| Type: | CUST |
| Description: | Race 13 of 62 in the 1964 NASCAR Grand National Series season |
| Race Name: | Atlanta 500 |
| Details Ref: | [1] |
| Year: | 1964 |
| Race No: | 13 |
| Season No: | 62 |
| Official Name: | Atlanta 500 |
| Location: | Atlanta International Raceway, Hampton, Georgia |
| Weather: | Cold with temperatures of 57.9F; wind speeds of 17.1mph |
| Course Mi: | 1.500 |
| Course Km: | 2.414 |
| Distance Laps: | 334 |
| Distance Mi: | 501.000 |
| Distance Km: | 806.281 |
| Avg: | 134.137mph |
| Attendance: | 50,000 |
| Pole Driver: | Fred Lorenzen |
| Pole Team: | Holman Moody |
| Most Driver: | Fred Lorenzen |
| Most Team: | Holman Moody |
| Most Laps: | 206 |
| Car: | 28 |
| First Driver: | Fred Lorenzen |
| First Team: | Holman Moody |
| 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; the others are Charlotte Motor Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Homestead Miami Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and Texas Motor Speedway.[2] However, at the time, only Charlotte and Darlington were built.
The layout at Atlanta International Speedway at the time was a four-turn traditional oval track that is 1.54miles long.[3] 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.
All 39 drivers on the grid were American-born. 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. Fred Lorenzen defeated Bobby Isaac by two laps after almost four hours to extend the era of "Fearless Freddie's Fast Ford". Fifty thousand spectators would see four caution periods lasting for 19 laps and 11 lead changes. Goldsmith would flip his car after leading the first 55 laps but would get out of the wreckage unharmed.[4] [5]
Jimmy Helms and Ken Spikes made their first NASCAR Cup starts while Dave MacDonald raced his final NASCAR race here.[6] Neil Castles ended in last place due to a handling problem on the second lap of this 334-lap race.[7] [6]
The total purse of the race was $57,655 ($ when adjusted for inflation); Lorenzen would walk away with $18,000 ($ 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.
| Grid | Driver | Manufacturer | Owner | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Holman-Moody Racing | |||
| 2 | 00 | Banjo Matthews | |||
| 3 | 25 | Ray Nichels | |||
| 4 | 22 | Holman-Moody Racing | |||
| 5 | 1 | Bud Moore | |||
| 6 | 26 | Ray Nichels | |||
| 7 | 15 | Bill Stroppe | |||
| 8 | 43 | Petty Enterprises | |||
| 9 | 3 | Ray Fox | |||
| 10 | 06 | Holman-Moody Racing | |||
| 11 | 12 | Wood Brothers | |||
| 12 | 21 | Wood Brothers | |||
| 13 | 54 | Charles Robinson | |||
| 14 | 41 | Petty Enterprises | |||
| 15 | 01 | Bud Moore |
| Pos | Grid | Driver | Manufacturer | Winnings | Time/Status | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 28 | 334 | $18,000 | 206 | 3:46:05 | |||
| 2 | 6 | 26 | Dodge | 332 | $8,065 | 37 | +2 laps | ||
| 3 | 18 | 11 | 331 | $4,500 | 0 | +3 laps | |||
| 4 | 9 | 3 | Dodge | 330 | $2,925 | 0 | +4 laps | ||
| 5 | 14 | 41 | Plymouth | 327 | $1,800 | 0 | +7 laps | ||
| 6 | 22 | 35 | Plymouth | 326 | $1,275 | 0 | +8 laps | ||
| 7 | 8 | 43 | Plymouth | 325 | $1,100 | 0 | +9 laps | ||
| 8 | 24 | 5 | Dodge | 315 | $1,050 | 0 | +19 laps | ||
| 9 | 28 | 82 | Pontiac | 279 | $925 | 0 | +55 laps | ||
| 10 | 30 | 95 | Dodge | 269 | $925 | 0 | +65 laps |
Section reference:[7]
