The 1964 Wilkes 250, contested at North Wilkesboro Speedway, attracted 12,000 fans to see a competitive 32-car field battle on one of NASCAR’s toughest short tracks. Junior Johnson captured the pole position with a speed of 100.761 mph and appeared to have the car to beat, leading 201 laps. Fred Lorenzen was also a strong contender, pacing the field for 123 laps. The race turned dramatically when Johnson suffered an engine failure on lap 297, and with just 25 laps remaining, Lorenzen was forced to make a late fuel stop, surrendering the lead to Marvin Panch. Driving the famous #21 Ford for Wood Brothers Racing, Panch capitalized on the late-race misfortune of the frontrunners and would win by 5.8 seconds over Lorenzen.
The victory came at an average speed of 91.398 mph and was worth $3,225 in prize money. Darel Dieringer finished third, followed by Billy Wade in fourth and Buck Baker rounding out the top five. The race featured two caution periods for 28 laps, but strategy and reliability ultimately proved decisive as Panch delivered another major victory for the Wood Brothers during NASCAR’s fiercely competitive 1964 season.
