THE TOM KIRKLAND COLLECTION

THE CRASH

It's really not necessary to describe what's happening in this photo. Captured perfectly is the raw energy of a crash involving Johnny Beauchamp (73) and Lee Petty (whose car is barely visible under and to the left of Beauchamp's machine) during a 100-mile qualifying race at Daytona on Feb. 24, 1961.

Petty spent four months in a Daytona hospital recovering from numerous critical injuries, effectively ending his driving career. He raced just six more times between 1962 and 1964, with a best finish of fourth in July 1963 at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. Beauchamp sustained head injuries in the accident, and never raced again at NASCAR's highest level.

Ironically, Richard Petty, Lee's son, also went over the wall at Daytona in the day's first qualifier. Uninjured, the younger Petty, along with younger brother Maurice, were forced to take up the reigns of the family-owned operation in the wake of their father's accident.