Marvin Panch, NASCAR racer and the winner of the 1961 Daytona 500, passed away on New Year’s Eve.
Panch collected 17 victories over 15 seasons in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, along with one win in 1956 in NASCAR’s Convertible Series and five wins in what is now the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West.
Among the teams Panch drove and won for was the famed Wood Brothers Racing Team, Smokey Yunick, Holman-Moody and Petty Enterprises.
NASCAR released the following statement after Panch’s passing:
“For more than 60 years, Marvin Panch was a familiar and friendly face around NASCAR and Daytona Beach. He was one of the true pioneers of the sport, winning races across several NASCAR divisions, including the 1961 Daytona 500. As one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers, he represented the sport with class both on and off the track. Marvin will be missed dearly, especially as we approach Speedweeks at Daytona international Speedway, where he was a fixture.”
Panch was born in Menomie, Wisconsin on May 28, 1926, but would later move to California. His racing career started in 1949 as a car owner. When his driver failed to show up for a race, Panch jumped behind the wheel of his own car and drove to a third place finish. From there, he would remain behind the wheel, scoring his first career win on the quarter-mile Balboa Stadium in San Diego, California on July 4, 1949.
Panch made his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start in 1951, finishing sixth at Oakland Stadium in Oakland, CA. In 1953, Panch went racing on the East Coast, turning several heads with strong runs in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway and at Langhorne Speedway. He scored his first NASCAR Grand National victory in 1956, as he piloted a Ford owned by Tom Harbison to the victory from the pole.
Panch’s career took a strong turn the next year, as he landed a Ford factory ride with Pete DePaolo. He won three times, but when Ford pulled their factory support halfway through the season, he moved to the Holman-Moody team, where he would record three more wins and lock up second place in the points championship.
With factory support gone, Panch would go winless over the next three years. But then came the 1961 Daytona 500.
Piloting a year old Pontiac for legendary car owner Smokey Yunick, Panch drove to the biggest win of his career by beating Joe Weatherly by a 16 second margin. One year later, Panch would move to the Ford of the Wood Brothers, the most prolific pairing of his career. Together, the team scored eight wins from 1962 to 1966, including victories at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Greenville-Pickens Speedway and Watkins Glen.
One of the most memorable moments of his career came in 1963, but it had nothing to do with a win. Panch was testing a sports car on the infield road course at Daytona International Speedway. The car flipped and caught on fire, with Panch trapped inside. Several people, including fellow driver Tiny Lund, ran to the scene, pulling Panch from the burning car.
Panch suffered several burns in the blaze, and would be unable to start the upcoming Daytona 500. He asked the Wood Brothers to put Lund in the car in his place. The result was one of the biggest Cinderella stories in all of motorsports, as Lund scored the win in the Daytona 500. Lund would later be honored with the Carnegie Medal for his heroism.
Panch’s final win came behind the wheel of a Plymouth for Petty Enterprises in 1966 in the World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He would retire later that same year. He moved to Port Orange, FL, where he would live the rest of his life.
Panch continued to work in the racing and automotive industries. He was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame in 1987, and was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998. In 2002, he was named as a member of the inaugural class of inductees into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame.
Panch was also keenly involved with the Living Legends of Auto Racing, a racing history organization headquartered in Daytona Beach.
Marvin Panch was 89 years of age.
