The Old Dominion 500 was held on September 26, 1965, at Martinsville Speedway as the 50th race of the NASCAR Grand National Series season, drawing a crowd of 20,000 to the tight half-mile oval. Richard Petty started from the pole in the 37-car field, but the story of the day belonged to Junior Johnson, who delivered a dominant performance by leading 481 laps and controlling the race from the front. The event featured three caution periods covering 19 laps, and despite the interruptions, Johnson maintained his advantage and ultimately finished a lap ahead of Petty. The race ran at an average speed of 67.056 mph, reflecting the stop-and-go nature of short-track racing at Martinsville. At the finish, Johnson took the win over Petty in second, with David Pearson in third, Ned Jarrett in fourth, and Marvin Panch completing the top five.
