Petty, the defending race winner and series champion, did not even race in the ?65 500 as a result and, in fact, went on to sit out the first 33 races of the 55-race season in protest.

Lorenzen rewarded Ford handsomely for sticking with him, but the victory did not come easily.At the halfway point of the race, Marvin Panch was in the lead and the skies around the track were darkening. Lorenzen passed Panch on Lap 119 ? but as the rain began to fall 10 laps later, Panch made a run at Lorenzen coming off Turn 2.

Panch went to the outside, Lorenzen moved up to block him, and the two cars touched ? sending Panch spinning. Lorenzen remained in the lead but the fender that hit Panch?s car was bent in and rubbing against his tire. Lorenzen wanted to come to pit road to get the fender pulled out, but his crew chief, Herb Nab, suspected heavy rain was about to hit.?Stay out!? he ordered Lorenzen, who did. By Lap 133, it was pouring and the rest, as they say, is history.It was the only Daytona 500 victory of Lorenzen?s Hall of Fame career, which included 26 total wins in just 129 starts before he retired for a first time at only 33 years of age in 1967. He returned in 1970 and competed part-time in the NASCAR Premier Series until 1972, but never won another Daytona 500 Live Stream race before retiring for good.