| Race details[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 48 of 55 in the1963 NASCAR Grand National Series season | |||
 A map showing the layout of Martinsville Speedway | |||
| Date | September 22, 1963 (1963-09-22) | ||
| Official name | Old Dominion 500 | ||
| Location | Martinsville Speedway,Martinsville, Virginia | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 0.525 miles (0.844 km) | ||
| Distance | 500 laps, 262.5 mi (442.4 km) | ||
| Weather | Mild with temperatures of 73.9 °F (23.3 °C); wind speeds of 17.1 miles per hour (27.5 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 67.486 mph (108.608 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 20,000 | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Fox Racing | ||
| Time | 24.530 seconds | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Fred Lorenzen | Holman-Moody | |
| Laps | 421 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 28 | Fred Lorenzen | Holman-Moody | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | untelevised | ||
| Announcers | none | ||
The1963 Old Dominion 500 was aNASCARGrand National Series event that was held on September 22, 1963, atMartinsville Speedway inMartinsville, Virginia.
Martinsville Speedway is one of fiveshort tracks to holdNASCAR races.[2] The standard track at Martinsville Speedway is a four-turn short trackoval that is 0.526 miles (0.847 km) long.[3] The track's turns arebanked at elevendegrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at zero degrees. The back stretch also has a zero degree banking.[3]
The race was scheduled for 500 laps; taking three hours and forty-two minutes to complete.[4]Fred Lorenzen defeatedMarvin Panch by a single lap and two seconds.[4] Twenty thousand people came to witness three lead changes and five cautions for eighteen laps.[4]Junior Johnson won the pole position for this race; driving speeds up to 73.379 miles per hour (118.092 km/h) in qualifying.[4] Speeds during the actual race managed to reach up to 67.486 miles per hour (108.608 km/h).[4]
Jimmy Massey became the last-place finisher after having to drop out prior to the race due to a terminal crash withJimmy Pardue.[4] Jack Anderson pulled out of the race on lap 13 after dealing with a faulty head gasket in his vehicle.[4] An oil leak would take Bobby Keck out of the action on lap 26.[4] A faulty vehicle bearing forced Perk Brown out of the race on lap 43.[4] Problems with the vehicles' brakes would force Major Melton andFred Harb to retire from the race.[4]
Perk Brown and Major Melton would end their NASCAR Grand National Series careers after the conclusion of this race.[4]
Most of the car owners that were involved in the race were independents and had no affiliation with a multi-car team.[5] This race still holds the record for the fewest leaders in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville along with the1961 Old Dominion 500, the1965 Old Dominion 500 and the1976 Old Dominion 500.[6] Individual winnings for this race were as low as $100 ($1,027 when adjusted for inflation) and as high as $3,800 ($39,028 when adjusted for inflation).[7]
At least nine notable crew chiefs attended this race; includingRay Fox,Herman Beam,Glen Wood andHerb Nab.[8]
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.
Section reference:[4]
| Grid | No. | Driver | Manufacturer | Speed[9] | Qualifying time[9] | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Junior Johnson | '63 Chevrolet | 73.379 | 24.530 | Ray Fox |
| 2 | 28 | Fred Lorenzen | '63 Ford | 73.289 | 24.560 | Holman-Moody |
| 3 | 22 | Fireball Roberts | '63 Ford | 72.845 | 24.710 | Holman-Moody |
| 4 | 4 | Rex White | '63 Mercury | 72.144 | 24.950 | Rex White |
| 5 | 21 | Marvin Panch | '63 Ford | 72.144 | 24.960 | Wood Brothers |
| 6 | 11 | Ned Jarrett | '63 Ford | 71.884 | 25.040 | Charles Robinson |
| 7 | 8 | Joe Weatherly | '63 Mercury | 71.827 | 25.060 | Bud Moore |
| 8 | 6 | David Pearson | '63 Dodge | 71.770 | 25.080 | Cotton Owens |
| 9 | 41 | Richard Petty | '63 Plymouth | 71.741 | 25.090 | Petty Enterprises |
| 10 | 5 | Billy Wade | '63 Dodge | 71.400 | 25.210 | Cotton Owens |
Failed to qualify:Bobby Keck (#57),Possum Jones (#05)[9]
| Pos[4] | No. | Driver | Manufacturer | Laps | Laps led | Time/Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Fred Lorenzen | Ford | 500 | 421 | 3:42:16 |
| 2 | 21 | Marvin Panch | Ford | 499 | 0 | +1 laps |
| 3 | 8 | Joe Weatherly | Mercury | 497 | 0 | +2 laps |
| 4 | 6 | David Pearson | Dodge | 496 | 0 | +4 laps |
| 5 | 41 | Richard Petty | Plymouth | 496 | 0 | +4 laps |
| 6 | 5 | Billy Wade | Dodge | 495 | 0 | +5 laps |
| 7 | 22 | Fireball Roberts | Ford | 489 | 0 | +11 laps |
| 8 | 29 | Nelson Stacy | Ford | 488 | 0 | +12 laps |
| 9 | 47 | Jack Smith | Plymouth | 488 | 0 | +12 laps |
| 10 | 87 | Buck Baker | Pontiac | 477 | 0 | +23 laps |
| 11 | 36 | Larry Thomas | Dodge | 477 | 0 | +23 laps |
| 12 | 19 | Cale Yarborough | Ford | 474 | 0 | +26 laps |
| 13 | 62 | Curtis Crider | Mercury | 461 | 0 | +39 laps |
| 14 | 60 | Bud Harless | Pontiac | 461 | 0 | +39 laps |
| 15 | 09 | Larry Manning | Chevrolet | 459 | 0 | +41 laps |
| 16 | 86 | Worth McMillion | Pontiac | 447 | 0 | +53 laps |
| 17 | 67 | Reb Wickersham | Pontiac | 430 | 0 | Terminal vehicle damage |
| 18 | 34 | Wendell Scott | Chevrolet | 403 | 0 | +97 laps |
| 19 | 11 | Ned Jarrett | Ford | 362 | 0 | Engine problem |
| 20 | 99 | Larry Frank | Ford | 300 | 0 | Vehicle overheated |
| Preceded by | NASCAR Grand National Series Season 1963 | Succeeded by 1963 untitled race atDog Track Speedway |
| Preceded by | Old Dominion 500 races 1963 | Succeeded by |