1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series

Teams and drivers

Complete schedule

Limited schedule

Schedule

Races

Busch Clash

1. 88-Dale Jarrett
2. 4-Sterling Marlin
3. 3-Dale Earnhardt
4. 5-Terry Labonte
5. 25-Ken Schrader
6. 10-Ricky Rudd
7. 6-Mark Martin
8. 94-Bill Elliott
9. 24-Jeff Gordon
10. 16-Ted Musgrave

    Gatorade Twin 125s

1. 3-Dale Earnhardt
2. 4-Sterling Marlin
3. 5-Terry Labonte
4. 88-Dale Jarrett
5. 15-Wally Dallenbach Jr.
6. 21-Michael Waltrip
7. 22-Ward Burton
8. 6-Mark Martin
9. 90-Mike Wallace
10. 23-Jimmy Spencer

• Marlin passed Earnhardt on the opening lap but Earnhardt repassed and led the last 22 laps.

1. 28-Ernie Irvan
2. 25-Ken Schrader
3. 37-John Andretti
4. 24-Jeff Gordon
5. 10-Ricky Rudd
6. 75-Morgan Shepherd
7. 98-Jeremy Mayfield
8. 99-Jeff Burton
9. 27-Elton Sawyer
10. 16-Ted Musgrave

• Irvan led wire-to-wire but Scharder stormed alongside in the final lap.

  Daytona 500

1. 88-Dale Jarrett
2. 3-Dale Earnhardt
3. 25-Ken Schrader
4. 6-Mark Martin
5. 99-Jeff Burton
6. 15-Wally Dallenbach Jr.
7. 16-Ted Musgrave
8. 94-Bill Elliott
9. 10-Ricky Rudd
10. 21-Michael Waltrip

• This was Dale Jarrett's second career Daytona 500 victory. He also won the 1996 Busch Clash.
• When the white flag was displayed, play-by-play analyst Ken Squier gave the privileges to color analyst Ned Jarrett so he can call the final lap solo and lead his son on to the victory.

  Goodwrench Service 400

1. 3-Dale Earnhardt
2. 88-Dale Jarrett
3. 41-Ricky Craven
4. 10-Ricky Rudd
5. 29-Steve Grissom
6. 4-Sterling Marlin
7. 81-Kenny Wallace
8. 12-Derrike Cope, 1 lap down
9. 87-Joe Nemechek, 1 lap down
10. 1-Rick Mast, 2 laps down

• On Lap 343 Earnhardt and Bobby Hamilton had traded the lead three times in the previous three laps when Earnhardt punted Hamilton in Turn Four; Hamilton scraped the wall and later crashed because of damage from the earlier scrape.
• Failed to qualify: 27-Elton Sawyer, 78-Randy MacDonald, 93-Gary Bradberry, 63-Dick Trickle

  Pontiac Excitement 400

1. 24-Jeff Gordon
2. 88-Dale Jarrett
3. 16-Ted Musgrave
4. 99-Jeff Burton
5. 6-Mark Martin
6. 43-Bobby Hamilton
7. 2-Rusty Wallace
8. 5-Terry Labonte
9. 10-Ricky Rudd
10. 94-Bill Elliott

• Failed to qualify: 78-Randy MacDonald, 02-Robbie Faggart, 19-Dick Trickle
• Coming into this race, Terry Labonte had led the most laps at Daytona and Rockingham but was 30th in the points standings, while Jeff Gordon was 43rd. After this race they were 17th and 27th, respectively.

  Purolator 500

1. 3-Dale Earnhardt
2. 5-Terry Labonte
3. 24-Jeff Gordon
4. 28-Ernie Irvan
5. 98-Jeremy Mayfield
6. 25-Ken Schrader
7. 23-Jimmy Spencer, 1 lap down
8. 10-Ricky Rudd, 1 lap down
9. 21-Michael Waltrip, 1 lap down
10. 94-Bill Elliott, 1 lap down

• Failed to qualify: 65-Steve Seligman, 78-Randy MacDonald, 99-Jeff Burton

  TranSouth Financial 400

1. 24-Jeff Gordon
2. 18-Bobby Labonte
3. 41-Ricky Craven
4. 2-Rusty Wallace
5. 5-Terry Labonte
6. 6-Mark Martin
7. 16-Ted Musgrave
8. 75-Morgan Shepherd, 1 lap down
9. 10-Ricky Rudd, 1 lap down
10. 99-Jeff Burton, 1 lap down

• Failed to qualify: 95-Chuck Bown, 78-Randy MacDonald, 02-Robbie Faggart, 32-Jimmy Hensley

  Food City 500

1. 24-Jeff Gordon
2. 5-Terry Labonte
3. 6-Mark Martin
4. 3-Dale Earnhardt
5. 2-Rusty Wallace
6. 88-Dale Jarrett
7. 18-Bobby Labonte, 1 lap down
8. 19-Dick Trickle, 1 lap down
9. 41-Ricky Craven, 1 lap down
10. 21-Michael Waltrip, 2 laps down

• Failed to qualify: 90-Mike Wallace, 37-John Andretti, 30-Johnny Benson, 71-Dave Marcis, 77-Bobby Hillin Jr., 95-Chuck Bown
• Darrell Waltrip's crash led to a lengthy yellow before rains hit.

  First Union 400

1. 5-Terry Labonte
2. 24-Jeff Gordon
3. 3-Dale Earnhardt
4. 33-Robert Pressley
5. 4-Sterling Marlin
6. 28-Ernie Irvan, 1 lap down
7. 41-Ricky Craven, 1 lap down
8. 43-Bobby Hamilton, 2 laps down
9. 25-Ken Schrader, 2 laps down
10. 18-Bobby Labonte, 2 laps down

• Failed to qualify: 71-Dave Marcis, 78-Randy MacDonald, 90-Mike Wallace, 22-Ward Burton, 77-Bobby Hillin Jr.
• This was the first race run at North Wilkesboro following the passing of track president Enoch Staley, which threw the track's NASCAR future into doubt.

  Goody's Headache Powder 500

1. 2-Rusty Wallace
2. 28-Ernie Irvan
3. 24-Jeff Gordon
4. 98-Jeremy Mayfield
5. 3-Dale Earnhardt
6. 43-Bobby Hamilton, 1 lap down
7. 25-Ken Schrader, 2 laps down
8. 18-Bobby Labonte, 2 laps down
9. 16-Ted Musgrave, 2 laps down
10. 4-Sterling Marlin, 2 laps down

• Failed to qualify: 78-Randy MacDonald, 27-Elton Sawyer, 29-Steve Grissom, 19-Dick Trickle, 77-Bobby Hillin Jr., 15-Wally Dallenbach Jr., 22-Ward Burton
• Terry Labonte, by starting this race, broke the record for most consecutive starts with his 514th consecutive start. The previous record, 513, was held by Richard Petty. A special "Iron Man" paint scheme was used to commemorate this feat.

  Winston Select 500

1. 4-Sterling Marlin
2. 88-Dale Jarrett
3. 3-Dale Earnhardt
4. 5-Terry Labonte
5. 21-Michael Waltrip
6. 29-Steve Grissom
7. 33-Robert Pressley
8. 16-Ted Musgrave
9. 37-John Andretti
10. 30-Johnny Benson

• Failed to qualify: 73-Phil Barkdoll, 65-Steve Seligman, 77-Bobby Hillin Jr., 0-Delma Cowart, 97-Chad Little
• Controversy developed before the race; after winning the pole, Ernie Irvan's Ford was taken to a flatbed-mounted chassis dynamometer and "driven" by Gary Nelson to check horsepower; the engine was overrevved and subsequently damaged beyond repair. Sterling Marlin's Chevrolet was supposed to be tested as well but the chassis dyno failed to produce a horsepower figure and the test was scrapped. Several reporters in the garage area questioned Nelson on the test and crew chief Larry McReynolds got into a heated dispute with Nelson over the test. Irvan struggled in the race and reacted after the Ricky Craven crash where he was buried in midpack, "It's all a result of what happened on Friday when blew our motor up."

  Save Mart Supermarkets 300

1. 2-Rusty Wallace
2. 6-Mark Martin
3. 15-Wally Dallenbach Jr.
4. 3-Dale Earnhardt
5. 5-Terry Labonte
6. 24-Jeff Gordon
7. 10-Ricky Rudd
8. 25-Ken Schrader
9. 18-Bobby Labonte
10. 22-Ward Burton

• Failed to qualify: 07-Geoffrey Bodine, 45-Chad Little, 20-Mark Krogh, 03-Joe Bean, 58-Wayne Jacks, 02-Bill McAnally, 07W-Lance Hooper

  The Winston Select

1. 21-Michael Waltrip
2. 2-Rusty Wallace
3. 3-Dale Earnhardt
4. 6-Mark Martin
5. 5-Terry Labonte
6. 10-Ricky Rudd
7. 28-Ernie Irvan
8. 24-Jeff Gordon
9. 88-Dale Jarrett
10. 4-Sterling Marlin

• Harry Gant came out of retirement for this race to sub for Bill Elliott who was recovering from his injuries suffered at the Winston Select 500.

  Coca-Cola 600

1. 88-Dale Jarrett
2. 3-Dale Earnhardt
3. 5-Terry Labonte
4. 24-Jeff Gordon
5. 25-Ken Schrader, 1 lap down
6. 4-Sterling Marlin, 1 lap down
7. 6-Mark Martin, 1 lap down
8. 21-Michael Waltrip, 1 lap down
9. 28-Ernie Irvan, 2 laps down
10. 7-Geoffrey Bodine, 2 laps down

• Johnny Benson was knocked unconscious briefly when his Pontiac hit the Turn Two wall then slid into the path of Ricky Craven, who blasted through the rear deck of his car at full speed.

Miller 500 (Dover)

1. 24-Jeff Gordon
2. 5-Terry Labonte
3. 3-Dale Earnhardt
4. 28-Ernie Irvan
5. 18-Bobby Labonte, 1 lap down
6. 23-Jimmy Spencer, 1 lap down
7. 2-Rusty Wallace, 1 lap down
8. 10-Ricky Rudd, 1 lap down
9. 99-Jeff Burton, 1 lap down
10. 25-Ken Schrader, 1 lap down

• No DNQs

  UAW-GM Teamwork 500

1. 24-Jeff Gordon
2. 10-Ricky Rudd
3. 7-Geoffrey Bodine
4. 6-Mark Martin
5. 43-Bobby Hamilton
6. 75-Morgan Shepherd
7. 5-Terry Labonte
8. 23-Jimmy Spencer
9. 99-Jeff Burton
10. 94-Todd Bodine

• Todd Bodine was subbing for Bill Elliott, who was still recovering from his broken femur at Talladega.
• It was the first race at Pocono since the track was repaved; the lead changed two to three times a lap on some ten separate laps during the race's first half, primarily between Gordon, Hut Stricklin, and Derrike Cope.

  Miller 400 (Michigan)

1. 2-Rusty Wallace
2. 5-Terry Labonte
3. 4-Sterling Marlin
4. 23-Jimmy Spencer
5. 28-Ernie Irvan
6. 24-Jeff Gordon
7. 6-Mark Martin
8. 16-Ted Musgrave
9. 3-Dale Earnhardt
10. 88-Dale Jarrett

• No DNQs

  Pepsi 400

1. 4-Sterling Marlin
2. 5-Terry Labonte
3. 24-Jeff Gordon
4. 3-Dale Earnhardt
5. 28-Ernie Irvan
6. 88-Dale Jarrett
7. 21-Michael Waltrip
8. 25-Ken Schrader
9. 11-Brett Bodine
10. 23-Jimmy Spencer

• Bill Elliott returned in this race from his broken femur suffered back at Talladega.
• Morning rain delayed the start for 3 hours. After only 117 of 160 laps, the race was red flagged and ended for rain once again.

  Jiffy Lube 300

1. 28-Ernie Irvan
2. 88-Dale Jarrett
3. 10-Ricky Rudd
4. 99-Jeff Burton
5. 33-Robert Pressley
6. 5-Terry Labonte
7. 2-Rusty Wallace
8. 25-Ken Schrader
9. 30-Johnny Benson
10. 21-Michael Waltrip

• Failed to qualify: 19-Loy Allen Jr.
• This was Ernie Irvan's 1st victory since his comeback from his near-fatal injuries at Michigan in 1994.

  Miller 500 (Pocono)

1. 2-Rusty Wallace
2. 10-Ricky Rudd
3. 88-Dale Jarrett
4. 28-Ernie Irvan
5. 30-Johnny Benson
6. 4-Sterling Marlin
7. 24-Jeff Gordon
8. 9-Lake Speed
9. 6-Mark Martin
10. 12-Derrike Cope

• No DNQs

  DieHard 500

1. 24-Jeff Gordon
2. 88-Dale Jarrett
3. 6-Mark Martin
4. 28-Ernie Irvan
5. 23-Jimmy Spencer
6. 7-Geoffrey Bodine
7. 99-Jeff Burton
8. 18-Bobby Labonte
9. 17-Darrell Waltrip
10. 2-Rusty Wallace

• This is the last points race in NASCAR that was tape delayed. The rain delay made CBS transfer to golf. One week later, one day after the Brickyard 400, the race was finally televised.
• Final time that Talladega's second race was run in July, which was when it was run since the inaugural running. For the 1997 schedule, the race was moved to October where temperatures would be cooler and the weather more suitable. Today, the race remains in the October slot on the schedule.

  Brickyard 400

1. 88-Dale Jarrett
2. 28-Ernie Irvan
3. 5-Terry Labonte
4. 6-Mark Martin
5. 75-Morgan Shepherd
6. 10-Ricky Rudd
7. 2-Rusty Wallace
8. 30-Johnny Benson
9. 1-Rick Mast
10. 94-Bill Elliott

• Dale Earnhardt had to be relieved by Mike Skinner as a result of the injuries Earnhardt suffered the previous week at Talladega. Skinner took over the car during the first caution and drove the car to a 15th-place finish.
• Kyle Petty & Sterling Marlin had a bad crash coming off Turn 4 when Petty's Right Front tire burst. The car was sent into the wall and then slid into Marlin; Marlin hit Petty in the driver side and Petty's car slid into the wall again with Mark Martin slipping by, and then into the inside wall.
• During the weekend a fight erupted in the garage area between Ernie Irvan and Sterling Marlin and some crewmen from Morgan-McClure Motorsports over the crash at Talladega the previous weekend. Some of Marlin's crew had posted signs in the garage area deriding Irvan and mocking his eyesight.

  The Bud at the Glen

1. 7-Geoffrey Bodine
2. 5-Terry Labonte
3. 6-Mark Martin
4. 24-Jeff Gordon
5. 18-Bobby Labonte
6. 3-Dale Earnhardt
7. 21-Michael Waltrip
8. 87-Joe Nemechek
9. 75-Morgan Shepherd
10. 15-Wally Dallenbach Jr.

• This was the last win for Geoffrey Bodine.
• This was the last pole position for Dale Earnhardt.
• Geoffrey Bodine had won by short pitting - stopping before he needed fuel and tires so that he could stay out and improve track position when everyone else went to the pits. This was the first time in a NASCAR that it was done, and it would set a new strategy for future NASCAR crew chiefs to use for races.
• As of 2017, this is the last time that car number 7 went to victory lane.

  GM Goodwrench Dealer 400

1. 88-Dale Jarrett
2. 6-Mark Martin
3. 5-Terry Labonte
4. 28-Ernie Irvan
5. 24-Jeff Gordon
6. 18-Bobby Labonte
7. 30-Johnny Benson
8. 10-Ricky Rudd
9. 99-Jeff Burton
10. 23-Jimmy Spencer

Goody's Headache Powder 500 (Bristol)

1. 2-Rusty Wallace
2. 24-Jeff Gordon
3. 6-Mark Martin
4. 88-Dale Jarrett
5. 5-Terry Labonte
6. 21-Michael Waltrip
7. 23-Jimmy Spencer
8. 22-Ward Burton
9. 10-Ricky Rudd
10. 43-Bobby Hamilton

Mountain Dew Southern 500

1. 24-Jeff Gordon
2. 8-Hut Stricklin
3. 6-Mark Martin
4. 25-Ken Schrader, 1 lap down
5. 37-John Andretti, 1 lap down
6. 18-Bobby Labonte, 1 lap down
7. 28-Ernie Irvan, 1 lap down
8. 4-Sterling Marlin, 1 lap down
9. 94-Bill Elliott, 1 lap down
10. 9-Lake Speed, 1 lap down

Miller 400 (Richmond)

1. 28-Ernie Irvan
2. 24-Jeff Gordon
3. 99-Jeff Burton
4. 88-Dale Jarrett
5. 5-Terry Labonte
6. 2-Rusty Wallace
7. 43-Bobby Hamilton
8. 12-Derrike Cope
9. 6-Mark Martin
10. 30-Johnny Benson

• A driver change happened during the week after Darlington. Kranefuss-Haas Racing's No. 37 and Cale Yarborough Motorsports' No. 98 switched drivers. So John Andretti moved to the No. 98 and Jeremy Mayfield moved to the No. 37.

  MBNA 500

1. 24-Jeff Gordon
2. 2-Rusty Wallace
3. 88-Dale Jarrett
4. 18-Bobby Labonte
5. 6-Mark Martin
6. 1-Rick Mast
7. 22-Ward Burton
8. 42-Kyle Petty
9. 21-Michael Waltrip
10. 43-Bobby Hamilton

Hanes 500

1. 24-Jeff Gordon
2. 5-Terry Labonte
3. 43-Bobby Hamilton
4. 1-Rick Mast
5. 98-John Andretti
6. 75-Morgan Shepherd
7. 7-Geoffrey Bodine
8. 42-Kyle Petty
9. 6-Mark Martin, 1 lap down
10. 81-Kenny Wallace, 1 lap down

• This is the fastest Martinsville race in NASCAR history, with an average speed of 82.223 mph.

  Tyson Holly Farms 400

1. 24-Jeff Gordon
2. 3-Dale Earnhardt
3. 88-Dale Jarrett
4. 99-Jeff Burton
5. 5-Terry Labonte
6. 1-Rick Mast
7. 10-Ricky Rudd
8. 43-Bobby Hamilton
9. 6-Mark Martin
10. 2-Rusty Wallace

• 10th and final win of 1996 for Jeff Gordon.
• This was the final race until New Hampshire in September 2007 that had every car running at the finish.
• Only 37 cars started this race. It was the last Cup Series race in which fewer than 40 cars started until the 2016 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, the second race after NASCAR reduced field sizes in the Cup Series from 43 to 40. A total of 39 cars entered that race.

  UAW-GM Quality 500

1. 5-Terry Labonte
2. 6-Mark Martin
3. 88-Dale Jarrett
4. 4-Sterling Marlin
5. 41-Ricky Craven
6. 3-Dale Earnhardt
7. 22-Ward Burton
8. 2-Rusty Wallace
9. 21-Michael Waltrip
10. 94-Bill Elliott

• Ernie Irvan escaped serious injury in a savage melee when he spun in Turn Two, clipped Robby Gordon, then slid into the path of John Andretti, who annihilated the nose of Irvan's Ford while Gordon hit the inside concrete wall and dislodged it.
• With Terry Labonte winning the race, and Jeff Gordon finishing 31st, Gordon went from a 111 point lead to a 1 point lead over Labonte.
• Final time in his career that Terry Labonte won multiple races in a season.

AC Delco 400

1. 10-Ricky Rudd
2. 88-Dale Jarrett
3. 5-Terry Labonte
4. 28-Ernie Irvan
5. 99-Jeff Burton
6. 18-Bobby Labonte
7. 6-Mark Martin
8. 2-Rusty Wallace
9. 3-Dale Earnhardt
10. 23-Jimmy Spencer

• Terry Labonte finished 3rd, and Jeff Gordon would finish 12th. Labonte gained 33 points on Gordon in this race. With that points gain, Labonte would become the new point leader by 32 points over Gordon, and he would hold on to the point lead for the rest of the season.

Dura Lube 500

1. 43-Bobby Hamilton
2. 6-Mark Martin
3. 5-Terry Labonte
4. 16-Ted Musgrave
5. 24-Jeff Gordon
6. 7-Geoffrey Bodine
7. 28-Ernie Irvan
8. 88-Dale Jarrett
9. 18-Bobby Labonte
10. 17-Darrell Waltrip

• This was Bobby Hamilton's first career Winston Cup Series win, and the first for the Petty Enterprises team since 1983.

  NAPA 500

1. 18-Bobby Labonte
2. 88-Dale Jarrett
3. 24-Jeff Gordon
4. 3-Dale Earnhardt
5. 5-Terry Labonte
6. 43-Bobby Hamilton
7. 6-Mark Martin
8. 10-Ricky Rudd
9. 99-Jeff Burton
10. 2-Rusty Wallace

• This race was most remembered by both of the Labonte brothers having reasons to celebrate. Bobby would win the race, and Terry would win the series championship, and together, both brothers would take a victory lap around the racetrack. As of 2018, this would be the only time in NASCAR history that in the season finale, one brother would win the race, and the other brother would win the championship.
• This was Terry Labonte's second championship. His first one came 12 years earlier in 1984, making this the longest time span between 1st and 2nd championships for any driver in NASCAR history.
• All 3 championship contenders started the race in the top 5, and they all finished in the top 5. Labonte won the title by 37 points over Gordon, and 89 points over Jarrett.
• Terry Labonte's 2 wins gave him the championship over Jeff Gordon's 10 wins. Even though Gordon scored the most wins of 1996, he lacked consistency in the final stretch of the season. Labonte's consistency in the last 4 races of the season was better than Gordon's. Labonte won the title by 37 points. This would be the 3rd and final time in Bob Latford's Winston Cup points system that a driver winning 10 or more races in a season failed to win the championship due to lack of consistency. The 1st time was in 1985, when Bill Elliott won 11 races, but lost the title to Darrell Waltrip, who had 3 wins, due to lack of consistency in the final stretch of the season. Waltrip won the title by 101 points. The 2nd time was in 1993, when Rusty Wallace won 10 races, but lost the title to Dale Earnhardt, who had 6 wins, also due to lack of consistency in the final stretch of the season. Earnhardt won the title by 80 points.
• Terry Labonte would join the late Alan Kulwicki and win the championship by winning only 2 races in a season. Only Matt Kenseth, who one 1 race in 2003, has won fewer races while winning a championship.
• Ross Perot Jr. was the grand marshal for this race.

  NASCAR Suzuka Thunder Special 100

1. 2-Rusty Wallace
2. 3-Dale Earnhardt
3. 24-Jeff Gordon
4. 5-Terry Labonte
5. 15-Wally Dallenbach Jr.
6. 30-Johnny Benson
7. 77-Bobby Hillin Jr.
8. 31-Mike Skinner
9. 61-Rick Carelli
10. 38-Butch Gilliland

• NASCAR legend Elmo Langley was intended to drive the pace car for this race, but suffered a massive heart attack in the pace car when trying to get familiar with the course. Langley was 68 when he died in a nearby hospital.

  Results and standings

Drivers' championship

Owners' championship

Rookie of the Year