The 1957 Virginia 500 was held on May 19 at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. The half-mile paved oval hosted a scheduled 500-lap event with a 24-car field and an attendance of 16,000 fans.
Paul Goldsmith won the pole with a qualifying speed of 65.893 mph. Buck Baker, driving the Hugh Babb No. 87 Chevrolet, was declared the winner after a major incident and rain halted the remainder of the event on lap 441. Baker earned $3,170 for the victory with an average speed of 57.318 mph. There were three cautions for 51 laps.
Curtis Turner finished second, Tom Pistone third, Billy Myers fourth, and Lee Petty fifth. On lap 441, leader Billy Myers and Tom Pistone were involved in a serious crash. Myers’ car went through the guardrail into a spectator area, injuring several fans. The combination of the red flag and rain led officials to end the race, awarding the win to Baker. Baker left Martinsville with a 28-point advantage over Marvin Panch in the standings.
