Yunick, who passed away in 2001, opened the garage in 1947 and began a remarkable career of automotive design. As the Daytona Beach News-Journal noted, Yunick devised variable-ratio power steering and a design for an extended-tip spark plug that is still in use to this day.
Daytona International Speedway opened in 1959 a few miles away from Yunick's shop, and cars from the "Best Damn Garage In Town" won the race in 1961 (Marvin Panch) and 1963 (Fireball Roberts.)
The building went up in flames early Monday evening, but because of the facility's age and its former use as a garage, firefighters stayed out of the facility and let it burn in on itself. Yunick had told his family that he didn't want the garage turned into any kind of shrine after his passing, and his wish is now reality.
Still, it's a bit of a tragedy that more of NASCAR's history is gone forever. The Streamline Hotel, where Big Bill France and a collection of racing authorities created NASCAR, is one of the few buildings with a direct connection to NASCAR history that remains intact and operational today. (For a look at what remains of the Streamline today, click here.)
Lacey Chabert Amber Brkich Gretha Cavazzoni Marla Sokoloff Jennifer Love Hewitt
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