The 1963 Wilkes 250, held at North Wilkesboro Speedway, drew a crowd of 14,000 spectators to watch a 28-car field compete on the challenging .625-mile oval. Fred Lorenzen claimed the pole position with a qualifying speed of 96.566 mph, but it was Marvin Panch who emerged victorious after driving the famed #21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford to a commanding win, finishing six seconds ahead of Lorenzen. Panch completed the event at an average speed of 89.428 mph, earning $3,225 in prize money while capturing the ninth victory of his NASCAR Grand National career and his first since February 1961. Nelson Stacy finished third, followed by Fireball Roberts in fourth and Ned Jarrett rounding out the top five. The race was slowed by two caution periods totaling 17 laps, but Panch’s strong run delivered an important victory for the Wood Brothers during one of NASCAR’s increasingly competitive early-1960s seasons.
