Bobby
Watson would win the 1964 International 500 at Fairgrounds Motor Speedway.
Louisville, Ky. (August 15, 1964) – Bobby Watson, taking the lead on lap 340 and never looking back, held off Ken Reiter in a stirring finish to win the third annual International 500 stock car race at Fairgrounds Speedway on Saturday night.
Watson, turning in a nifty driving job in his 1963 Ford, started third from last in the 30-car field. He was placed in the rear of the field because he did not qualifying Friday night.
Watson picked up $1,350 check for his first-place finish, plus the lap money he earned.
Reiter, driving a 1964 Ford, started on the pole position since he was fast qualifier. Ken was in contention all the way, several times leading the race. He was on the same lap as Watson near the end of the race but with three laps to go he went into the pit area when his car began to heat up. Reiter earned $800 for his second-place finish.
“Charging” Charlie Glotzbach, driving a 1964 Plymouth, was third when Watson zipped across the finish line. He had completed 493 laps and earned $500.
Jesse Baird was fourth in his 1964 Pontiac and Jack Bowsher of Springfield, Ohio, the point leader on the Automobile Racing Club of America circuit, rounded out the top five.
Although many of the drivers encountered mechanical difficulty, Jack Purcell perhaps was the “hard luck” guy of the race witnessed by a crowd of 6,393. Purcell, starting on the outside of the front row, wrested the lead from Reiter soon after the race started. He kept the lead for 181 laps when he blew and engine and was through for the night.
Results –
1. Bobby Watson
2. Ken Reiter
3. Charlie Glotzbach
4. Jesse Baird
5. Jack Bowsher
6. Jim Robinson
7. Buddy Ward
8. John Hornung
9. Andy Hampton
10.Dick Dunlevy
11.Don Gettlefinger
12.John Baker
13.Bob Thomas
14.Don Melton
15.Paul Wensink
16.Don Capel
17.LaMarr Marshall
18.Bill Clemons
19.Bob Teeters
20.Jim Cushman
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