The eighth race of the 1951 NASCAR Grand National season was held on May 6 at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. The half-mile dirt track hosted a 200-lap (100-mile) event with a 35-car field and an attendance of 9,000 fans.
Tim Flock won the pole with a qualifying speed of 55.062 mph. Curtis Turner, driving the #41 John Eanes Oldsmobile, claimed his seventh career Grand National victory. He took the lead from Marshall Teague on lap 126 after Teague hit a rut and flipped his car. Turner then led the rest of the way for the $1,000 victory.
Frank Mundy finished second, Tim Flock third, Herb Thomas fourth, and Fonty Flock fifth. The third-place finish helped Tim Flock take a seven-point lead over his brother Fonty in the Grand National standings.
