The 1964 Daytona 500 was a 200-lap NASCAR Grand National Series race held on February 23, 1964, at Daytona International Speedway in Florida. A crowd of 69,738 fans filled the grandstands to watch what would become a landmark event in NASCAR history.
Junior Johnson and Bobby Isaac won the Twin 100 qualifying races on Friday. Paul Goldsmith earned the pole position with a strong qualifying speed of 174.910 mph. The race ran relatively smoothly with only three cautions for 19 laps and featured just six lead changes. Richard Petty, driving the #43 Plymouth for Petty Enterprises, dominated the afternoon by leading 184 laps and went on to win by a full lap over Jimmy Pardue. Paul Goldsmith finished third, followed by Marvin Panch in fourth and Jim Paschal in fifth. Petty posted an average speed of 154.334 mph and earned a then-impressive $33,300 for the victory.
This win marked Richard Petty’s first superspeedway victory and the beginning of his legendary success at Daytona. It was a major milestone for both Petty and the Plymouth brand on NASCAR’s biggest stage.
