or


[02/04/15 - 09:01 AM]
FOX Sports 1 Remembers Transformative 1979 Daytona 500 with Two Specials Airing Friday, Feb. 13
"You only get one chance to be first," said NASCAR on FOX play-by-play announcer Mike Joy, who was the Turn 1 & 2 announcer for Motor Racing Network (MRN) that day.
[via press release from FOX Sports]

"AND THERE'S A FIGHT!"

FOX SPORTS 1 REMEMBERS TRANSFORMATIVE 1979 DAYTONA 500 WITH TWO SPECIALS AIRING FRIDAY, FEB. 13

A PERFECT STORM & 1979 DAYTONA 500 Debut in 80-Hour Daytona Speedweeks Programming Block

"And there's a fight ... between Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison! The tempers overflowing; they're angry; they know they have lost, and what a bitter defeat."

That bitter defeat in the Daytona 500, as called live by the legendary Ken Squier on CBS, Feb. 18, 1979, turned out to be a very lucky day for NASCAR. The ensuing fistfight between Cale Yarborough, Donnie Allison and Bobby Allison following Yarborough and Donnie Allison's last-lap crash transfixed a national audience held captive in living rooms during a major blizzard on the East Coast. The race, marking the first time a NASCAR event was broadcast live flag-to-flag, scored what was then a record television audience and plastered NASCAR across front pages nationwide the following morning. NASCAR, long a regional sport, had been transformed to a national sport virtually overnight.

This month, on Friday the 13th, considered by some to be an unlucky day, NASCAR's very good fortune is remembered on FOX Sports 1 in a pair of newly produced specials, A PERFECT STORM and 1979 DAYTONA 500. In A PERFECT STORM, a one-hour documentary premiering Friday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 PM ET, FOX Sports 1 turns back the clock to the 1979 DAYTONA 500, incorporating a compilation of the race broadcast, recently uncovered archive footage and first-person accounts from broadcasters, competitors, newsmakers and the EMT who broke up the fight.

"You only get one chance to be first," said NASCAR on FOX play-by-play announcer Mike Joy, who was the Turn 1 & 2 announcer for Motor Racing Network (MRN) that day. "In its first live telecast of the Daytona 500, CBS got a good race, a thrilling, crashing finish and a post-race brawl in front of a huge, mostly snowbound TV audience. NASCAR couldn't have asked for anything more. The buzz started right away and did not stop."

Interviews featured in the special include: combatants Yarborough, Bobby Allison and Donnie Allison; Richard Petty (race winner); Darrell Waltrip (runner-up); Jim Hedlund (EMT who broke up the fight); Squier (CBS announcer); David Hobbs, (CBS analyst); Joy (MRN turn announcer); Jack Arute (MRN producer); Jerry Garrett (Associated Press journalist covering the race); Joe Menzer (author of The Great American Gamble); Kyle Petty (Richard Petty's son and crew member); President Jimmy Carter; and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (watched father compete).

As for relaying that historical moment to a national TV audience, Joy says few could have done it better than Squier, whose famous words, "And there's a fight," are among motor sports' most renowned ever, and helped cement NASCAR in the mainstream.

"Ken is one of broadcast sports' greatest wordsmiths ever," Joy added. "I'd put his call of the finish and the fight right alongside any call in any sport. Without being too wordy, he made these drivers into larger-than-life heroes. As he often said, they were 'common men doing uncommon deeds.' Ken gave the event and its aftermath such a tone of great importance and excitement. His call left no doubt that this was the biggest thing ever to happen to stock car racing, and that stock car racing had, that day, become a very big thing."

In addition, a second special produced by NASCAR Productions, entitled 1979 DAYTONA 500 and hosted by Earnhardt Jr., premieres immediately following A PERFECT STORM at 8:30 PM ET, featuring a 30-minute, cut-down version of the iconic race supplemented with interesting "pop-up trivia" facts.

For a preview of A PERFECT STORM, please visit http://foxs.pt/1yHKTtR

The pair of specials is part of FOX Sports' 80 hours of Daytona Speedweeks programming from Daytona International Speedway, which commences Thursday, Feb. 12 at 9:00 AM ET with live coverage of DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY on FOX Sports 1, and culminates with FOX's live broadcast of the DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 12:00 PM ET.

For the latest NASCAR news and information, please visit www.FOXSports.com and follow @NASCARonFOX on Twitter.





  [february 2015]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)




[12/04/25 - 01:31 PM]
Heroes Rise Together! Disney+ Original Series "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" Official Branded Merchandise Now Available
Inspired by the series' rich storytelling, the dedicated e-commerce store will feature a wide variety of Camp Half-Blood-themed merchandise tailored for enthusiasts of the acclaimed series.

[12/04/25 - 12:56 PM]
Video: HBO Releases Official Trailer for the Original Drama Series "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," Debuting January 18
From the world of Westeros comes an endearing tale centered on the adventures of an unexpected duo.

[12/04/25 - 12:07 PM]
Video: "Mo' Waffles" - Official Trailer - Tubi Original
When a hip hop legend vanishes before his waffle joint's opening, his oddball crew must crack the case, wondering if one of them could be the culprit.
[12/04/25 - 12:00 PM]
Video: A New Generation of Camp Rockers Vie to Become the Opening Act for Connect 3 in First "Camp Rock 3" Teaser
The teaser includes a first look at the Jonas Brothers' return as Connect 3 and the new generation of campers joining the iconic franchise.
[12/04/25 - 11:02 AM]
"The Masked Singer" Returns with an All-New Season of Epic Themes and Massive Unmaskings on FOX!
Season 14 takes its beloved themed episodes to new heights, celebrating some of the most recognizable and nostalgic moments in pop culture history.
[12/04/25 - 11:01 AM]
Video: AMC Networks Debuts Official Trailer for Sports Docuseries "Rise of the 49ers," Narrated by Executive Producer Tom Brady
The limited series event, exploring the dramatic and iconic run of the San Francisco 49ers during the '80s and early '90s, premieres with the first two episodes on Sunday, February 1 at 9pm ET/PT, followed by the remaining two episodes on Monday, February 2 at 9pm ET/PT on AMC and AMC+.

[12/04/25 - 10:39 AM]
Meryl Streep, Jon Batiste, Kathryn Hahn, Regina Hall, Parker Posey, Zachary Quinto, Kelly Ripa and Adam Scott to Present Honors in the 19th Annual "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute"
This year, the third annual CNN Heroes Legacy Award will continue the new tradition of honoring not-so-everyday people dedicated to a lifetime of service by recognizing Robert Redford with a special tribute and appearance by former Vice President Al Gore accepting the award on behalf of the Redford family.
[12/04/25 - 10:31 AM]
"The Hunting Wives" Season 2 Adds Kim Matula and Alex Fitzalan
The duo joins previously announced returning cast members Brittany Snow, Malin Akerman, Jaime Ray Newman, Dermot Mulroney, Evan Jonigkeit, George Ferrier, Karen Rodriguez, Hunter Emery, and Branton Box.
[12/04/25 - 10:28 AM]
"A CNN Special Event: Roy Wood Jr.'s Very Very Very Merry Holiday Special" Airs Sunday, December 14 at 8pm ET on CNN
Filmed in front of a live audience in the nation's capital, Wood Jr. will dive into the joy, and occasional chaos, of the holiday season with his signature blend of sharp wit and warm humor.

[12/04/25 - 10:01 AM]
The World Knew Him as Dirty John: New Documentary Series Exposes the Real John Meehan
From Bunim/Murray Productions, a Banijay Americas company, and Empress Films, director Emma Cooper and executive producers Julie Pizzi, Jesse Daniels, and Melissa G. Moore, comes the definitive documentary series of the man behind the myth.
[12/04/25 - 10:01 AM]
Video: Trailer & Key Art Debut - Hularious Original "Kumail Nanjiani: Night Thoughts"
The latest special in the Hularious stand-up slate premieres Friday, December 19 on Hulu, and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers, in the US, and on Disney+ internationally.
[12/04/25 - 09:41 AM]
Hallmark Media Announces That Matthew Lawrence and TLC's Chilli Will Host an All-New, Original Series "Second Chance Love"
The all-new, unscripted series gives five couples, ranging from their 30's to 70's and who dated 5 to 40 years ago, a second chance to reconnect with the one who got away against the backdrop of a romantic Italian resort.
[12/04/25 - 09:32 AM]
Food Network Will Kick Off 2026 with a Fresh New Competition Series, "Baking Championship: Next Gen"
Duff Goldman and Kardea Brown are the hosts and judges of the series, due on Monday, January 5 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
[12/04/25 - 09:31 AM]
First Look - Bert Kreischer Stars in Netflix's "Free Bert"
The new scripted comedy series, starring Bert Kreischer, premieres on Netflix in January 2026.
[12/04/25 - 09:06 AM]
PBS and WETA Announce Four-Part Documentary "Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History" with Henry Louis Gates Jr. to Premiere February 3, 2026
Black and Jewish Americans began on fundamentally different footing, but by the early 20th century, they were drawn together by entrenched racism and rising antisemitism.