The 1959 First Annual 500 Mile NASCAR International Sweepstakes at Daytona (now known as the 1959 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 (4.0 kilometer) Daytona International Speedway.