On September 22, 1974, Martinsville Speedway hosted the Old Dominion 500 for the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. A crowd of 33,000 watched a 30-car field take the green flag on the .525-mile short track.
Richard Petty won the pole with a speed of 84.119 mph. In a race slowed by 10 cautions for 78 laps, eleventh-starting Earl Ross — driving the #52 Junior Johnson Chevrolet — scored a stunning upset victory. The Canadian driver, in just his 21st career Grand National start, won by a full lap over Buddy Baker and earned $14,550 for his first and only win in the series. Donnie Allison finished third, followed by Dave Marcis and Richie Panch. Ross averaged 66.232 mph.
Cale Yarborough had built a one-lap lead late in the race before his engine failed on lap 421, opening the door for Ross’s breakthrough triumph.








