Marvin Panch won 17 Grand National races, most famously the 1961 Daytona 500 driving for Smokey Yunick. In 1963 he survived a fiery crash at Daytona only because Tiny Lund pulled him from the burning car, earning Lund the Carnegie Medal.
Panch retired in 1966 and lived in Florida, where he died on New Year's Eve 2015 at 89. He was remembered as a tough, versatile driver who won on every kind of track.
At a Glance
- Born: May 28, 1926, Menominee, Wisconsin
- Died: December 31, 2015, Port Orange, Florida
- Age: 89
- Cause of death: Natural causes
From the Book
This profile is adapted from Legends at Rest: NASCAR Legends by Howard Wear.