The 1956 Virginia 500 is a NASCAR

NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

 Grand National (now Sprint Cup Series) race that took place on May 20, 1956 at Martinsville Speedway

Martinsville Speedway

Martinsville Speedway is an International Speedway Corporation-owned NASCAR stock car racing track located in Henry County, near Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved...

 in the American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 community of Martinsville

Martinsville, Virginia

Martinsville is an independent city which is surrounded by Henry County, Virginia, United States. The population was 13,821 in 2010. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Martinsville with Henry County for statistical purposes...

, Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

.

Summary

Five hundred laps took place on a paved oval track spanning 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) for a grand total of 250 miles (402.3 km). The time of the race was four hours and three minutes while there were seven cautions for twenty laps. The average speed was 60.824 mi/h while the pole position speed was 66.103 mi/h. Compared to the top speed of today's passenger vehicles which is considered to be 99 mi/h in most makes and models, these stock cars were considered to be slow. Buck Baker

Buck Baker

Elzie Wylie Baker Sr. , better known as Buck Baker, was an American race car driver.-Racing career:...

 defeated Speedy Thompson

Speedy Thompson

Alfred Bruce "Speedy" Thompson was a NASCAR pioneer and driver in the Grand National series from 1950 to 1971; capturing 20 wins along the way.-Racing career:...

 by half a lap. Other notable drivers who participated in the race included Arden Mounts

Arden Mounts

Enoch Arden Mounts was an American NASCAR Grand National Series driver from Gilbert, Mingo County, West Virginia. His primary vehicle was the #18 self-owned Pontiac machine; although he would occasionaly drive a Hudson vehicle on the race track.-Summary:He raced in the NASCAR Grand National Series...

, Cotton Owens

Cotton Owens

Everett "Cotton" Owens "the King of the Modifieds" was a NASCAR driver. For five straight years , Owens captured at least one Grand National series win.-Modified driving career:...

, Fireball Roberts

Fireball Roberts

Edward Glenn Roberts, Jr. , nicknamed "Fireball", was one of the pioneering race car drivers of NASCAR.-Background:...

, Tiny Lund

Tiny Lund

DeWayne Louis "Tiny" Lund was a NASCAR driver. He was ironically nicknamed "Tiny" due to his rather large and imposing size.-Background:...

, Paul Goldsmith

Paul Goldsmith

Paul Goldsmith is a motorcycle Hall of Famer, Motorsports Hall of Fame of America inductee and former USAC and NASCAR driver.- Motorcycle career :...

, and Lee Petty

Lee Petty

Lee Arnold Petty was an American stock car driver in the 1950s and 1960s. He was one of the pioneers of NASCAR, and one of its first superstars. He was born near Randleman, North Carolina.-Career:...

. The winning vehicle was a 1956 Dodge Coronet

Dodge Coronet

The Coronet was a full-size car from Dodge in the 1950s, initially the division's highest trim line but, starting in 1955, the lowest trim line. In the 1960s, the name was transferred to Dodge's mid-size entry.-1949:...

. Thirty-five American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 drivers dueled each other with no foreign-born competitors either in qualifying or the race itself.

Twenty thousands fans were on hand to watch the race live. The total winnings of the race was $10,275 ($ in today's money). Buck Baker received the lion's share

Lion's Share

The lion's share is an idiomatic expression which develops from a number of fables ascribed to Aesop and is now used as their generic title, although they exist in several different versions...

 with $3,100 in winnings ($ in today's money).

Results

1. Buck Baker
2. Speedy Thompson (only other car on the lead lap)
3. Lee Petty
4. Paul Goldsmith
5. Gwyn Staley
   Gwyn Staley
   Gwyn Staley was a NASCAR Grand National driver from Burlington, North Carolina, USA.-Career:...
   
   
6. Rex White
   Rex White
   Rex White is a retired American auto racer and NASCAR champion. White was one of the drivers who competed for the original Chevrolet racing team. He began racing in 1956, grabbing fourteen top-ten finishes. After a part-time run in 1957, White won twice in 1958...
   
   
7. Sherman Utsman
   Sherman Utsman
   Sherman Utsman is a retired NASCAR Grand National driver.From the age of 24 to the age of 31, Sherman has competed in and 5304 laps of racing. Most of his rides were with the 1962 Ford Galaxie bearing the #6 number. Sherman is related to fellow drivers Dub, John, Larry, and Layman Utsman...
   
   
8. Billy Myers
   Billy Myers
   William Harrison Myers was a shortstop in Major League Baseball who played from 1935 through 1941 for the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs . Listed at 5' 8", 168 lb., Myers batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Enola, Pennsylvania...
   
   
9. Jack Smith
10. Ralph Moody
    Ralph Moody
    Ralph Moody was one of early drivers of NASCAR. However, he eventually became the most famous as team co-owner of Holman Moody.-Background:...
    
    
11. Harvey Henderson
12. Tiny Lund
13. Bobby Johns
    Bobby Johns
    Bobby Johns is a retired American racecar driver.Johns raced in the NASCAR series in the 1956-1969 seasons, with 141 career starts. He had 2 wins among his 36 top ten finishes and finished the 1960 season 3rd in the points...
    
    
14. Reitzel Darner*
15. Bobby Myers
    Bobby Myers
    Bobby Jermaine Myers is a former American football safety in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fourth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers....
    
    *
16. Fireball Roberts
17. Ray Chaike
18. Pee Wee Jones
19. George Cork
20. Herb Thomas*
21. Pete Stewart
    Pete Stewart (NASCAR)
    Pete Stewart is a retired NASCAR Grand National Series driver who participated in 17 racing events from 1953 to 1965....
    
    *
22. Arden Mounts
23. Don Carr*
24. Fred Lorenzen
    Fred Lorenzen
    Fred Lorenzen , nicknamed The Golden Boy, Fast Freddie, The Elmhurst Express and Flyin Freddy, is a former NASCAR driver active between 1958 and 1972. He won the 1965 Daytona 500. Lorenzen was born in Elmurst, Illinois.-Early career:Lorenzen first caught the car bug young, and had built his first...
    
     (lowest finishing car to complete the race)
25. Jim Paschall*
26. Blackie Pitt
    Blackie Pitt
    William H. "Blackie" Pitt is a NASCAR Grand National Series born in the American town of Rocky Mount, North Carolina. He is best known as the 1954 NASCAR Rookie of the Year.-Career:...
    
    *
27. Cotton Owens*
28. Ted Cannady*
29. Darvin Randahl*
30. Tim Flock
    Tim Flock
    Julius Timothy Flock was one of NASCAR's early pioneers, and a two time series champion. He was a brother to NASCAR's second female driver Ethel Mobley and NASCAR pioneers Bob Flock and Fonty Flock.- NASCAR career :...
    
    *
31. Johnny Allen*
32. Joe Bill O'Dell*
33. Bob Duell*
34. Jim Rhoades*
35. Ralph Liguori
    Ralph Liguori
    Ralph Liguori is a former American racing driver from New York City.-Indycar career:He competed in the USAC Championship Car series from 1957 to 1971 making 61 starts. His best finish was 2nd place at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Speedway in 1970. 1966 was his most active year, when he made 7...
    
    *

* Driver failed to finish race