Terence Steven “Steve” McQueen
(March 24, 1930 – November 7, 1980)

McQueen received an Academy Award nomination for his role
in The Sand Pebbles (1966). His other popular films include
Bullitt (1968), and The Great Escape (1963). In 1974, he
became the highest-paid movie star in the world. Steve
McQueen competed in weekend motorcycle races to help
support himself while studying for his acting career.

From The Great Escape.

Wanted: Dead or Alive ~ Original run on CBS-TV: September 6, 1958 –
March 29, 1961.

1958   (click on image for larger view)  

 
David Melendy

Lee Arnold Petty (March 14, 1914 – April 5, 2000)

The 1959 First Annual 500 Mile NASCAR International Sweepstakes at Daytona,
(now known as the inaugural Daytona 500) was the second race of the 1959
NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup) season. It was held on February 22,
1959, in front of 41,921 spectators. It was the first race held at the 2.5-mile 
Daytona International Speedway. The race lasted 3:41:22, with an average
speed of 135.521 mph. In the end, with the help of photographs and newsreel
footage, Lee Petty, father of racing legend Richard Petty, was officially declared
the winner.

Johnny Beauchamp, front, and Lee Petty were neck and neck on the final
lap of the inaugural Daytona 500.

Henry Ford patented the plastic automobile referred to as the "Soybean Car”, more recently referred to as the Hemp body car. It was 30% lighter than the average car.

The finished prototype was exhibited in 1941 at the Dearborn Days festival in
Dearborn, Michigan. It was also shown at the Michigan State Fair Grounds the
same year. A patent was issued January 13, 1942 for the chassis of the soybean
car. 

Because of World War II all US automobile production was curtailed considerably,
and the plastic car experiment basically came to a halt and the prototype car was destroyed.