NASCAR legend Marvin Panch passed away Thursday at the age of 89.

Panch was found unresponsive in his car Thursday morning and was pronounced dead from natural causes shortly thereafter, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reported.

Most well known for his 1961 Daytona 500 victory driving for Smokey Yunick, Panch — nicknamed “Pancho” — collected 17 victories in his 15 years of premier series racing. Driving for Wood Brothers Racing from 1962-66, Panch also had 21 poles and 126 top-10 finishes in his Cup Series racing career. He finished his career driving for Petty Enterprises.

Panch’s Daytona 500 win was his first victory in NASCAR’s top division since 1957, establishing what was then a speed record for a 500-mile race at 149.601 mph. “I was just setting a pace,” Panch modestly explained to the Daytona Beach paper, hours after his victory in a year-old Pontiac numbered 20.

Following Panch’s death, NASCAR released this statement:

“For more than 60 years, Marvin Panch was a familiar and friendly face around NASCAR and Daytona Beach. He was one of the true pioneers of the sport, winning races across several NASCAR divisions, including the 1961 Daytona 500. As one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers, he represented the sport with class both on and off the track. Marvin will be missed dearly, especially as we approach Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway, where he was a fixture.”

On Feb. 14, 1963 at Daytona International Speedway, Panch escaped death in a fiery crash, driving an experimental Ford-powered Maserati in a test session. He suffered serious internal injuries and severe burns to his back, neck and hands.

Among his rescuers was a South Carolinian racer named Tiny Lund, who won the Carnegie Medal for heroism for his actions. “We just jumped in and gave ’em a hand,” Lund told the Daytona Beach News-Journal shortly after the crash. “Marvin would have done the same for us.”

Ten days later, Lund drove the Wood Brothers No. 21 entry earmarked for Panch to his first premier series victory in the 1963 Daytona 500.

After a hospital stay of several weeks, Panch announced in late April that he would return from his injuries in June at Charlotte Motor Speedway‘s annual 600-mile race. He closed the 1963 season with three pole positions, a victory in September at North Wilkesboro Speedway and top-10 finishes in all 12 of his starts the remainder of the year.

Panch concluded his final year of competition for a variety of car owners, scoring his final victory in the World 600 — now the Coca-Cola 600 — at Charlotte. Richard Petty, an early retiree with engine failure, drove the final 120 miles in relief of Panch.

Panch announced his retirement from the sport on Dec. 6, 1966 at age 40, telling The Spartanburg (S.C.) Herald that his only regret was not winning at Darlington Raceway, NASCAR’s first superspeedway. Panch ruled out a comeback attempt, even though he declared his health the best it had been since claiming his lone Daytona 500 triumph.

“I don’t have much more to gain by racing,” he told the Spartanburg paper. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about quitting for about a year. Just waiting for the right time.”

Panch scuttled any talk of a comeback, even though he admitted to The Herald that he still had “three or four more years” left in his career. “A lot of guys in this business say they are retiring and then come back. Not me. I promise I’ve quit for good.”

Panch stuck to his vow, but remained close to racing as a Daytona Beach-area resident for the majority of his later years. Panch’s birthplace was most frequently listed as the town of Menomonie in western Wisconsin, but he also called Oakland, California, home during his lifetime.

Panch was presented the Myers Brothers Award in 1963 to honor his outstanding contributions to the sport of stock-car racing.

Wood Brothers tweeted about Panch’s passing:

Lost another good one today. What’s supposed to be a fun day is clouded by the sadness from the passing of Marvin Panch. #NASCAR

— Wood Brothers Racing (@woodbrothers21) December 31, 2015

 

A statement from the family included an announcement that a Celebration of Life service will be held during the 2016 Daytona Speedweeks.

A statement posted on Facebook read, in part, “The family of Marvin Panch is saddened to announce the passing of NASCAR Legend Marvin E. Panch earlier today in Daytona Beach, Florida.

“Marvin Panch was a pioneer in NASCAR racing winning 17 NASCAR sanctioned events driving for top car builders such as Pete DePaulo, Smokey Yunick, Ray Fox, Holman-Moody and of course the Wood Brothers, where Marvin picked up his racing nickname ‘Pancho.’ Marvin is best known for his smooth driving style which enabled him to be in contention for the victory at the end of a race. After his retirement from racing in 1966, Marvin went on to become one of the first color commenters for MRN Radio and then pursue a career with Greyrock and Raybestos before retiring in the late ’80s.

“An RV enthusiast, Marvin spent his time traveling in his RV between his homestead in Port Orange, Florida and various locations in North Carolina.

“Marvin Panch was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame in 1987 and was named one of the top 50 drivers by NASCAR in 1998.

“Marvin is survived by his daughter Marvette Panch Bagwell and husband Kevin of Port Orange, Florida, two additional daughters; Pamela and Marvan in California and numerous relatives in Minnesota. He was preceded in death by his wife of over 50 years Bettie Gong Panch and his son Marvin Richard Panch.”