1949
The 1949 race moved to a new 4.3-mile course, and France increase the race from 150 miles to 200 miles to allow the drivers to open up on the straighaways. Eighty-seven cars filed for qualifying, and 75 competed in the race -- the largest field in the history of American automobile racing. Ed Samples had the fastest time with Fonty Flock, and Red Byron just a few seconds slower.

Fonty led the first two laps before Byron took command. Then local hero Marshall Teague made his move. Teague, who had installed an extra fuel tank in the back seat of his '39 Ford, carried 36 gallons of fuel. He made only one quick pit stop for oil and led the race until the 36th lap when he briefly lost the lead to Ed Samples. Samples broke a rod with two laps remaining, and Teague won his first Daytona victory.

July

The mid-season race saw a switch from pre-war cars to newer models. Red Byron and Raymond Parks entered a 1949 Oldsmobile 88, but the fans were intrigued by the entry of three woman -- Sara Christian, Louise Smith, and Ethel Flock Mobley. Byron won the race with Tim Flock taking second place. Frank "Rebel"Mundy came in third. Ethel finished 11th, and Sara finished 18th. Louise came in 20th.

After the race Byron and Vogt compared the new cars to the modifieds. "These strictly stock cars are a lot slower,"remarked Byron. "The modifieds will do 115 mph down the road. These strictly stocks can do 92, maybe 93,"agreed Vogt. As noted by racing historian Greg Fielden, "It was a surprisingly disappointing beginning to what would be the heralded Winston Cup Series."
[Editor's note: Adding an extra fuel tank was not against the rules, but it was innovative.]
by Eddie Samples
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SARA CHRISTIAN
Women also raced in the good old days. In 1949, her rookie season, Sara Christian of Atlanta competed in the first NASCAR strictly stock (now Winston Cup) race at Charlotte Speedway. She qualified 13th for the 200-lap race -- one place above Sam Rice, a pre-war winner of the Daytona beach race. She drove a '49 Oldsmobile, prepared by her husband Frank, to a 13th place finish in a field of 33.

In September 1949 Sara started 21st in a field of 44 at Langhorne, PA. She finished sixth and Curtis Turner invited her to join him in victory lane.

Sara ran six of the eight strictly stock races in 1949 and finished 13th in the point standings. Her best finish was fifth in the October race at Heidelberg, PA. It is the only top five NASCAR finish for a woman. Sara also had two top ten finishes and was named Woman Driver of the
Year in 1949.
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MARIE MILLER
LLOAR Director Marie Miller was born in Plainview, Long Island. She worked for Liberty Aircraft in Farmingdale, Gruman Corporation in Bethpage, New York before starting a new part-time job: stock car racing.

Marie went to school for two weeks to learn how to drive a race car. Initially her promoters rented cars for Marie from the male drivers at $50.00 per race.

When she finally got her own car, Marie drove in the heats and in the semi-finals. Women were not allowed to race in the finals. That was reserved for the men.

"I raced for 12 wonderful years, and racing allowed me to meet many people that I would not have otherwise met," says Marie.

Marie serves on the board of the Living Legends and makes her home in Port Orange, Florida.