The 1964 Motor Trend 500 was a major NASCAR Grand National Series event held on January 19, 1964, at the 2.7-mile Riverside International Raceway in California. It combined points from the Grand National and Pacific Coast Late Model Series, covering 185 laps for a total distance of about 500 miles and drawing over 58,000 fans.
Dan Gurney drove the #121 Wood Brothers Racing Ford to a dominant victory, leading most of the race and holding off teammate Marvin Panch in second, one lap down. Fireball Roberts finished third followed by Bill Amick and Ned Jarrett.
Tragically, the race was overshadowed by the death of two-time defending champion Joe Weatherly (known as “The Clown Prince of NASCAR”). On lap 87, Weatherly lost control of his Mercury in Turn 6, slammed into the retaining wall, and suffered fatal head injuries after his head struck the wall. He was not wearing a shoulder harness or window net, choices common at the time due to fears of being trapped in a fire.
The 1964 Motor Trend 500 remains a bittersweet milestone in NASCAR history, blending road-course innovation and emerging pit-stop excellence with a sobering reminder of the era’s safety challenges. It continues to be remembered by vintage racing fans and collectors of period memorabilia.
