Race details [1] [2] | |||
---|---|---|---|
Race 42 of 62 in the 1964 NASCAR Grand National Series season | |||
Layout of Bristol Motor Speedway | |||
Date | July 26, 1964 | ||
Official name | Volunteer 500 | ||
Location | Bristol International Speedway, Bristol, Tennessee | ||
Course | Permanent racing facility 0.533 mi (0.857 km) | ||
Distance | 500 laps, 266.5 mi (428.8 km) | ||
Weather | Very hot with temperatures of 87.1 °F (30.6 °C); wind speeds of 7 miles per hour (11 km/h) | ||
Average speed | 78.004 mph (125.535 km/h) | ||
Attendance | 25,500 [3] | ||
Pole position | |||
Driver | Petty Enterprises | ||
Most laps led | |||
Driver | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | |
Laps | 442 | ||
Winner | |||
No. 28 | Fred Lorenzen | Holman-Moody | |
Television in the United States | |||
Network | untelevised | ||
Announcers | none |
The 1964 Volunteer 500 was a NASCAR Grand National Series event that was held on July 26, 1964, at Bristol International Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee.
Buddy Baker won the Saturday qualifying race to earn 25th starting position, but was replaced by Jimmy Helms in the 500 lap feature.
There was a racing grid of 36 drivers who were all born in the United States of America. [3] Fred Lorenzen defeated Richard Petty by slightly more than a lap in front of 25,500 people in order to win the top prize of $4,185 USD ($34,921 when adjusted for inflation). [2] [3] Petty was considered to be on pace to win the race until his rear end failed on the last lap; forcing him to accept a second-place finish. [2] [3] However, Petty's car developed the problem sometime before starting the final lap. [2] [3] As a result, Petty had a big enough lead to where Lorenzen did not catch him until the car failed entirely. [2] [3]
Five lead changes were made and the caution flag was waved only once for 14 laps. [2] [3] Darrell Bryant received the last place finish and a measly $275 paycheck ($2,295 when adjusted for inflation) for a fuel pressure issue on lap 1 that forced him out of the race. [2] [3] Petty would receive the pole position for his qualifying speed of 82.910 miles per hour (133.431 km/h) while the average speed of the race would be 78.044 miles per hour (125.600 km/h). [3]
Bristol was a flatter track during the 1960s and the banking was more shallow.
Darrell Bryant and Doug Wilson would make their NASCAR debuts here. [4] Johnny Nave would exit the NASCAR Cup Series after this race. [4] Fourteen notable crew chiefs participated in the event; including Herman Beam, Glen Wood, Banjo Matthews, Herb Nab and Jimmy Helms. [5]
The transition to purpose-built racecars began in the early 1960s and occurred gradually over that decade. Changes made to the sport by the late 1960s brought an end to the "strictly stock" vehicles of the 1950s.
Grid [3] | No. | Driver | Manufacturer | Owner |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 43 | Richard Petty | '64 Plymouth | Petty Enterprises |
2 | 25 | Paul Goldsmith | '64 Plymouth | Ray Nichels |
3 | 1 | Billy Wade | '64 Mercury | Bud Moore |
4 | 21 | Marvin Panch | '64 Ford | Wood Brothers |
5 | 11 | Ned Jarrett | '64 Ford | Bondy Long |
6 | 6 | David Pearson | '64 Dodge | Cotton Owens |
7 | 27 | Junior Johnson | '64 Ford | Banjo Matthews |
8 | 28 | Fred Lorenzen | '64 Ford | Holman-Moody Racing |
9 | 26 | Bobby Isaac | '64 Dodge | Ray Nichels |
10 | 16 | Darel Dieringer | '64 Mercury | Bud Moore |
11 | 41 | Jim Paschal | '64 Plymouth | Petty Enterprises |
12 | 3 | Buck Baker | '64 Dodge | Ray Fox |
13 | 03 | LeeRoy Yarbrough | '64 Dodge | Ray Fox |
14 | 5 | Earl Balmer | '64 Dodge | Cotton Owens |
15 | 19 | Larry Thomas | '64 Ford | Herman Beam |
16 | 82 | Bunkie Blackburn | '64 Pontiac | Casper Hensley |
17 | 54 | Jimmy Pardue | '64 Plymouth | Charles Robinson |
18 | 78 | Buddy Arrington | '63 Dodge | Buddy Arrington |
19 | 34 | Wendell Scott | '63 Ford | Wendell Scott |
20 | 09 | Roy Mayne | '62 Chevrolet | Bob Adams |
Pos [3] | Grid | No. | Driver | Manufacturer | Laps | Winnings | Laps led | Time/Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 8 | 28 | Fred Lorenzen | '64 Ford | 500 | $4,185 | 1 | 3:12:12 |
2 | 1 | 43 | Richard Petty | '64 Plymouth | 499 | $2,730 | 442 | Missing rear end |
3 | 11 | 41 | Jim Paschal | '64 Plymouth | 499 | $1,500 | 0 | +1 lap |
4 | 13 | 03 | LeeRoy Yarbrough | '64 Dodge | 489 | $1,260 | 0 | +11 laps |
5 | 15 | 19 | Larry Thomas | '64 Ford | 482 | $975 | 0 | +18 laps |
6 | 17 | 54 | Jimmy Pardue | '64 Plymouth | 479 | $825 | 0 | +21 laps |
7 | 4 | 21 | Marvin Panch | '64 Ford | 463 | $775 | 0 | Missing rear end |
8 | 20 | 09 | Roy Mayne | '62 Chevrolet | 461 | $650 | 0 | +39 laps |
9 | 18 | 78 | Buddy Arrington | '63 Dodge | 455 | $550 | 0 | Missing rear end |
10 | 22 | 46 | J.T. Putney | '62 Chevrolet | 449 | $500 | 0 | +51 laps |
Section reference: [3]
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