The Virginia 500 was held at Martinsville Speedway on April 26, 1964, with a crowd of approximately 23,500 fans in attendance for a 32-car field. Billy Wade, who entered the weekend second in the Grand National point standings, did not start the race. Fred Lorenzen dominated the weekend by winning the pole and then pacing the field for 487 laps. The race was slowed only twice for a total of 14 laps under caution, allowing Lorenzen to maintain a strong pace throughout the afternoon. His winning average speed was 70.098 mph.
Lorenzen drove his Ford to a commanding one-lap victory over Marvin Panch, with Junior Johnson finishing third, Ned Jarrett fourth, and Fireball Roberts fifth. The victory was worth $4,175 and marked Lorenzen’s 15th career Grand National win. It also extended his winning streak to four consecutive Grand National races, one of the most impressive runs of the 1964 season. Following the race, Marvin Panch retained the NASCAR Grand National points lead, holding a 2,040-point advantage over Richard Petty as the series continued its championship campaign.
