Sunday 25th September 1949

The sixth race of the inaugural NASCAR Strictly Stock season was held at Martinsville Speedway, Virginia, US. Curtis Turner won the pole. Red Byron all but wrapped up the 1949 Strictly Stock championship with an overwhelming triumph in the 100-miler at Martinsville Speedway. The 33-year-old veteran out of Atlanta, drove his Oldsmobile into the lead on lap 104 and led the rest of the way. Finishing second, three laps behind Byron, was Lee Petty’s Plymouth. Ray Erickson finished third, Clyde Minter fourth, and Bill Blair fifth. Pole sitter Curtis Turner led the opening 18 laps, but gave way to the hard-charging Fonty Flock, who started fourth. Flock was pacing the field when his Buick last a right front wheel and crashed into Slick Smith’s Hudson. Byron took the lead when Flock departed and was never seriously challenged the rest of the way. Turner faded after leading early and wound up ninth, 29 laps off the pace.This race, as of 2016, has remained on the NASCAR championship calendar, although it was changed in 1956 from 200 to 500 laps after the track was paved, and is known as the Old Dominion 500.