DAYTONA 500 THROUGH THE YEARS: 1961, Marvin Panch wins after Fireball Roberts blows engine & lead

Pettys fly over wall in preliminary races; Arizona driver killed in practice

Marvin Panch, NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers / HeadlineSurfer.comMarvin Panch, winner of the 1961 Daytona 500 / HeadlineSurfer.comVideo by NASCARAllOut / Use by Headline Surfer® / Pontiac was the dominant car for the 1961 running of the Daytona 500, and Marvin Panch who didn't even have a ride for the season, won the race as a last-minute driver behind the wheel of a year-old Pontiac for race car owner Smokey Yunick on the recommendation of fellow driver Fireball Roberts, who had the pole and led the most laps before blowing an engine in the closing laps.
 
SPECIAL FEATURE: Headline Surfer® brings you a snapshot of every Daytona 500 race, from 1959 to the present. This segment: 1961...
 

DAYTONA BEACH -- Fireball Roberts led the most laps -- 170 -- but with 13 laps to go, the pole sitter blew an engine and the lead to the driver who didn't even have a ride until the eve of Speedweeks in Marvin Panch who would stay out front and win the 1961 Daytona 500.

It was Roberts in the No. 22 Pontiac who suggested car owner Smokey Yunick give Panch a start in one of his cars.

Ironically, the 1960 Pontiac that Panch took the checkered flag in, was the same car Roberts had driven in the previous Daytona 500.

Caution-free Daytona 500 far cry from earlier Speedweeks crashes 

The caution-free Daytona 500 race was like night-and-day compared to the tragedy-marred Speedweeks at Daytona.

It was the first Daytona 500 run without a single caution flag, though two drivers were black-flagged earlier in the race for driving too slow. 

Video by NASCARAllOut / Use by Headline Surfer® /
The Pettys, Richard and Lee, sail over the wall at Daytona International Speedway in separate accidents during qualifying races for the 1961 Daytona 500. 
 

Tensions were high going into the signature race with several horrific crashes and a fatal wreck in practice. 

In the first of two qualifying races, Richard Petty flew out of the track wall and ended up with shards of glass in his eyes, that required treatment in the infield care center. 

His father, Lee Pretty, winner of the first Daytona 500 in 1959, went over the wall, along with Johnny Beauchamp. The elder Petty's racing career was over with the serious injuries that required he be hospitalized for four months. 

Harold Haberling lost his life while practicing in a 1955 Chevrolet in preparation for the 250-mile support race for the Daytona 500. The driver from Phoenix, Ariz., crashed in turn 3, causing his car to roll over on the 31-degree banking, killing him.

Haberling's death was the first fatality on the 2.5-mile super speedway since 1959.

Lee Petty & Johnny Beaucham,p fly over the wall in prelim races to 1961 Daytona 500 / Headline Surfer®Lee Petty and Johnny Beauchamp fly over the outside wall and out of Daytona International Speedway during a prelimininary qualifying race for the 1961 Daytona 500.
 

Tensions were high going into the signature race with several horrific crashes and a fatal wreck in practice. In the first of two qualifying races, Richard Petty flew out of the track wall and ended up with shards of glass in his eyes, that required treatment in the infield care center. His father, Lee Pretty, winner of the first Daytona 500 in 1959, went over the wall, along with Johnny Beauchamp.

The elder Petty's racing career was over with the serious injuries that required he be hospitalized for four months. 

Harold Haberling lost his life while practicing in a 1955 Chevrolet in preparation for the 250-mile support race for the Daytona 500. The driver from Phoenix, Ariz., crashed in turn 3, causing his car to roll over on the 31-degree banking, killing him. Haberling's death was the first fatality on the 2.5-mile super speedway since 1959.

Panch was not even scheduled to drive in the big race.

That is, until Roberts approached his team owner,Yunick, and suggested he give Panch a ride, which he subsequently did in the No. 20, a year-old Pontiac, the same car Roberts drove in the 1960 Daytona 500. Roberts drover a 1961 Pontiac wide track.

Top 20 finishers in the 1961 Daytona 500 won by Marvin Panch / HeadlineSurfer.comPanch, who started fourth, drove the No. 20 to victory in three hours and 20 minutes, after Roberts blew an engine with just 13 laps to go, as the upstart Panch took the lead and never relinquished it, with Joe Weatherly, who started the race out front with Robverts, on his rear-end. 

Ironically, Roberts finished the race in 20th place, the same number as the car Panch drove to victory.

Weatherly, finished in second where he started. And Paul Goldsmith, who started 17th, finished the race in third place.

Panch, Weatherly and Goldsmith, all driving Pontiacs, were the only drivers to complete all 200 laps.

Other notable drivers were Ned Jarrett who finished seventh, David Pearson came in 21st, Bobby Allison in 31st, Buddy Baker 40th and Junior Johnson, 44th.

Panch completed the 500 miles with only one change of tires, and in a then-record for a 500 mile closed-course race of any kind. Having completed the race in 3 hours, 20 minutes, and 32 seconds, the time equated to an average speed of 149.601 mph.

Back then, Daytona International Speedway didn't have a designated Victory Lane, so Punch parked his winning Pontiac in the infield grass, and celebrated win with track owner Bill France Sr., along with Yunick and his family members.

Back then, Daytona International Speedway didn't have a designated Victory Lane, so Punch parked his winning Pontiac in the infield grass, and celebrated win with track owner Bill France Sr., along with Yunick and his family members.

Racing Notes:

-- The two qualifying events which established the starting lineup of the Daytona 500 were marred by multiple crashes in which at least one fan and seven drivers injured.
 
-- A total of 34 drivers were scheduled for the first of two qualifying events, and 33 cars scheduled for the second event. The top 20 finishers would secure positions in the upcoming 500 mile event, with winners of each qualifier also earning a $5,000 purse. The top two time-trial qualifiers were also guaranteed the top two starting spots. An accident early in the first event involved Dave Mader and Wes Morgan in which Morgan's car flipped seven times going into the 4th turn. Both Lee Petty and son Richard Petty crashed during their respective 100 mile qualifying events, forcing Petty Enterprises into a noncompetitive role for the 1961 Daytona 500. Son, Richard Petty, crashed through the guardrail and suffered a sprained ankle in the first qualifier, and while the car remained upright, the crash kept him from starting the 500. Lee Petty, the 1959 winner died in 2000, at the age of 86. 1960 winner,
 
--A total of 51,287 fans arrived in Daytona to witness the race. Unofficial estimates placed the total in attendance at over 65,000 people, with some estimating attendance at close to 100,000.

FAST FACTS: Marvin Panch, 1961 Daytona 500 winner 

Marvin Panch with a replica of his 1961 Daytona 500 winning Pontiac / Headline Surfer®Photo for Headline Surfer® / Marvin Panch is shown a few years ago at Daytona International Speedway with a replica of the No. 20 Pontiac he took the checkered flag in to win the 1961 Daytona 500 with pole sitter Fireball Roberts, who led most of the laps, blowing an engine and setting the stage for Panch's historic win at Daytona. Incredibly, he won despite having only gone through onlyone tire change as there were no caution flags and few opportunities to gwt into the pits.
 
--17 career wins, along with 21 poles and 126 TopTen finishes in his racing career;
-- First race win was the 35th race of 1956 season (Montgomery);
-- Last win was the 1966 World 600 (Charlotte).

Did You Know?

1961 Daytona 500 winner Marvion Panch with Daytona International Speedway President J. Chitwood / Headline Surfer®Photo for Headline Surfer® /
1961 Daytona 500 winner Marvin Panch, one of the oldest living NASCAR drivers, is shown in this 2010 snapshot with Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood at the Speedway with a pierce of concrete from the track when it was undergoing a resurfacing.
 
Marvin Panch, named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers during the 50th anniversary of NASCAR in 1998, is among the oldest living drivers in stock car racing at age 87, born on May 28, 1926.
In fact, he's the oldest-living Daytona 500 winner.
Junior Johnson, who won the 1960 Dayton 500, is five years younger than Panch at 82.

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