1963 NASCAR Grand National Standings
 1963 NASCAR Grand National Champion Joe Weatherly |
Joe Weatherly authored the most unlikely championship run in NASCAR history in 1963, driving for nine different team owners. Weatherly's primary team, owned by Bud Moore, only entered selected major events, leaving Weatherly without a ride for most of the short-track races. Weatherly showed up at each track and borrowed a car in an effort to accumulate points.
Weatherly won three races in the campaign and finished 2,228 points ahead of 14-time winner Richard Petty. He took the lead in the standings for keeps following a fourth-place finish in the Charlotte World 600.
Weatherly's high finishes in superspeedway races were major factors in his championship run. Under NASCAR's points system, more points were available in high-dollar events. Weatherly averaged an eighth-place finish in the 10 races on large tracks while Petty averaged a 17th-place finish.
Fred Lorenzen, the first driver to
win over $100,000 in a single season, finished third in points despite missing 26 of the year's 55 races. The following chart
compiles the complete standings for 1963.
1963 NASCAR Grand National Standings
| Rank | Driver | Points | Wins | Earnings |
| 1 | Joe Weatherly |
33,398 |
3 |
$74,623.76 |
| 2 | Richard Petty |
31,170 | 14 |
55,964.00 |
| 3 | Fred Lorenzen |
29,684 |
6 |
122,587.28 |
| 4 | Ned Jarrett |
27,214 |
8 |
45,843.29 |
| 5 | Fireball Roberts |
22,642 |
4 |
73,059.30 |
| 6 | Jimmy Pardue |
22,228 |
1 |
20,358.34 |
| 7 | Darel Dieringer |
21,418 |
1 |
29,724.50 |
| 8 | David Pearson |
21,156 |
0 |
24,985.66 |
| 9 | Rex White |
20,976 |
0 |
27,240.76 |
| 10 | Tiny Lund |
19,624 |
1 |
49,396.36 |
| 11 | Buck Baker |
18,114 |
1 |
18,615.61 |
| 12 | Junior Johnson |
17,720 |
7 |
67,350.61 |
| 13 | Marvin Panch |
17,156 |
1 |
39,101.61 |
| 14 | Nelson Stacy |
14,974 |
0 |
18,265.61 |
| 15 | Wendell Scott |
14,814 |
0 |
10,965.61 |
| 16 | Billy Wade |
14,646 |
0 |
15,203.74 |
| 17 | Curtis Crider |
13,996 |
0 |
11,643.74 |
| 18 | G.C. Spencer |
13,744 |
0 |
13,513.74 |
| 19 | Jim Paschal |
13,456 |
5 |
20,978.74 |
| 20 | Bobby Isaac |
12,858 |
0 |
9,528.74 |
| 21 | Bobby Johns |
12,652 |
0 |
15,915.00 |
| 22 | Larry Thomas |
11,010 |
0 |
8,945.00 |
| 23 | Stick Elliott |
9,582 |
0 |
6,235.00 |
| 24 | Jack Smith |
8,218 |
0 |
8,645.00 |
| 25 | Cale Yarborough |
8,062 |
0 |
5,550.00 |
| 26 | LeeRoy Yarbrough |
7,872 |
0 |
6,680.00 |
| 27 | Herman Beam |
7,742 |
0 |
5,255.00 |
| 28 | Larry Frank |
7,582 |
0 |
5,450.00 |
| 29 | Larry Manning |
6,952 |
0 |
5,405.00 |
| 30 | Ed Livingston |
6,818 |
0 |
4,930.00 |
| 31 | Neil Castles |
5,928 |
0 |
5,165.00 |
| 32 | Tommy Irwin |
5,176 |
0 |
2,655.00 |
| 33 | Reb Wickersham |
4,812 |
0 |
3,800.00 |
| 34 | Worth McMillion |
4,614 |
0 |
3,145.00 |
| 35 | Bob James |
4,316 |
0 |
3,375.00 |
| 36 | Roy Mayne |
4,188 |
0 |
3,490.00 |
| 37 | Bob Cooper |
4,164 |
0 |
3,115.00 |
| 38 | Jimmy Masset |
4,016 |
0 |
2,870.00 |
| 39 | Elmo Langley |
3,982 |
0 |
2,170.00 |
| 40 | Bob Welborn |
3,484 |
0 |
4,830.00 |
| 41 | Fred Harb |
3,286 |
0 |
2,720.00 |
| 42 | Dave MacDonald |
2,944 |
0 |
5,330.00 |
| 43 | Major Melton |
2,806 |
0 |
1,910.00 |
| 44 | Sal Tovella |
2,570 |
0 |
1,300.00 |
| 45 | Ron Hornaday |
2,520 |
0 |
1,600.00 |
| 46 | J.D. McDuffie |
2,498 |
0 |
1,620.00 |
| 47 | Bob Perry |
2,478 |
0 |
1,550.00 |
| 48 | Bunkie Blackburn |
2,454 |
0 |
2,525.00 |
| 49 | Bill Foster |
2,168 |
0 |
1,410.00 |
| 50 | Bud Harless |
2,156 |
0 |
1,550.00 |
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