The spring Grand National race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on April 19, 1964 brought 17,000 fans to the famous .625-mile track for a 400-lap showdown featuring 30 starters. Fred Lorenzen continued his reputation as one of NASCAR’s fastest qualifiers by winning the pole position at 94.024 mph. Once the green flag dropped, Lorenzen quickly proved he was the class of the field, taking command early and turning the race into one of the most dominant short-track performances of the season.
Lorenzen led an astounding 368 of the 400 laps, controlling the pace through seven caution periods totaling 35 laps and rarely giving challengers an opening. Ned Jarrett stayed within striking distance and ran a steady race, but never seriously threatened for the lead. In the closing laps, drama finally arrived when Lorenzen’s engine began to fail. He nursed the wounded car through the final five laps, carefully coaxing it to the finish line before the motor let go almost the instant he took the checkered flag. Despite the mechanical scare, he still won by roughly 200 yards over Jarrett, with an average speed of 81.930 mph.
Jarrett finished second, followed by Marvin Panch in third, Junior Johnson in fourth, and Darel Dieringer in fifth. The race became remembered as a classic Fred Lorenzen display—blazing speed, near-total control, and just enough late mechanical drama to keep everyone watching until the very end.
