The 1963 Mountaineer 300 was a landmark NASCAR Grand National Series event held on August 18th at the newly opened West Virginia International Speedway (a 0.375-mile asphalt oval) in Ona, near Huntington, West Virginia. It marked the track’s debut as a Cup-level venue, drawing a crowd of 16,000 fans to witness 300 laps of competitive stock car racing.
Fred Lorenzen, driving a Holman-Moody Ford from the pole position, dominated by leading 165 laps and securing the victory despite a mid-race scare. His car “kissed” the guardrail in turn two after contact with another driver, forcing him to briefly yield the lead to Joe Weatherly. Lorenzen battled back strongly after a restart, while Weatherly (who led 65 laps) faded due to tire wear and finished second, one lap down. Finishing third was Jim Paschal followed by Ned Jarrett and Buck Baker. Richard Petty, a pre-race favorite, led 53 laps early but dropped to 10th after mechanical issues. The race was slowed by seven minor cautions and a developing crack in turn one that lowered the average speed to about 59.34 mph. Lorenzen earned $1,500 for the win, pushing his season earnings well over $90,000.
This race highlighted the grit of 1960s NASCAR on a challenging new short track. It remains a memorable footnote in the sport’s history as the first of two Mountaineer races at the venue.
