| Richard "Richie" Panch | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Panch, circa 1970s | |||||||
| Born | (1954-05-28)May 28, 1954 Daytona Beach,Florida, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | September 1, 1985(1985-09-01) (aged 31) nearRion,South Carolina, U.S. | ||||||
| Cause of death | Plane crash | ||||||
| NASCARCup Series career | |||||||
| 47 races run over 4 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 14th – 1974 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season | ||||||
| First race | 1973 Rebel 500(Darlington Raceway) | ||||||
| Last race | 1976 Dixie 500(Atlanta International Raceway) | ||||||
| |||||||
Richard Panch (May 28, 1954 – September 1, 1985) was an AmericanNASCARWinston Cup Series driver from1973 to1976.[1] He was born inDaytona Beach, Florida, and was the son of NASCAR Cup Series veteranMarvin Panch.
Panch had officially raced a grand total of 9,295 laps - the equivalent of 11,040.9 miles (17,768.6 km) of stock car racing – and had led nine of them.[1] His average start was 18th place while his average finish was 23rd place.[1] His total earnings were $90,842 USD ($501,968.45 when adjusted for inflation).[1]
Panch was killed on September 1, 1985, along with the other three people aboard aPiper PA-28 Cherokee that flew into asquall line and heavy rain nearRion, South Carolina, and came apart in mid-air.[2]
