The 1972 Firecracker 400 was a Winston Cup (now Nextel Cup) event held at Daytona International Speedway on July 4, 1972. David Pearson led 93 of the 160 laps in route to a dominating four-feet victory over eventual season champ Richard Petty. Stats The last 10 laps were three wide, Peason, Petty, and B. Allison, and no one wanted to be third in the draft. All three were side by side at the finish line, with Pearson edging Petty by four feet, and Allison alongside in third, still three wide.