The Virginia 500 was held at Martinsville Speedway on April 25, 1976, before a crowd of approximately 17,000 spectators. A field of 30 cars took the green flag, with Dave Marcis winning the pole position in the K&K Dodge at 86.286 mph. The 500-lap race featured 11 lead changes among four drivers and was slowed by six caution periods for a total of 47 laps. Darrell Waltrip took the lead early and paced the field for 241 laps on his way to victory.
Waltrip won by one lap over Cale Yarborough, with David Pearson finishing third, followed by Richard Petty and Dick Brooks. Waltrip completed the race at an average speed of 71.759 mph to score his only points victory of the 1976 NASCAR Winston Cup season.
