The Daytona 500 has changed greatly since 1959, and, with the cooperation of the U.S. Census Bureau and other demographic organizations, here are some numbers sprinkled with a few “Racing Briefcase” comments.
Since 2008 marks the 50th running of The Great American Race, it’s being billed as the “most anticipated event in racing history” with an estimated global TV audience of more than 50 million.
Before we get into actual numbers, my favorite Daytona 500s of all time, in no particular order, are: Tiny Lund wins 1963 Daytona 500 for the Wood Brothers after pulling regular driver and 1961 winner Marvin Panch from a burning sports car in a preliminary event; 1976, Richard Petty and David Pearson tangle on the final lap. Pearson drives his damaged Wood Brothers Mercury past Petty’s stalled Dodge to claim the victory; In the first, live, wire-to-wire CBS broadcast of the 500 in 1979, Richard Petty wins while a sideshow boxing match between Cale Yarborough, Donnie Allison and Bobby Allison takes place on the backstretch; In 1985, Bill Elliott and his family run Dawsonville Ford operation dominate the 500 as Lake Speed finishes second in “low buck” Butch Mock/Bob Rahilly car; Dale Earnhardt finally wins in 1998.
In 1959, 37,395 lived in Daytona Beach. Yet, the first 500 on Bill France, Sr.’s new 2.5-mile tri-oval attracted 42,000 fans. They watched as Lee Petty crossed the line in a photo finish with Johnny Beauchamp and a two-lap-down Joe Weatherly. As Beauchamp enjoyed the victory-circle laurels, Petty was declared the winner three days later thanks to a media photo that clearly showed Petty ahead. Petty won $19,050, while this year’s winner will pocket in the neighborhood of  $1.5 million. 
In 1959, Daytona Beach was the 14th largest city in Florida; Miami was the largest at 291,688. 
In 1960, the country produced 6.7 million passenger cars, which was 85 percent of the 7.9 million vehicles produced. The production of SUVs, minivans, trucks and commercial vehicles passed the production of passenger cars in 1997, and the trend has continued, and 11,947,000 is the number of motor vehicles produced in the United States in 2005, with 4.3 million of them being passenger cars (36 percent).
On July 1 of 2007, 64,183 residents called Daytona Beach home, now the 35th largest city in Florida. The 2008 race-day attendance is expected to be 250,000, which would be larger than any Florida city except Jacksonville (794,555), Miami (404,048) and Tampa (332,888).
Some 20.4 percent of Daytona Beach’s population in 2006 was 65 or older, while 16.8-percent of the state population was 65 or older. Nationally, 12.4-percent are 65 or older. 
Deltona-Daytona Beach Metro-Volusia County area population is now 496,575, a 400-percent increase from the 125,319 population in 1960. 
$40,881 is the median household income in the Daytona Beach metro area, which is below the national figure of $48,451.
26,527 is the number of workers employed in retail trade in 2005 in the Deltona-Daytona Beach metro area, the most of any industry group. That same year there were 2,153 construction firms, the most number of businesses in any industry group in the area.
National Population, 1959: 178-million; 2008: 303-million.
Global Population, 1959: 3-billion; 2008: 6.7-billion.
Median Age of the U.S. Population, 1959: 29.4; 2008: 36.8 (projected); Average Price of a New Home, 1959: $12,400; 2008: $288,000 (as of September 2007) Price of a New Car, 1959: $2,200; 2008: $28,451 (as of 2006). 
Price of a Gallon of Gas, 1959: 25 cents; 2008: $3.09 as of Dec. 31, 2007.
Median Age of First Marriage, 1959: Men, 22.5; Women, 20.2; 2008: Men, 27.5; Women, 25.5 (as of 2006).  
In 1959, about 83-percent of the nation’s 71.5-million registered motor vehicles were cars. In 2004, there were 237.5-million registered motor vehicles in the USA. Some 136-million, or 57-percent, were cars. There were 52,442 automobile dealers across the country in 2005, with nearly 1.3-million employees and an annual payroll of more than $54-billion.
Thanks to the U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2007 Statistical Abstract, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Current Population Survey, Energy Information Administration, National Automotive Dealers Ass’n, International Database, New Residential Sales and American Fact Finder, Population Finder for helping put together this information.