1963 Daytona 500 (ABC Broadcast)

The original ABC Wide World of Sports broadcast of the '63 Daytona 500.

[@alscarbrough9979]

I still drive a 63 galaxie, one of the best body styles ford ever made.

[@jamessharp9790]

Agree and the 63 Chevy and Pontiac were the best looking of each division’s full size cars too Imo

[@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT]

Tiny Lund deserves to be in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Not only because of his racing career, but because of his heroism

[@busman2050]

It's 2023 I'm Im watching an exciting race from 1963!

[@jeffwilkinson447]

What a gem this is. Very cool to see G. C. Spencer running with the leaders and leading quite a bit. Did anyone catch that "Dick" Petty was running 6th at the end? I never heard The King called that. Wonder when he became Richard? And Fireball Roberts rolling up his window at the completion of his pit stop!! This was when the make of a car meant something -- listen to Bill Fleming and he's constantly noting whether the driver is in a Ford, Pontiac, etc. Thanks for saving this piece of history

[@blpadge2]

Yeah, the Yankee announcers would call Richard that early in his career. Found a magazine article on eBay from 61 calling him Dick. Word is his mother Elizabeth (the woman who beat Tiny Lund with her purse and the .38 pistol in it) did not like it. Between first first title in 64 and .500+ season of 67 is when he became King Richard.

[@anthonynelson9136]

At one of the races up north they messed up his name and the announcer called him Dick Petting.

[@victorbasta7359]

This is the year I was born. I would like to travel back in time and witness some of these old races in person. Love the old cars.

[@scarharting5577]

Look at the top five at the start of the video- Junior Johnson, Paul Goldsmith, AJ Foyt, Fireball Roberts, Rex White..... five all time greats. And driving actual cars!

[@tbd-1]

Been watching a bunch of these old NASCAR videos lately and I'm fascinated by how seldom they changed those old bias ply tires. Not like today when they seem to be changing them every chance they get.

[@lolbr6818]

Junior Johnson has the new experimental 427 rat engine. The 409 had just been released in 62 but Johnson called it a truck motor. They were running the 427 all season & learning how to modify it at the same time. "If it didn't blow up I'ld win the race" said Jr.

[@tomdavis3038]

But it usually blew up lol. Presumably that was the “Mystery Motor”

[@williamstiltner531]

That would be correct.

[@rivotrich7]

Wow what a great video! Many thanks for sharing! This has to be one of the oldest preserved television broadcasts of any automobile race. Great to hear Bill Flemming and Chris Economaki calling the race way back then.

[@laming2006]

Loved it. I'll just bet as a lad back in '63 I saw this broadcast on ABC's Wide World Of Sports. Also got a kick of "Dick" Petty! Shortly thereafter he was always referred to as "Richard", eventually "King Richard", the sunglasses, the big hat with a feather... and the rest is Nascar history that will likely never be broken. Nascar started off so great.

[@FeiHuWarhawk]

I remember watching this race on TV..cool !

[@joe6096]

"34.2 seconds a very fine pit-stop" - wow, that wouldn't fly in a million years today as a "fine pit-stop"

[@mohamhead9701]

Chevs and Pontiacs go nuts at the start of the race, blow piston rings etc., then the Fords win at the end.

[@luisy.gonzalez6469]

"What would you do with all that money?" "Pay our bills." Tiny was a true cinderella story.

[@busman2050]

Much better than watching present day nascar

[@Slimjim260]

Wish it was in color!

[@charlesrussell6201]

Follow the leader even in 1963. I was there!

[@extramile150]

thanks for the post...

[@KAS6558]

Richard Pettry HATED being called "Dick".

[@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT]

I don’t blame him. That short name does not suit him at all. Just like “Mike” Waltrip

[@arkhsm]

Even then getting the better performance out of every gallon was a winner !!

[@MrChristopherHaas]

Top 5 favorite races, period

[@RustyNutsGarage]

The birth of the Chevy big block "Rat" motor. Such a cool story.

[@radioguy1620]

You just watched the reason Chrysler made the Hemi again.

[@70stunes71]

Lol exactly. Pro mopar!!!

[@steveeliscu1254]

And took 1-2-3 in the 1964 Daytona 500. I still have a magazine ad from that time proclaiming the Plymouth sweep. Win on Sunday, sell on Monday was still in effect back then.

[@onesecureone]

I think the 383 would have been enough once they figured out they liked a lot of distributor advance

[@MGB18]

Well, actually Ford made the first American V8 Hemi in 1947. The Ford/Ardun V8 Hemi. Where do you think chrysler (now FIAT) got the V8 Hemi idea from? LOL. Be that as it may, it's sad that the little girls at chrysler cried to Bill France about the new Ford 427 SOHC Hemi (Cammer) that Ford built for NASCAR, to begin running in 1964. The Ford 427 Hemi Cammer was the answer to chryslers 426, and then some! LOL. The little girls at chrysler/SloPar knew that their 426 didn't stand a chance vs the Ford 427 Hemi Cammer. Precisely why they cried like a bunch of little girls to France about the Cammer. This prompted France to ban the Ford 427 Hemi Cammer, never allowing it to run on the oval. So much for a free country and innovation.

[@MGB18]

@@steveeliscu1254: "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday" was a phrase coined by Bob Tasca Sr. at Tasca Ford Dealers. The phrase was first used in Drag Racing in the early 60's.

[@Everythingisgoingtobealright]

After 55 years of life, loving racing the whole time, I learned today that a family friend who is now dead was a driver in this race. Nobody could have mentioned this to a fatherless kid who spent his life looking for someone to look up to? Sorry I needed to vent, I’m pissed.

[@JohnnyRebKy]

I’m a Chevy guy but when it comes to big blocks I’ll take a Ford

[@briantaylor9285]

Oil changes! Roll up windows! "Stock car" may be a misnomer, but this is as close to stock as you can get.

[@fredflintstone505]

Funny how they were talking how fast the Chevys were at the beginning of the race then the Fords swept the top 5 positions with only 2 Chevys finishing the race.

[@keithstudly6071]

They left out Johnny Rutherford ending the race on his lid. He was in Yunick's Chevy with 'Mystery Motor" like Junior Johnson. Imagine if he won that day and became a stock car racer and never won Indy 3 times.

[@robertstaley5049]

Johnny ended on his top the next year. He finished ninth on his wheels in this race.

[@jollyjakelovell6822]

Chevys and Pontiacs had the speed but the Fords had the longer legs

[@70stunes71]

Hilarious... out of gas and take the checkered flag. now that's a great day LOL

[@Boomhower89]

Actual dodges vs actual fords. What a concept.

[@andredesouza9270]

How many cars in that race?

[@MrChristopherHaas]

What the heck was that Bobby Johns pit stop about? Pouring gas on the engine?

[@keithstudly6071]

He ran it out of gas and his dad was trying to prime the carburetor to help it restart when he spilled some and it lit.

[@MrWolfSnack]

@@keithstudly6071 Gasoline on a red hot engine block - kaboom

[@almostfm]

@@MrWolfSnack If you're not trying to rush, you can get fuel in the carb without spilling it on the engine. Those of us who've driven cars that age have probably had to do it more than once.

[@julianG1212]

Insert Mario kart 64 raceway music

[@thepunditspundit1776]

These racers were lunatics, haha. THERE’S A FIRE IN THE PITS! HIS FATHER’S HANDS ARE BURNED BADLY! Now it’s under control and they are trying to button down the hood, but it cost him a minute in the pits.

[@ronaldperrin9583]

When stock cars were really stock

[@charleschastain4228]

In the late 60's Wide World of Sports showed a crash at a race and they said it was a horrific crash and you might not want to watch it. Does anyone remember that crash? Who was it and at what race? I think the man was killed and the car was cut in half. I just remember it vividly but don't remember anything about it. I was around 9 or 10 years old. Thank you

[@TheRacer120]

That would have been Don McTavish at Daytona in 1969, he did unfortunately lose his life in that.

[@charleschastain4228]

@@TheRacer120 / Thank you

[@tommartin3394]

Nascar has degenerated into high dollar IROC nowadays. Ridiculous.