One of the most underrated drivers in stock car racing history is
Marvin Panch. Known as 'Pancho' by his fellow chauffeurs,
Marvin piloted the Wood Brothers Ford, and assorted other vehicles
to seventeen Grand National/Winston Cup victories. Unfortunately the
race for which Marvin is most often remembered did not involve a stock
car.
The year was 1963, and like many drivers of his era,
Marvin competed not only in stock cars, but in sports cars as well.
As preparation began for the 1963 Daytona 500, Panch and the Wood
Brothers were riding high. The newly released 427 cubic inch Ford V-8,
which delivered a street rated 425 horsepower, was designed specifically
to outclass the 421 Pontiac which dominated the Grand National circuit the
previous season. This high displacement package provided the Ford factory
teams with a dominant power plant to build their NASCAR modified racing
engines. Additionally, the fastback design of the Ford Galaxie was
aerodynamically superior to anything in the GM or Chrysler camp, and the
folks at FoMoCo were salivating at the chance to win the first
superspeedway race of the year.
For Marvin Panch things couldn't be better. He had landed a ride in a
Masarati for the preliminary sports car race prior to the 500. Though
now referred to as the 24 Hours of Daytona, the race was originally a
three-hour event. Panch had hoped to take home first place in his Masarati
in the comparativly short sports car race, and then win the 500 in his
Fastback Ford.
Unfortunately for Marvin, one of stock car racing's all time tragedies was
about to unfold. While roaring down the backstretch in the high-powered
sports coupe, Marvin tangled with another car. His Masarati flipped and
burst into flames. Unlike modern day machines with puncture proof fuel
cells and automatic fire extinguishers, the cars of Marvins day offered
little protection against gas spills and their resulting infernos. Sadly
this day at Daytona resulted in Marvin suffering severe burns over 67%
of his body. His saving grace was a bystander named Dewayne "Tiny" Lund.
Tiny was a huge man weighing well over 300 pounds, and a regular on the
Grand National tour. Usually driving an independent car, with little
chance to win, Tiny simply happened to be a spectator that day. His
presence saved Marvin Panches life. As the Masarati rolled to a halt,
Tiny reached inside the vehicle and pulled Panch to safety. He quickly
helped other bystanders extinguish the flames, and Marvin was rushed to
the hospital where he fought for his life for several weeks.
Through sheer mental toughness, and the ability to withstand enormous pain,
Marvin recovered. Though it was expected he would never drive again,
'Pancho' fooled everyone by not only returning, but driving the Wood
Brothers Ford to a photo finish at the very same track where he was
critically burned just five months earlier. Although he finished third
that day behind Fireball Roberts and Fred Lorenzen, Marvin had proven his
point. He had gone from a bed ridden burn victim, to within a mili second
of winning at the same speedway which nearly took his life. His lead foot
remained, and his willingness to win at the cost of great personal pain and
sacrifice was rewarded. Marvin Panch would see victory lane another nine
times before finally retiring in 1966.
Despite losing their driver for the 500 in February, the Wood Brothers
had a happy ending to a horrifying month. Their replacement for Panch in
the famed number 21 Ford, was "Tiny" Lund, the very man who saved Marvins
life, and his career. Tiny dominated the field that February day, and won
the Daytona 500. When interviewed in victory circle, he was asked what he
planned to do with all the money. "Pay my damn debts," Tiny responded.
And no one was happier than Marvin Panch that Tiny could do just that.
For the next nine years Tiny Lund competed in 161 Grand National events.
He saw victory circle another four times.
By 1972 he had tired of racing and retired to his fish camp in Cross,
South Carolina. But racing was in the big mans blood, and in 1972 he
tried a brief comeback. Tiny raced only four events that year, and after
making five starts in 1973 he decided to hang it up for good.
After staying out of the game for almost two years, Tiny once again
contemplated racing and his love for speed. He shopped around and found
a ride for the Talledega 500, an event held on a racetrack very similar
to the one where he had seen his greatest career day. Sadly the big
racetrack would take the life of Tiny Lund. It was his first and only
start of the 1975 season.
America lost a folk hero that day, but if you're ever at Daytona
International Speedway on a February day, be sure to look up.
You might just see a big man smiling. February of 1963 provided
Tiny Lund's finest moment... and it wasn't winning the Daytona 500.
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