Official name Golden State 400 | ||
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Date November 3, 1963 (1963-November-03) Location Riverside International Raceway, Riverside, California Course Permanent racing facility
2.620 mi (4.216 km) Distance 153 laps, 400.9 mi (645.1 km) Weather Chilly with temperatures approaching 66.9 °F (19.4 °C); wind speeds up to 9.9 miles per hour (15.9 km/h) | ||
The 1963 Golden State 400 was a NASCAR Grand National Series (now Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series) event that was held on November 3, 1963, at Riverside International Raceway in Riverside, California.
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The transition to purposely-built racers 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; most of the cars were trailered to events or hauled in by trucks.
Summary
This event took four hours and twenty-one seconds to resolve itself; Darel Dieringer defeated Dave MacDonald by at least one lap. More than 32000 people would watch a 148-lap race on a road course spanning 2.700 miles (4.345 km) and speeds averaging 91.465 miles per hour (147.199 km/h). Dan Gurney won the pole position driving at speeds of up to 101.050 miles per hour (162.624 km/h) but Marvin Panch substituted for him on the day of the race. Only one caution was given out for the entire racing event. Forty-one American-born races would qualify for this race and Bruce Worwell would finish in last place due to an engine problem on the first lap of the race.
The race purse would add up to $33,780 ($264,255.07 when adjusted for inflation); with the winner receiving $7,875 ($61,604.76 when adjusted for inflation) and the last place finisher receiving only $200 ($1,564.57 when adjusted for inflation). Joe Weatherly would go on to win the 1963 title over Richard Petty, who overshadowed Weatherly in nearly every statistical category that year.
Richard Petty attempted to drive five laps using automatic transmission but his transmission failed after only five laps into the race; proving that NASCAR may always be for vehicles with manual transmission. He would go on to become a replacement driver for Junior Johnson; although Johnson get credit for the fifth-place finish.
Top ten finishers
- Darel Dieringer (No. 16)
- Dave MacDonald (No. 21), 1 lap behind
- Marvin Panch (No. 121), 1 lap behind
- Fireball Roberts (No. 22), 1 lap behind
- Junior Johnson (No. 26), 3 laps behind
- Jack Smith (No. 47), 4 laps behind
- Joe Weatherly (No. 8), 5 laps behind
- Bill Amick (No. 62), 6 laps behind
- Bob Ross (No. 18), 8 laps behind
- Ron Hornaday, Sr. (No. 97), 10 laps behind