1966 – Goldsmith’s ‘Waiting Game’ Wins Daytona 100-Miler

Paul Goldsmith stands in victory lane with Miss Firebird, Winkie Louise (left), and Miss Hurst Golden Shifter, Linda Vaughn (second from right), after the Muncie, Ind., driver won the 100-mile qualifying race at Daytona.  

Daytona, Fla. (February 25, 1966) – Paul Goldsmith played the waiting game and it paid dividends - $1,000 worth.

The quiet, lanky Goldsmith vaulted off the fourth turn and squeezed between Richard Petty and Curtis Turner to win the first 100-miler Friday at Daytona International Speedway.

The victory earned Goldsmith the third starting position in Sunday’s Daytona 500 behind Petty and polesitter Petty. Goldsmith and Petty waged a close duel from lap 2 until the very finish.

Goldsmith, running second in his 1965 Plymouth, waited until the fourth turn on the last lap to make his move. Using the draft, he slipped by Petty and nipped the “Randleman Rocket” by the length of a car hood.

Don White of Keokuk, Iowa, driving a 1965 Dodge, finished third with hometown favorite Marvin Panch and Fred Lorenzen of Elmhurst, Ill., both driving 1966 Ford’s, finishing fourth and fifth respectively.

Goldsmith said afterwards he thought he had waited too long before making his move and “was going to run in second.”

“I saw that we were going to run into traffic, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get by using the draft and get by Richard. I started to go by him on the backstretch but then I figured then he’d be able to slingshot by me when we got to the fourth turn, so I just waited and decided to take my chances on the front stretch.”

Petty and Goldsmith were racing by three other drivers including Turner, who was a lap back, when Goldsmith made his move.

“I didn’t know if there was going to be enough room to get by. I just hoped there would be – and there was.”


Results –


1. Paul Goldsmith
2. Richard Petty
3. Don White
4. Marvin Panch
5. Fred Lorenzen
6. Sam McQuagg
7. Gordon Johncock
8. Darel Dieringer
9. Larry Frank
10.Cale Yarbrough
11.Curtis Turner
12.James Hylton
13.Roy Mayne
14.Calvin Kelly
15.Ned Setzer
16.Henley Gray
17.Wayne Smith
18.Bob Derrington
19.Buddy Baker
20.Larry Hess
21.Johnny Allen
22.Gene Petro
23.Johnny Rutherford
24.Ronnie Chumley
25.Tiny Lund