1965 Virginia 500
Encyclopedia
The 1965 Virginia 500 was a NASCAR
Grand National racing event that took place on April 25, 1965 at Martinsville Speedway
in the American
community of Martinsville
, Virginia
.
would beat Marvin Panch
by two car lengths in front of ten thousand people. Curtis Crider
would retire from NASCAR after competing in this race. Most of the contenders in the race were driving Ford
vehicles with the model years ranging from 1963 through 1965. Terry Murchinson would have a clutch
problem with his unsponsored 1964 Ford Galaxie
after only two laps of racing; he would leave the race with $250 in winnings ($ in today's money). Total winnings of the race were $20,725 ($ in today's money).
† signifies that the driver is known to be deceased
* denotes that the driver did not finish the race
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 racing event that took place on April 25, 1965 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
The racing event (in what is now known as the Sprint Cup Series) took approxiamtely three hours and forty-four minues to completely finish. Five cautions were handed out by NASCAR officials for forty-nine laps. Fred LorenzenFred 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...
would beat Marvin Panch
Marvin Panch
Marvin Panch Marvin Panch Marvin Panch (born May 28, 1926, in Menomonie, Wisconsin, is a former NASCAR driver.-Early career:He started his racing career as a car owner in Oakland, California. One week, his driver did not show up, and he raced the car to a third place finish...
by two car lengths in front of ten thousand people. Curtis Crider
Curtis Crider
Curtis Crider was a pioneer in NASCAR's early years.He was one of the hardest working and underfinanced racers to ever drive the stock car circuit. Landing in a lake eventually earned him the nickname "Crawfish." Like most early NASCAR racers, Crider was a bootlegger and delievered moonshine to...
would retire from NASCAR after competing in this race. Most of the contenders in the race were driving Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
vehicles with the model years ranging from 1963 through 1965. Terry Murchinson would have a clutch
Clutch
A clutch is a mechanical device which provides for the transmission of power from one component to another...
problem with his unsponsored 1964 Ford Galaxie
Ford Galaxie
The Ford Galaxie was a full-size car built in the United States by the Ford Motor Company for model years 1959 through 1974. The name was used for the top models in Ford’s full-size range from 1959 until 1961, in a marketing attempt to appeal to the excitement surrounding the Space Race...
after only two laps of racing; he would leave the race with $250 in winnings ($ in today's money). Total winnings of the race were $20,725 ($ in today's money).
Finishing order
- Fred Lorenzen
- Marvin Panch
- Dick HutchersonDick HutchersonDick Hutcherson was an American businessman and a former stock car racer. A native of Keokuk, Iowa, Hutcherson drove in NASCAR competition from 1964 to 1967. In 1965 he finished second in the overall NASCAR Drivers Championship and had nine wins...
† - Tiny LundTiny LundDeWayne Louis "Tiny" Lund was a NASCAR driver. He was ironically nicknamed "Tiny" due to his rather large and imposing size.-Background:...
† - Buddy ArringtonBuddy ArringtonBuddy Arrington is a retired NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup driver.- Biography :...
- Elmo LangleyElmo LangleyElmo Langley was a NASCAR driver and owner. Langley primarily used the number "64" on his race cars during his NASCAR career.-Racing career:...
† - Paul Lewis
- Doug Cooper*
- Buren SkeenBuren SkeenBuren Skeen was a NASCAR driver from Denton, North Carolina.-Career:He competed in eight Grand National Series events in his career, earning three finishes in the top ten....
- Ned JarrettNed JarrettNed Jarrett is a retired race car driver and two-time NASCAR champion.Jarrett was best known for his calm demeanor, and he became known as "Gentleman Ned Jarrett", yet he was an intense competitor when he put his two hands on the steering wheel of a NASCAR Grand National stock car...
- Bob DerringtonBob DerringtonBob Derrington is a retired NASCAR Grand National Series race car driver whose career spanned from 1964 to 1966.-Summary:His average start was 20th place while his average finish was 15th. Derrington also earned three finishes in the "top five" and raced a distance of - the equivalent of 13,427 laps...
- G.C. SpencerG.C. SpencerG. C. Spencer July 9, 1925 in Owensboro, Kentucky – September 20, 2007 in Johnson City, Tennessee was a NASCAR driver who competed in 415 Grand National/Winston Cup races from 1958 to 1977...
*† - Henley GrayHenley GrayHenley Gray is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver whose career spanned from 1964 to 1977.-Summary:...
- Clyde LynnClyde LynnClyde Lynn was a NASCAR Winston Cup driver from Christiansburg, Virginia and a runner-up for the NASCAR Rookie of the Year award in the year 1965...
† - Darel DieringerDarel DieringerDarel Dieringer was a NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series driver.-Summary:...
*† - Wendell ScottWendell ScottWendell Oliver Scott was an American stock car racing driver from Danville, Virginia. He is the only black driver to win a race in what is now the Sprint Cup Series. According to a 2008 biography of Scott, he broke the color barrier in Southern stock car racing on May 23, 1952, at the Danville...
† - Curtis Crider*
- Cale YarboroughCale YarboroughWilliam Caleb "Cale" Yarborough , is a farmer, businessman and former NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and owner. He is one of only two drivers in NASCAR history to win three consecutive championships...
- Roy TynerRoy TynerWilliam Leroy "Roy" Tyner was a retired Native American NASCAR Grand National driver from Red Springs, North Carolina, USA.-Driver:...
*† - Larry FrankLarry FrankLarry Frank was an American NASCAR Grand National driver. He is best known for winning the 1962 Southern 500.-Career:...
*† - Donald Tucker
- Junior JohnsonJunior JohnsonRobert Glenn Johnson, Jr. , better known as Junior Johnson, is a retired moonshiner in the rural South who became one of the early superstars of NASCAR in the 1950s and 1960s. He won 50 NASCAR races in his career before retiring in 1966...
* - Tom PistoneTom Pistone"Tiger" Tom Pistone is a former NASCAR Grand National driver from Chicago. He made his Grand National debut in 1955. He won two races and finished 6th in championship points in the 1959 season for Carl Rupert, his best season statistically...
* - Bud HarlessBud HarlessBud Harless was a NASCAR Grand National Series driver. He raced for six years and in 28 races . Harless' average starting position was 23rd while his average finishing position was 22nd. The number of laps that Harless raced in his career was 4074 - the equivalent of...
*† - Sonny HutchinsSonny HutchinsErnest Lloyd "Sonny" Hutchins was a stock car driver who raced in NASCAR's Grand National/Winston Cup Series from 1955 to 1974. He died in 2005.-External links:*...
*† - Bobby JohnsBobby JohnsBobby 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...
* - Gene Hobby*
- Buck BakerBuck BakerElzie Wylie Baker Sr. , better known as Buck Baker, was an American race car driver.-Racing career:...
*† - Larry Manning*
- Neil CastlesNeil CastlesNeil "Soapy" Castles is a retired NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series driver that participate from 1957 to 1976.-History:...
* - Junior Spencer*
- G.T. Nolan*
- Bill MortonBill MortonBill Morton was Chief Executive of the Scottish Qualifications Authority. He succeeded Ron Tuck, who resigned due to the SQA exams controversy in 2000....
* - E.J. TrivetteE.J. TrivetteE.J. Trivette is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver.-Career summary:...
* - Buddy BakerBuddy BakerElzie Wylie Baker, Jr. , nicknamed "Leadfoot" or more famously Buddy, is a former American NASCAR racecar driver.-Early life:...
* - Terry Murchison*
† signifies that the driver is known to be deceased
* denotes that the driver did not finish the race