Mark Martin on May 10, 1997 running the Winston 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway with an average speed of 188.354 mph.
Jeff Gordon was the winner of the 2005 Daytona 500 race. His average speed was 135.173 miles per hour. His qualifying speed for the race was 188.312 miles per hour.
In 1980, Buddy Baker won the fastest Daytona 500 in history, at 177.602 mph (285.809 km/h).
There were 30 cars running at the end of the 2011 Daytona 500.
1996 Arie Luyendyk 236.986 mph
200.447 mph set by Buddy Baker at Talladega in 1970.
Rusty Wallace tested a car at Talladega in 2004 on which the car had its restrictor plate removed. The car reached a top-end speed of 228 miles per hour on the backstretch and had an average lap speed of 221 mph.
In 1987, during qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway, Bill Elliott set the Nascar record with a speed of 212.809.
The Daytona 500 pit road speed limit is 55 mph.
They have to qualify. Only the top 43 fastest cars get in. Usually the SPEED channel shows the qualifying on Thursday, or Friday.
A 1990 Daytona 3.0 came with a 4 speed automatic or a 5 speed manual.
In 1987, at the Talladega Superspeedway, Bill Elliott set the record for the fastest lap with an average speed of 212.809 during qualifying. This was pre-restrictor plate era.