donnie but Donnie did a poor job blocking him. Cale was already underneath him and had all 4 wheels on the track when Donnie hit him. I

[@ROTAXD]

Nascar needs to start using production cars again, not these tube framed purpose built roll cages with wheels. Get rid of the restrictor plates too. Nascar is supposed to be about STOCK CAR RACING...if you wanna watch purpose built cars go watch irl or f1.

[@skylarSKC]

what was so different about racing then and now? there are cars that go fast, good competition. some of the guys that drive the cars are not exactly "real men" lol, but whats so different? im a new fan of NASCAR, so im curious. thanks

[@DJKD0gg]

really?????? ummmm when NASCAR started there were jaguars and other foreign made cars....Chrysler....German.....at least the Toyotas are assembled in America giving Americans jobs not like Chevy and Ford who employ Canadians and Mexicans....

[@qzt7]

cale made more sense, if your moving at 160+ MPH the car will shot up either back ontop the race track or into the infield. I think that donnie should went high and sling shot by cale in turn 3, however it was an exiting crash and race

[@HayTatsuko]

I like circuit racing (oval or road course) and rally... it's all fun to watch! Each kind's got its particular feel and thrill, but ALL of it boils down to men and women mastering their machines and making their way through close calls to get the checkers!

[@Dgb12651]

@altfactor The cold wave was definitely real, I don't know about the urban legend but like I said that was the day that I got married and we had 2 ft. of snow that day here in NC. Biggest snowstorm i ever saw!!!!!!

[@hypersaiyangoku]

And don'y get football why do they kick a ball back and forward over and over, listen racing is more dangerous the football in fact you should be thanking motorracing there crashes are what make our road cars safer

[@weallfollowmanutd]

LOL I love the way the driver that does indeed squeeze him off states ' a lot of people think I ran him off the road but he hit the back me first!' Yeah mate, he hit you because he wouldve had to take to the grass!

[@kickballa]

i am a fan of KUBICA(Robert) BMW Sauber .... he won at monaco last season but this season is a bad season for him! ,,, already 3 engines died! That's just f***ed up! He might join a different team! and good to see an F1 fan!

[@Fania54]

brandonsmail99 -- I was kidding, it''s what Cale supposedly said in the heat of the moment. I think it's hilarious. Bobby was nowhere near Donnie and Cale when the last lap deal happened. Anyway, I agree.....hell of a finish!

[@Taranau]

I liked watching them all,more back then tan now.They were racing cars we could go and get at a dealership.So,it was more about the personalities back then.And this was a fine example of personality conflict.

[@SHIPWRECKGAL84]

saw and interview with cale, and he insists bobby 'ran into his fist'. and there's a rumor floating that stewart punched kurt busch in the nascar hauler after they called them in for using their cars to fight on the track

[@joh2]

Back in the day when they ACTUALLY looked like what was on the showroom floor... ...then again though, I somehow couldn't imagine a FWD NASCAR...

[@sneezabonk]

This was when it could be considered a sport because it was real racing none of good finish for points today crap. It today is basically used for advertising by mentioning the sponsors more then the cars

[@jlyn1980]

I saw an interview during the 50th Anniversary of Daytona 500 and the two were in a room together talking about this fight. You could see they still were angry about it. It cracked me up.

[@Icewalker946]

I don't remember like it was yesterday but this is my first memory of NASCAR racing. I remember my Dad rooting for 'The King' and how excited he got when Richard Petty came out on top in that race.

[@Ariamaluum]

My fantasy is based on this race. Where an Indian driver and a Pakistani driver are side by side and neck& neck who do the same thing as Cale and Donnie. What would happen to the world then? LOL.

[@BadBooking]

@marimbaman89 This may not answer your question, but the radio commentary team (I believe Barney Hall and Eli Gold) is quite the mind trip.

[@Dgb12651]

Oh for the glory days of NASCAR! What they are doing these days is a poor excuse for racing!! This happened on the day I got married, 1st time that the Daytona 500 was talevised.

[@SHIPWRECKGAL84]

still happens though, Harvick and Biffle at Bristol Fight night comes to mind : ) Kurt Busch and Jimmy Spencer were infamous too. i know there's more but I can't remember what they are

[@bailinnumberguy]

They were both in the wrong. Donnie Allison forced him off the track and Yarborough reciprocated by playing bumper cars. Bobby Allison should've stayed out of the fray.

[@hemptrue]

hmm @ stokieaggro1863 and unpilot15 you guys both just sound foolish arguing and talkin trash over the internet do your selfs a favor and just stop really

[@fjl2x2]

Maybe it's me, but I really don't get the appeal of racing. Watching cars going around and around and around over and over again. It's just boring

[@ChynaRider]

Cale hit him. He weren't gonna git shut out, and he hit Donnie. Like the preacher said, "They's some holes you just aren't gonna fit into".

[@darfunkelidas]

Ha haaa!! I'm not french, I live in France though. You're smarter than I thought, you can eat burgers AND look at my profile. I'm impressed.

[@UNpilot15]

@hemptrue we did. sorry bout that. sometimes I can get a bit carried away. I deleted my comments with him, though.

[@mkl62]

This aired today (February 18) in 1979. And it put NASCAR on the map.

[@FlynBass]

@gazellehunter1 I'd rather have "fake" cars, in your words than loosing drivers, compared to F1 or Indycar, NASCAR is as "Real" as it gets.

[@day500champ15]

Quite easily, the greatest moment in NASCAR history. One Great Finish, one great fight, and one great moment.

[@Muddy79Ford]

It's obvious he took all the track he could drive on, therefore he ran him off the track... what a load of shit

[@tommylord]

"Petty almost put him off in the grass!" What race are you watching? lol. You gotta love those added on after the fact announcers.

[@soylentteal]

Donnie had every right to block Cale to force him to go outside. Cale chose to go into the grass instead, then into Donnie.

[@idak12]

@RedroomStudios That is correct, you can see Donnie cross the white lines as Cale tries to pass him, it is clearly his fault.

[@havik82]

i wish there would be more fist fights... maybe the announcers should disagree on something and just start throwing hay-makers!!

[@Unclemoparman]

The best thing about it was the gift to King Richard of yet another of his 200 wins! MoPAR EXPERIENCE

[@jake99776]

Donnie Allison, Cale Yarborough, Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, AJ Foyt Jr., Bobby Allison. Those are some drivers

[@romaneeto]

Put NASCAR on the map. Lay off Logano he's only 18 years old. A kid for Christ's sake. I hope he make you eat cake.

[@DunlopDaytona]

Formula One DOES require some skill... for instance, in Formula One the drivers have to turn right sometimes...

[@pwned2002]

Ah, the good ole days. I miss those! "The Alambama Gang" Haven't heard that in years. Thanks for the video!

[@yorricksfriend]

he won at montreal last year, im sure you knew that just got the mons mixed up im guessing

[@mildlyupset]

I had both of the MatchBox cars and can assure you, they've seen way worse accidents than that lol

[@lajemac]

Love the video but how the hell does KZbin come up with yogi as a suggestion after watching this.

[@Geminijames3]

I Have N0 Idea What The Hell Y0u Are Talking Ab0ut Miredneck1984, Wake Up & Smeel The C0ffee !

[@jlyn1980]

I love the fact that these guys are still arguing over whose fault it was. It's been 30 years.

[@tranurse]

montecarlos, chargers. a lot of chevy's, dodges and pontiacs. some fords, and a few toyotas

[@TheNylter]

I was a 9-year-old girl watching this race while the blizzard howled outside.

[@Andyyyandtrade1]

The man says "It's proven on the potato we showed..." Absolutely it was.

[@Modusoperandicod4]

this is back when the cars were actually "stock" not the heavily modified bodys of today.

[@RingoYote71]

wtf is a curb feeler?, this was 1979, nascar wasn't production cars, it was teammade cars

[@McCall72]

Cale Yarbourgh was a tough little son of a gun. I miss seeing that guy race on Sunday's.

[@AMPLIGHTNING]

@Dshed1967 no lol wish we could have fights like that now without having big fines lol

[@WoodyONeal]

you don't turn your wheel to the right at 200 mph. Cale did it twice in that segment.

[@mat2000100]

Check Gazellhunter1's comment.it probably wasn't as shit back then, as it is today.

[@bustitution]

Richard Petty's car was the brightest colored car. The Blue Streak.

[@lukeshytalker02]

haha he clearly shut the door too late, he had nowhere else to go but into his car

[@Fania54]

Cale was right, the wreck was Bobby Allison's fault, "Bobby was blocking all day"

[@dalnews8411]

Demolisher vs wild card

[@mgkkelly1983]

Little people and fakers will hide behind fake profiles. At least mine is real.