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In 1964, Richard Petty and his family-owned team, Petty Enterprises, proved best, collecting the coveted NASCAR Cup Series championship after logging nine wins, 37 top-five results, 43 top-10 finishes and eight pole positions in 61 starts.
The 1964 season actually began in November 1963 with four races being run before the new year. The series also visited the serpentine circuit in Riverside, California, prior to the prestigious Daytona 500 in February. Petty, at the young age of 26, won at Savannah Speedway on Dec. 29 and then collected the first of seven Daytona 500 victories at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway.
It was the first superspeedway victory of Petty’s career. Having suffered a horrendous crash during a qualifying race prior to the 1961 Daytona 500, Lee Petty entered only two races in 1964 and retired from driving to concentrate on his son’s championship effort. Richard Petty’s brother, Maurice, built engines for the team’s Plymouths with strength enough to win seven additional short-track races.
Ned Jarrett, driving the No. 11 Fords owned by Charles Robinson (4 races) and Bondy Long (55 race), entered 59 races that season, winning 15 Times. His biggest victory came June 7 at Atlanta Motor Speedway over Petty after leading 66 of 267 laps. Petty bested Jarrett in the championship standings by 5,302 points at season’s end.
Tragically, NASCAR stars Joe Weatherly, Fireball Roberts and Jimmie Pardue died in crashes. Weatherly lost his life in Riverside, California, on Jan. 19. Roberts was involved in a multi-car crash at Charlotte Motor Speed- way on May 24 and succumbed to his injuries on July 2. Pardue died after crashing during a tire test at Charlotteon Sept. 22.
PRESIDENT: Lyndon B. Johnson
NO. 1 AT THE BOX OFFICE: Mary Poppins
NO. 1 SONG: “I Want To Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles
POP CULTURE: The Warren Commission concludes that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in assassinating President Kennedy.
GALLON OF GAS: 30 Cents
DRIVING NO. 11
Fords for a pair of owners, Ned Jarrett won 15 of 59 races during the 1964 NASCAR Cup Series season. He was consistently the best driver with 40 top-five finishes and 42 top-10 results as well as nine pole positions. Jarrett’s quest for a third series championship was derailed by failing to finish 23 races, primarily due to a rash of engine failures.
ON JULY 4, A.J. FOYT and Bobby Isaac exchanged the lead 16 times in the final 56 laps of the 160-lap Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Driving a Dodge owned by Ray Nichels, Foyt claimed the win after passing Isaac just before reaching the start- finish line to record his first of seven NASCAR triumphs. Foyt’s victory was marred by the announcement that Fireball Roberts had died after a lengthy hospital stay.
RICHARD PETTY’S NO. 43 Petty Enterprises Plymouth won nine times in 1964 with 43 top-10 finishes and eight pole positions in 61 starts. Ned Jarrett’s 1964 No. 11 Long/Robinson Ford went to Victory Lane 15 times and had 42 top-10 results in 59 races.
DATE | LOCATION | WINNER
Nov. 10 | Concord International Speedway | Ned Jarrett
Nov. 17 | Augusta International Raceway | Fireball Roberts
Dec. 1 | Jacksonville Speedway | Wendell Scott
Dec. 29 | Savannah Speedway | Richard Petty
Jan. 19 | Riverside International Raceway | Dan Gurney
Feb. 21 | Daytona International Speedway | Junior Johnson
Feb. 21 | Daytona International Speedway | Bobby Isaac
Feb. 23 | Daytona International Speedway | Richard Petty
Mar. 10 | Richmond Raceway | David Pearson
Mar. 22 | Bristol Motor Speedway | Fred Lorenzen
Mar. 28 | Greenville-Pickens Speedway | David Pearson
Mar. 30 | Bowman Gray Stadium | Marvin Panch
Apr. 5 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | Fred Lorenzen
Apr. 11 | Asheville-Weaverville Speedway | Marvin Panch
Apr. 12 | Orange Speedway | David Pearson
Apr. 14 | Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds | Ned Jarrett
Apr. 16 | Columbia Speedway | Ned Jarrett
Apr. 19 | North Wilkesboro Speedway | Fred Lorenzen
Apr. 26 | Martinsville Speedway | Fred Lorenzen
May 1 | Savannah Speedway | LeeRoy Yarbrough
May 9 | Darlington Raceway | Fred Lorenzen
May 15 | Langley Field Speedway | Ned Jarrett
May 16 | Hickory Speedway | Ned Jarrett
May 17 | South Boston Speedway | Richard Petty
May 24 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | Jim Paschal
May 30 | Greenville-Pickens Speedway | LeeRoy Yarbrough
May 31 | New Asheville Speedway | Ned Jarrett
Jun. 7 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | Ned Jarrett
Jun. 11 | Concord International Speedway | Richard Petty
Jun. 14 | Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville | Richard Petty
Jun. 19 | Chattanooga International Raceway | David Pearson
Jun. 21 | Birmingham International Raceway | Ned Jarrett
Jun. 23 | Valdosta 75 Speedway | Buck Baker
Jun. 26 | Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds | Richard Petty
Jul. 4 | Daytona International Speedway | A.J. Foyt
Jul. 8 | Old Dominion Speedway | Ned Jarrett
Jul. 10 | Old Bridge Speedway | Billy Wade
Jul. 12 | Bridgehampton Raceway | Billy Wade
Jul. 15 | Islip Speedway | Billy Wade
Jul. 19 | Watkins Glen International | Billy Wade
Jul. 21 | Lincoln Speedway | David Pearson
Jul. 26 | Bristol Motor Speedway | Fred Lorenzen
Aug. 2 | Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville | Richard Petty
Aug. 7 | Rambi Raceway | David Pearson
Aug. 9 | Asheville-Weaverville Speedway | Ned Jarrett
Aug. 13 | Dog Track Speedway | Ned Jarrett
Aug. 16 | West Virginia International Speedway | Richard Petty
Aug. 21 | Columbia Speedway | David Pearson
Aug. 22 | Bowman Gray Stadium | Junior Johnson
Aug. 23 | Roanoke Raceway | Junior Johnson
Sept. 7 | Darlington Raceway | Buck Baker
Sept. 11 | Hickory Speedway | David Pearson
Sept. 14 | Richmond Raceway | Cotton Owens
Sept. 18 | Old Dominion Speedway | Ned Jarrett
Sept. 20 | Orange Speedway | Ned Jarrett
Sept. 27 | Martinsville Speedway | Fred Lorenzen
Oct. 9 | Savannah Speedway | Ned Jarrett
Oct. 11 | North Wilkesboro Speedway | Marvin Panch
Oct. 18 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | Fred Lorenzen
Oct. 25 | Harris Speedway | Richard Petty
Nov. 1 | Augusta Speedway | Darel Dieringer
Nov. 8 | Jacksonville Speedway | Ned Jarrett
