1964 Atlanta 500
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| Race details[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 13 of 62 in the 1964 NASCAR Grand National Series season | |||
 Fred Lorenzen, in victory circle, after winning the 1964 Atlanta 500 | |||
| Date | April 5, 1964 | ||
| Official name | Atlanta 500 | ||
| Location | Atlanta International Raceway, Hampton, Georgia | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 1.500 miles (2.414 km) | ||
| Distance | 334 laps, 501.000 mi (806.281 km) | ||
| Weather | Cold with temperatures of 57.9 °F (14.4 °C); wind speeds of 17.1 miles per hour (27.5 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 134.137 mph (215.873 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 50,000[2] | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Holman Moody | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Fred Lorenzen | Holman Moody | |
| Laps | 206 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 28 | Fred Lorenzen | Holman Moody | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | CBS | ||
| Announcers | unknown | ||
The 1964 Atlanta 500 was a NASCAR Grand National Series event that was held on April 5, 1964, at Atlanta International Raceway in Hampton, Georgia, the fifth annual race in the history of the Atlanta 500 series of races.
This race had only ten vehicles surviving to the finish. Many of top NASCAR teams suffered from engine failure along with the non-contenders. Five race-ending crashes were recorded in this event; with some footage of the race being used for the drive-in movie Speed Lovers.
Atlanta International Raceway (now Atlanta Motor Speedway) is one of ten current intermediate track to hold NASCAR races.[3] The layout at Atlanta International Speedway at the time was a four-turn traditional oval track that is 1.54 miles (2.48 km) long.[4] The track's turns are banked at twenty-four degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, and the back stretch are banked at five.[4]
Race report
Notable drivers who finished outside the top ten included Darel Dieringer, Paul Goldsmith, Roy Tyner, Cale Yarborough, LeeRoy Yarbrough, Fireball Roberts, and A. J. Foyt.[2][5] Fred Lorenzen defeated Bobby Isaac by two laps after almost four hours to extend the era of "Fearless Freddie's Fast Ford".[2][5] Fifty thousand spectators would see four caution periods lasting for 19 laps and 11 lead changes.[2][5] Goldsmith would flip his car after leading the first 55 laps but would get out of the wreckage unharmed.[6][7]
Jimmy Helms and Ken Spikes made their first NASCAR Cup starts while Dave MacDonald raced his final NASCAR race here.[5] Neil Castles ended in last place due to a handling problem on the second lap of this 334-lap race.[2][5]
The total purse of the race was $57,655 ($598,511 when adjusted for inflation); Lorenzen would walk away with $18,000 ($186,856 when adjusted for inflation).[8] Notable crew chiefs in this event include Jimmy Helms, Dale Inman, Herb Nab, Bud Allman, Glen Wood, Shorty Johns, Bud Moore and Banjo Matthews.[9]
The transition to purpose-built racecars began in the early 1960s and occurred gradually over that decade. Changes made to the sport by the late 1960s brought an end to the "strictly stock" vehicles of the 1950s.
Qualifying
| Grid[2] | No. | Driver | Manufacturer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Fred Lorenzen | '64 Ford | Holman-Moody Racing |
| 2 | 00 | A. J. Foyt | '64 Ford | Banjo Matthews |
| 3 | 25 | Paul Goldsmith | '64 Plymouth | Ray Nichels |
| 4 | 22 | Fireball Roberts | '64 Ford | Holman-Moody Racing |
| 5 | 1 | Billy Wade | '64 Mercury | Bud Moore |
| 6 | 26 | Bobby Isaac | '64 Dodge | Ray Nichels |
| 7 | 15 | Parnelli Jones | '64 Mercury | Bill Stroppe |
| 8 | 43 | Richard Petty | '64 Plymouth | Petty Enterprises |
| 9 | 3 | Junior Johnson | '64 Dodge | Ray Fox |
| 10 | 06 | Larry Frank | '64 Ford | Holman-Moody Racing |
| 11 | 12 | Dan Gurney | '64 Ford | Wood Brothers |
| 12 | 21 | Marvin Panch | '64 Ford | Wood Brothers |
| 13 | 54 | Jimmy Pardue | '64 Plymouth | Charles Robinson |
| 14 | 41 | Buck Baker | '64 Plymouth | Petty Enterprises |
| 15 | 01 | Rex White | '64 Mercury | Bud Moore |