Marvin Panch

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Marvin Panch
Born(1926-05-28)May 28, 1926
Menomonie, Wisconsin
DiedDecember 31, 2015(2015-12-31) (aged 89)
Port Orange, Florida
Achievements1961 Daytona 500 Winner
1966 World 600 Winner
AwardsNamed one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998)
West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame inductee (2002)
National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame inductee (1987)
NASCAR Cup Series career
216 races run over 15 years
Best finish2nd (1957)
First race35th race of 1951 season (Oakland)
Last race1966 National 500 (Charlotte)
First win35th race of 1956 season (Montgomery)
Last win1966 World 600 (Charlotte)
Wins Top tens Poles
17 126 21

Marvin Panch (May 28, 1926 – December 31, 2015) was an American stock car racing driver. Winner of the 1961 Daytona 500 and 1966 World 600, he won seventeen NASCAR Grand National Series events during a 17-year career.

Early career[]

Born in Menomonie, Wisconsin, Panch relocated to California at an early age.[1][2] He started his racing career as a car owner in Oakland, California. One week, his driver did not show up, and he raced the car to a third-place finish.[1] He won a championship and several races in six years, including five NASCAR races on the West Coast of the United States.[3]

NASCAR career[]

He attempted his first East Coast race at Darlington Raceway in 1953. NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr. convinced him to come east for 1954.[3] Lee Petty invited Panch to race in the 1954 Darlington race, where he finished third. The finish impressed , who hired Panch to race his car during the 1955 season. His 1955 finishes caught the attention of Pete DePaolo, who hired Panch to race in his factory Ford team. Panch won his first NASCAR race on July 20, 1956, at Montgomery Speedway after starting on the pole position and dominating the entire race.[1]

He won the two races in 1957 for DePaolo. He added another victory in April before Ford ended its factory support in the middle of the season. Panch joined the legendary Holman-Moody team for the rest of the season. He won three more events in the season and finished second in the final points standings.[1]

The end of the Ford factory sponsorship hurt Panch's career. Over the next three seasons, he was only able to race in 24 races.[1]

He was offered a ride by famed NASCAR mechanic Smokey Yunick in the 1961 Daytona 500. The car was a year old (1960) Pontiac. Panch took the offer and won the 1961 Daytona 500 to put his career back on track.[1] During the 1962 season he was offered a ride by renowned car owners the Wood Brothers. He accepted the ride in the Ford factory-sponsored team. Panch had eight wins and 30 top-three finishes in 69 races for the team. He stayed with the team from 1962 to March 27, 1966, when Ford had another dispute with NASCAR.[1] In 1965, A. J. Foyt finished the Atlanta 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in a car Panch had started, taking it to victory. Panch received credit for the win.

In February 1963 Panch was involved in a fiery crash at Daytona and was pulled to safety by a fellow driver Tiny Lund. Lund was awarded the Carnegie Medal for heroism and went on to win the 1963 Daytona 500 in the car that the injured Panch had been scheduled to drive. Lund said of Panch: "Marvin would have done the same for us."[4]

Panch was hired by Petty to race for Petty Enterprises for the 1966 World 600 in a year old car. Panch won the race for his final career victory when Petty was his relief driver. Panch raced for Petty Enterprises until he announced his retirement after the National 500 at Charlotte in October 1966.[1]

Awards[]

Panch was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998. He was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame in 1987, and the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame in its first class in 2002.[3]

Personal life[]

His second wife Bettie founded the Women's Auxiliary of Motorsports. Panch is the father of four children: Pamela and Marvann, from his first marriage to Hester Herrald, and Richard (deceased) and Marvette, from his second marriage to Bettie Gong.

Following his Daytona 500 win, Panch purchased property in Port Orange, Florida, relocating there after the end of his career.[5] On December 31, 2015, Panch was found unconscious in his car, and was later pronounced dead of natural causes.[5]

Motorsports career results[]

NASCAR[]

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Grand National Series[]

NASCAR Grand National Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 NGNC Pts Ref
1951 Marvin Panch 56 Mercury DAB CLT NMO HBO ASF NWS MAR CAN CLB DSP HEI AWS MCF MSF ABS DAR CLB LAN CLT DSP HBO TPN MAR OAK
6 		NWS
16 		NMO 36th 371.5 [6]
Ford HMS
2 		ATL
1953 Marvin Panch 06 Dodge PBS DAB NWS CLT RCH LAN CLB HCY MAR RSP FFS LAN TCS MCF PIF ATL DAV HBO AWS HCY DAR
28 		LAN
18 		BLF NWS MAR ATL 60th 214 [7]
1954 98 Dodge PBS DAB JSP ATL OAK
2 		NWS HBO LAN MAR SHA CLT CLB LND HCY MCF WGS PIF AWS SFS OAK
2 		DAR
3 		17th 1935 [8]

10
15 Plymouth
9
98 Olds
22 		LAN
13 		MAS
7 		MAR
19 		NWS
6
1955 Marvin Panch 56 Mercury TCS PBS JSP DAB CLB HBO NWS MGY LAN CLT HCY ASF
2
16 		MAR RCH NCF FOR MCF FON PIF CLB AWS NYF 14th 2812 [9]

4 		FOR MAS RSP
44 Chevy DAR
13 		MGY
21 		LAN
4 		RSP GPS
DePaolo Engineering 98 Ford MAS
2 		CLB MAR
11 		LVP NWS
23 		HBO
11
1956 Olds HCY
9 		CLT 10th 4680 [10]
Ford
2 		PBS
13 		ASF
4 		MGY
1 		OKL ROA
22* 		PIF POR
3
4
21 		CLT
3
3 		MAR
2 		HCY
6
Dodge DAB
72 		PBS
25 		ATL NWS LAN RCH
9 Ford CON
15 		GPS HCY HBO MAR CLT POR NYF MAS MCF POR AWS LAN
34 		POR CLB HBO
99 RSP
7 		PIF
3 		CSF CHI
DePaolo Engineering 8 Ford DAR
3
1957 98
1* 		CON
1*
3 		DAB
5
19 		HBO
11 		AWS
16
4 		LAN
17
2 		PIF
1
19 		POR
3 		RCH
3 		MAR
8 		POR
4
4 		ASP 2nd 9956 [11]
12 CON
16
Marvin Panch 98 Ford
2 		CLB
3 		PIF
19 		JAC
8
1
12
3
1
4
13 		DAR
3 		NYF AWS
7 		CSF LAN
34 		CLB
6
2
18
4 		CON
4
7
21
Herb Thomas 92 Pontiac MAS
1 		POR
16 		GLN
14 		KPC
Fireball Roberts 22 Ford
16
1958 98 Ford DAB
14 		CON
3 		HBO
2 		CLB
31 		PIF ATL
4
17 		MAR
5 		ODS GPS NWS BGS
23 		RSD CLB
19 		HCY AWS MCC SLS TOR BUF MCF BEL BRR CLB NSV AWS BGS MBS DAR
5 		BIR CSF RCH HBO MAR
31 		NWS ATL 18th 3424 [12]
1959 DAY DAY
17 		HBO CON ATL DAR
29 		HCY RCH CSF HBO MAR
38 		AWS NWS 66th 352 [13]
3 Ford
22 		BGS CLB NWS HCY MAR TRN NSV ASP PIF GPS ATL CLB RCH BGS AWS DAY HEI MBS NSV AWS BGS GPS CLB
1960 98 Ford
22 		CLB DAY
26 		DAY DAY
46 		NWS CLB MAR BGS GPS AWS 26th 5268 [14]
77 Ford DAR
10 		PIF HBO RCH HMS CLT
17 		BGS DAY
14 		HEI MBS ATL
17 		BIR AWS
33 		PIF CLB SBO BGS DAR
11 		HCY CSF HBO MAR NWS CLT
48 		RCH ATL
38
1961 Smokey Yunick 20 Pontiac JSP DAY DAY
2 		DAY
1 		PIF AWS HMS CLT
43 		PIF GPS BGS DAY
4 		CLB MBS BRI BGS AWS RCH SBO CLT
26 		BRI GPS HBO 18th 9392 [15]
John Masoni 3 Pontiac ATL
6* 		GPS HBO BGS MAR NWS CLB RCH DAR
6 		RSD ASP
Petty Enterprises 42 Plymouth DAR
31 		HCY RCH CSF
Owens Racing 6 Pontiac ATL
10 		MAR NWS
1962 90 Dodge CON AWS DAY DAY
20 		DAY
44 		CON AWS HBO 9th 15138 [16]
20 Ford RCH
17
Wood Brothers Racing 21 Ford NWS
32 		GPS MBS MAR
6 		BGS BRI
26 		RCH CON
13 		DAR
2 		PIF CLT
8 		ATL
8 		BGS AUG RCH SBO DAY
3 		CLB ASH GPS AUG MBS BRI
11 		CHT HUN AWS BGS PIF DAR
3 		HCY RCH DTS AUG MAR
33 		NWS
2
15 		ATL
3
1963 BIR RSD DAY DAY DAY PIF AWS HBO ATL BRI AUG RCH GPS SBO BGS MAR CLB DAR ODS RCH CLT
7 		BIR ATL
3 		DAY
3 		MBS DTS BGS ASH
6 		BRR
3 		BRI
4 		GPS CLB AWS PIF BGS
9 		DAR
2 		HCY RCH MAR
2 		DTS NWS
1
3 		SBO HBO 13th 17156 [17]
121 RSD
3
1964 21 CON
9 		JSP RSD
2 		DAY
4 		DAY DAY
4 		RCH
6 		BRI
5 		GPS
3 		BGS
1* 		ATL
14 		AWS
1*
17 		PIF
2 		CLB
2 		NWS
3 		MAR
2 		SVH
2 		DAR
11
2
13 		SBO
2 		CLT
29 		GPS
11 		ASH
3 		ATL
29 		CON NSV BIR PIF DAY
27 		BRI
7 		NSV MBS AWS CLB DAR HCY RCH ODS HBO MAR
4 		NWS
1
31 		JAC 10th 21480 [18]
Holman-Moody 06 Ford BRR
4 		ISP
Bondy Long 71 Ford GLN
24 		LIN
1965 Wood Brothers Racing 21 Ford RSD
3 		DAY DAY
3 		DAY
6* 		PIF ASW RCH HBO ATL
1* 		GPS NWS
5 		MAR
2 		CLB BRI
4 		DAR
11 		BGS CLT
33 		ASH NSV ATL
1 		GPS MBS DAY
12 		ODS
3* 		ISP
1* 		GLN
1* 		BRI
35 		AWS PIF AUG CLB DTS DAR
37 		HCY LIN ODS RCH MAR
5 		NWS
6
35 		HBO CAR
3 		5th 22798 [19]
1966 RSD
30 		DAY
4 		DAY DAY
26 		CAR
17 		BRI
18 		ATL
16 		CLB GPS BGS NWS MAR DAR RCH 17th 15308 [20]
Petty Enterprises 42 Plymouth CLT
1 		DTS PIF AWS GPS ATL
28 		CLB AWS BLV BGS DAR
4 		HCY RCH MAR NWS CLT
6 		CAR
04 Plymouth DAY
7 		ODS
22 Ford BRR
3 		OXF
21 		FON ISP
18 		BRI SMR NSV
Daytona 500[]
Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish
1959 Ford 4 17
1960 51 46
1961 Smokey Yunick Pontiac 4 1
1962 Dodge 37 44
1964 Wood Brothers Racing Ford 9 4
1965 6 6
1966 7 26

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Gorecki, James J. (March 9, 2009). "NASCAR Driver Wisconsin Native". Dunn County News. Menomonie, WI. Archived from the original on 2015-12-31. Retrieved 2015-12-31.
  2. ^ Lew Freedman (2013). Encyclopedia of Stock Car Racing. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. p. 549. ISBN 978-0-313-38709-8. Retrieved 2015-12-31.
  3. ^ a b c Biography at the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame, written 2002, Retrieved November 8, 2007
  4. ^ Staff. "MARVIN PANCH PASSES AWAY AT 89". nascar.com. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  5. ^ a b Kelly, Godwin (December 31, 2015). "Local NASCAR racing legend Marvin Panch dies at age 89". The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  6. ^ "Marvin Panch – 1951 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  7. ^ "Marvin Panch – 1953 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  8. ^ "Marvin Panch – 1954 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  9. ^ "Marvin Panch – 1955 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  10. ^ "Marvin Panch – 1956 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  11. ^ "Marvin Panch – 1957 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  12. ^ "Marvin Panch – 1958 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  13. ^ "Marvin Panch – 1959 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  14. ^ "Marvin Panch – 1960 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  15. ^ "Marvin Panch – 1961 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  16. ^ "Marvin Panch – 1962 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  17. ^ "Marvin Panch – 1963 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  18. ^ "Marvin Panch – 1964 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  19. ^ "Marvin Panch – 1965 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  20. ^ "Marvin Panch – 1966 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.

External links[]

Achievements
Preceded by
Junior Johnson
 Daytona 500 Winner
1961 		Succeeded by
Fireball Roberts
Retrieved from ""