Marvin Panch

Marvin Emil Panch^[1] (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.

Marvin Panch
Born	Marvin Emil Panch (1926-05-28)May 28, 1926 Menomonie, Wisconsin
Died	December 31, 2015(2015-12-31) (aged 89) Port Orange, Florida
Achievements	1961 Daytona 500 Winner 1966 World 600 Winner
Awards	Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998) West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame (2002 - Inaugural Class) National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame inductee (1987) Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023)
NASCAR Cup Series career
216 races run over 15 years
Best finish	2nd (1957)
First race	35th race of 1951 season (Oakland)
Last race	1966 National 500 (Charlotte)
First win	35th race of 1956 season (Montgomery)
Last win	1966 World 600 (Charlotte)
Wins Top tens Poles 17 126 21

Early career

Born in Menomonie, Wisconsin, Panch relocated to California at an early age.^[2][3] 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.^[2] He won a championship and several races in six years, including five NASCAR races on the West Coast of the United States.^[4]

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.^[4] Lee Petty invited Panch to race in the 1954 Darlington race, where he finished third. The finish impressed Tom Horbison, 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.^[2]

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.^[2]

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.^[2]

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.^[2] 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.^[2] 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."^[5]

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.^[2]

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.^[4]

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.^[6] On December 31, 2015, Panch was found unconscious in his car, and was later pronounced dead of natural causes.^[6]

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	GAR	HBO	ASF	NWS	MAR	CAN	CLS	CLB	DSP	GAR	GRS	BAI	HEI	AWS	MCF	ALS	MSF	FMS	MOR	ABS	DAR	CLB	CCS	LAN	CLT	DSP	WIL	HBO	TPN	PGS	MAR	OAK 6	NWS				GAR 16	NMO																						36th	371.5	^[7]
			Ford																																					HMS 2	JSP	ATL
1953	Marvin Panch	06	Dodge	PBS	DAB	HAR	NWS	CLT	RCH	CCS	LAN	CLB	HCY	MAR	PMS	RSP	LOU	FFS	LAN	TCS	WIL	MCF	PIF	MOR	ATL	RVS	LCF	DAV	HBO	AWS	PAS	HCY	DAR 28	CCS	LAN 18	BLF	WIL	NWS	MAR	ATL																										60th	214	^[8]
1954	Beryl Jackson	98	Dodge	PBS	DAB	JSP	ATL	OSP	OAK 2	NWS	HBO	CCS	LAN	WIL	MAR	SHA	RSP	CLT	GAR	CLB	LND	HCY	MCF	WGS	PIF	AWS	SFS	GRS	MOR	OAK 2	CLT			DAR 3	CCS																															17th	1935	^[9]
	John Fernandez																															SAN 10
	Chet Chiroso	15	Plymouth																														COR 9
	Beryl Jackson	98	Olds																																	CLT 22	LAN 13	MAS 7	MAR 19	NWS 6
1955	Marvin Panch	56	Mercury	TCS	PBS	JSP	DAB	OSP	CLB	HBO	NWS	MGY	LAN	CLT	HCY	ASF 2	TUS 16	MAR	RCH	NCF	FOR	LIN	MCF	FON	AIR	CLT	PIF	CLB	AWS	MOR	ALS	NYF																																		14th	2812	^[10]
	John Hernandez																																SAN 4	CLT	FOR	MAS	RSP
	Julian Petty	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	Tom Harbison		Olds	HCY 9	CLT																																																													10th	4680	^[11]
			Ford			WSS 2	PBS 13	ASF 4																														MGY 1	OKL	ROA 22*	OBS	SAN	NOR	PIF	MYB	POR		CSH 3	CLT 4					NWP 21	CLT 3	CCF 3	MAR 2	HCY	WIL 6
			Dodge						DAB 72	PBS 25	WIL	ATL	NWS	LAN	RCH	CLB
		9	Ford														CON 15	GPS	HCY	HBO	MAR	LIN	CLT	POR	EUR	NYF	MER	MAS	CLT	MCF	POR	AWS																		LAN 34	POR	CLB	HBO
		99																															RSP 7	PIF 3	CSF	CHI	CCF
	DePaolo Engineering	8	Ford																																												DAR 3
1957		98		WSS 1*	CON 1*	TIC 3	DAB 5		WIL 19	HBO 11	AWS 16	NWS 4	LAN 17	CLT 2	PIF 1	GBF 19	POR	CCF 3	RCH 3	MAR 8	POR	EUR	LIN 4	LCS 4	ASP																																									2nd	9956	^[12]
		12						CON 16
	Marvin Panch	98	Ford																							NWP 2	CLB 3	CPS	PIF 19	JAC	RSP 8	CLT 1			HCY 12		LCS 3			LIN 1	OBS 4	MYB 13	DAR 3	NYF	AWS 7	CSF	SCF	LAN 34	CLB 6	CCF 2	CLT 18		NBR 4	CON 4	NWS 7	GBF 21
	Herb Thomas	92	Pontiac																														MAS 1	POR		NOR 16		GLN 14	KPC
	Fireball Roberts	22	Ford																																																	MAR 16
1958	John Whitford	98	Ford	FAY	DAB 14	CON	FAY	WIL 3	HBO 2	FAY	CLB 31	PIF	ATL 4	CLT 17	MAR 5	ODS	OBS	GPS	GBF	STR	NWS	BGS	TRN 23	RSD	CLB 19	NBS	REF	LIN	HCY	AWS	RSP	MCC	SLS	TOR	BUF	MCF	BEL	BRR	CLB	NSV	AWS	BGS	MBS	DAR 5	CLT	BIR	CSF	GAF	RCH	HBO	SAS	MAR 31	NWS	ATL												18th	3424	^[13]
1959	Tom Vernon			FAY	DAY	DAY 17	HBO	CON	ATL																														DAR 29	HCY	RCH	CSF	HBO	MAR 38	AWS	NWS	CON																			66th	352	^[14]
	Don Angel	3	Ford							WIL 22	BGS	CLB	NWS	REF	HCY	MAR	TRN	CLT	NSV	ASP	PIF	GPS	ATL	CLB	WIL	RCH	BGS	AWS	DAY	HEI	CLT	MBS	CLT	NSV	AWS	BGS	GPS	CLB
1960	Tom Vernon	98	Ford	CLT 22	CLB	DAY 26	DAY	DAY 46	CLT	NWS	PHO	CLB	MAR	HCY	WIL	BGS	GPS	AWS																																																26th	5268	^[15]
	W.J. Ridgeway	77	Ford																DAR 10	PIF	HBO	RCH	HMS	CLT 17	BGS	DAY 14	HEI	MAB	MBS	ATL 17	BIR	NSV	AWS 33	PIF	CLB	SBO	BGS	DAR 11	HCY	CSF	GSP	HBO	MAR	NWS	CLT 48	RCH	ATL 38
1961	Smokey Yunick	20	Pontiac	CLT	JSP	DAY	DAY 2	DAY 1	PIF	AWS	HMS																CLT 43	PIF	BIR	GPS	BGS	NOR	HAS	STR	DAY 4	ATL	CLB	MBS	BRI	NSV	BGS	AWS	RCH	SBO								CLT 26	BRI	GPS	HBO											18th	9392	^[16]
	John Masoni	3	Pontiac									ATL 6*	GPS	HBO	BGS	MAR	NWS	CLB	HCY	RCH	MAR	DAR 6	CLT	CLT	RSD	ASP
	Petty Enterprises	42	Plymouth																																										DAR 31	HCY	RCH	CSF
	Owens Racing	6	Pontiac																																														ATL 10	MAR	NWS
1962	Bob Osiecki	90	Dodge	CON	AWS	DAY	DAY 20	DAY 44	CON	AWS	SVH	HBO																																																						9th	15138	^[17]
		20	Ford										RCH 17	CLB
	Wood Brothers Racing	21	Ford												NWS 32	GPS	MBS	MAR 6	BGS	BRI 26	RCH	HCY	CON 13	DAR 2	PIF	CLT 8	ATL 8	BGS	AUG	RCH	SBO	DAY 3	CLB	ASH	GPS	AUG	SVH	MBS	BRI 11	CHT	NSV	HUN	AWS	STR	BGS	PIF	VAL	DAR 3	HCY	RCH	DTS	AUG	MAR 33	NWS 2	CLT 15	ATL 3
1963				BIR	GGS	THS	RSD	DAY	DAY	DAY	PIF	AWS	HBO	ATL	HCY	BRI	AUG	RCH	GPS	SBO	BGS	MAR	NWS	CLB	THS	DAR	ODS	RCH	CLT 7	BIR	ATL 3	DAY 3	MBS	SVH	DTS	BGS	ASH	OBS 6	BRR 3	BRI 4	GPS	NSV	CLB	AWS	PIF	BGS	ONA 9	DAR 2	HCY	RCH	MAR 2	DTS	NWS 1	THS	CLT 3	SBO	HBO									13th	17156	^[18]
		121																																																								RSD 3
1964		21		CON	AUG 9	JSP	SVH	RSD 2	DAY 4	DAY	DAY 4	RCH 6	BRI 5	GPS 3	BGS 1*	ATL 14	AWS 1*	HBO 17	PIF 2	CLB 2	NWS 3	MAR 2	SVH 2	DAR 11	LGY 2	HCY 13	SBO 2	CLT 29	GPS 11	ASH 3	ATL 29	CON	NSV	CHT	BIR	VAL	PIF	DAY 27	ODS	OBS					BRI 7	NSV	MBS	AWS	DTS	ONA	CLB	BGS	STR	DAR	HCY	RCH	ODS	HBO	MAR 4	SVH	NWS 1	CLT 31	HAR	AUG	JAC	10th	21480	^[19]
	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	LGY	BGS	HCY	CLT 33	CCF	ASH	HAR	NSV	BIR	ATL 1	GPS	MBS	VAL	DAY 12	ODS	OBS 3*	ISP 1*	GLN 1*	BRI 35	NSV	CCF	AWS	SMR	PIF	AUG	CLB	DTS	BLV	BGS	DAR 37	HCY	LIN	ODS	RCH	MAR 5	NWS 6	CLT 35	HBO	CAR 3	DTS								5th	22798	^[20]
1966				AUG	RSD 30	DAY 4	DAY	DAY 26	CAR 17	BRI 18	ATL 16	HCY	CLB	GPS	BGS	NWS	MAR	DAR	LGY	MGR	MON	RCH																																												17th	15308	^[21]
	Petty Enterprises	42	Plymouth																				CLT 1	DTS	ASH	PIF	SMR	AWS	BLV	GPS										ATL 28	CLB	AWS	BLV	BGS	DAR 4	HCY	RCH	HBO	MAR	NWS	CLT 6	CAR
	Friedkin Enterprises	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	Tom Vernon	Ford	4	17
1960			51	46
1961	Smokey Yunick	Pontiac	4	1
1962	Bob Osiecki	Dodge	37	44
1964	Wood Brothers Racing	Ford	9	4
1965			6	6
1966			7	26

References

1. "Marvin Panch Obituary (2016) - Daytona Beach, FL - Daytona Beach News-Journal". Legacy. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
2. Gorecki, James J. (March 9, 2009). . Dunn County News. Menomonie, WI. Archived from the original on 2015-12-31. Retrieved 2015-12-31.
3. 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.
4. Biography at the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame, written 2002, Retrieved November 8, 2007
5. Staff. "MARVIN PANCH PASSES AWAY AT 89". nascar.com. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
6. Kelly, Godwin (December 31, 2015). "Local NASCAR racing legend Marvin Panch dies at age 89". The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
7. "Marvin Panch – 1951 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
8. "Marvin Panch – 1953 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
9. "Marvin Panch – 1954 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
10. "Marvin Panch – 1955 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
11. "Marvin Panch – 1956 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
12. "Marvin Panch – 1957 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
13. "Marvin Panch – 1958 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
14. "Marvin Panch – 1959 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
15. "Marvin Panch – 1960 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
16. "Marvin Panch – 1961 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
17. "Marvin Panch – 1962 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
18. "Marvin Panch – 1963 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
19. "Marvin Panch – 1964 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
20. "Marvin Panch – 1965 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
21. "Marvin Panch – 1966 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2017.

External links

• Official website
• Marvin Panch driver statistics at Racing-Reference

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