Marvin Panch

Marvin Panch (May 28, 1926 – December 31, 2015) was an American stock car racing driver. Winner of the 1961 Daytona 500, he won seventeen NASCAR Grand National – now Sprint Cup Series – events during a 17-year career.

Early career

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

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.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 impressed 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.