1986 Winston Cup Series

1986 Winston Cup Series
Dale Earnhardt won his second NASCAR Winston Cup Series Championship
Duration	February 16 through November 16
Season statistics
No. of races	29
First race	1986 Daytona 500
Last race	1986 Winston Western 500
Drivers' champion	Dale Earnhardt
Manufacturers' champion
Rookie of the Year	Alan Kulwicki
Most popular driver	Bill Elliott
Previous	1985
Next	1987

The 1986 Winston Cup Series was the 38th season of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. The season began with the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 16 and ended with the Winston Western 500 at Riverside International Raceway on November 16.

In his third year with Richard Childress Racing, Dale Earnhardt won his second Winston Cup Series championship. The season began with Earnhardt in position to win the Daytona 500, but losing the race by running out of gas with 3 laps to go. At the next race, Earnhardt crashed with Darrell Waltrip with 3 laps to go after dominating the race. Waltrip led the points standings early in the season, but after Earnhardt’s two wins at Darlington and North Wilkesboro, combined with a second place finish at Talladega, Earnhardt moved to the points lead and would not relinquish it for the remainder of the season.

The second half of the season was dominated by Tim Richmond winning seven races, while Waltrip attempted to overtake Earnhardt in the championship points lead. Ultimately, Earnhardt wrapped up the title at Atlanta with a win, while Waltrip suffered a blown engine and finished 39^th. It was the first championship for Richard Childress Racing.

The season was notable for being the first season since 1979 where a new track was added to the schedule (Watkins Glen). Richard Petty started his 1,000^th career Cup Series race at the Miller American 400 at Michigan.

The season also featured redesigned Chevrolet & Pontiac bodies, featuring sloping rear windows and a new front end for the Pontiac. The Oldsmobile and Buick also debuted ‘silhouette’ models (cars that look like their stock counterparts but are not directly based on them) based on the V-6, front wheel drive Delta 88 and LeSabre, respectively.

Major Teams

Car No.	Driver	Sponsor	Make	Team
3	Dale Earnhardt	Wrangler Jeans		Richard Childress Racing
4	Rick Wilson	Kodak Film		Morgan-McClure Motorsports
5	Geoff Bodine	Levi Garrett		Hendrick Motorsports
7	Kyle Petty	7-Eleven		Wood Brothers Racing
8	Bobby Hillin Jr.	Miller American		Stavola Brothers Racing
9	Bill Elliott	Coors		Melling Racing
11	Darrell Waltrip	Budweiser		Junior Johnson & Associates
12	Neil Bonnett (28) Davey Allison (1)	Budweiser		Junior Johnson & Associates
15	Ricky Rudd	Motorcraft		Bud Moore Engineering
17	Doug Heveron (10) Eddie Bierschwale (10) Phil Parsons (2) Pancho Carter (6) Jim Hull (1)	Kmart / Wynns Hesco Exhaust Systems		Hamby Motorsports
18	Tommy Ellis	Freedlander Financial		Freedlander Motorsports
22	Bobby Allison	Miller American		Stavola Brothers Racing
23	Michael Waltrip*	Hawaiian Punch		Bahari Racing
25	Tim Richmond	Folgers		Hendrick Motorsports
26	Joe Ruttman	Quaker State		King Racing
27	Rusty Wallace	Alugard		Blue Max Racing
28	Cale Yarborough	Hardee's		Ranier-Lundy Racing
33	Harry Gant	Skoal Bandit		Mach 1 Racing
35	Alan Kulwicki*	Quincy's Steak House		AK Racing
43	Richard Petty	STP		Petty Enterprises
44	Terry Labonte	Piedmont Airlines		Hagan Racing
47	Morgan Shepherd (13)	Race Hill Farm		Race Hill Farm Team
52	Jimmy Means			Means Racing
55	Benny Parsons	Copenhagen		Jackson Brothers Motorsports
64	Connie Saylor (7) Eddie Bierschwale (5) Pancho Carter (3) Rick Baldwin (3) Jimmy Hensley (3) Doug Heveron (1) Morgan Shepherd (1) Tommy Gale (1) Bryan Baker (1) Mike Potter (1) Rick McCray (1)	Sunny King		Langley Racing
66	Phil Parsons	Skoal		Jackson Brothers Motorsports
67	Buddy Arrington	Pannill Knitting		Arrington Racing
70	J.D. McDuffie	Rumple Furniture		McDuffie Racing
71	Dave Marcis	Helen Rae		Marcis Auto Racing
75	Morgan Shepherd (11) Jody Ridley (10) Lake Speed (4) Jim Sauter (4)	Nationwise Auto Parts		RahMoc Enterprises
81	Chet Filip*	Circle Bar Truck Corral		Circle Bar Racing
88	Buddy Baker (17) Al Unser (1)	Crisco		Baker-Schiff Racing
90	Ken Schrader	Red Baron Frozen Pizza		Donlavey Racing
98	Ron Bouchard	Valvoline		Curb Racing

Schedule

Round	Date	Race Name	Track
	February 9, 1986	Busch Clash	Daytona International Speedway
	February 13, 1986	7-Eleven Twin 125s	Daytona International Speedway
1	February 16, 1986	Daytona 500	Daytona International Speedway
2	February 23, 1986	Miller High Life 400	Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway
3	March 2, 1986	Goodwrench 500	North Carolina Motor Speedway
4	March 16, 1986	Motorcraft 500	Atlanta International Raceway
5	April 6, 1986	Valleydale 500	Bristol International Speedway
6	April 13, 1986	TranSouth 500	Darlington Raceway
7	April 20, 1986	First Union 400	North Wilkesboro Speedway
8	April 27, 1986	Sovran Bank 500	Martinsville Speedway
9	May 4, 1986	Winston 500	Alabama International Motor Speedway
	May 11, 1986	The Winston	Atlanta International Raceway
10	May 18, 1986	Budweiser 500	Dover Downs International Speedway
11	May 25, 1986	Coca-Cola 600	Charlotte Motor Speedway
12	June 1, 1986	Budweiser 400	Riverside International Raceway
13	June 8, 1986	Miller High Life 500	Pocono International Raceway
14	June 15, 1986	Miller American 400	Michigan International Speedway
15	July 4, 1986	Firecracker 400	Daytona International Speedway
16	July 20, 1986	Summer 500	Pocono International Raceway
17	July 27, 1986	Talladega 500	Alabama International Motor Speedway
18	August 10, 1986	The Budweiser At The Glen	Watkins Glen International
19	August 17, 1986	Champion Spark Plug 400	Michigan International Speedway
20	August 23, 1986	Busch 500	Bristol International Speedway
21	August 31, 1986	Southern 500	Darlington Raceway
22	September 7, 1986	Wrangler Jeans Indigo 400	Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway
23	September 14, 1986	Delaware 500	Dover Downs International Speedway
24	September 21, 1986	Goody's 500	Martinsville Speedway
25	September 28, 1986	Holly Farms 400	North Wilkesboro Speedway
26	October 5, 1986	Oakwood Homes 500	Charlotte Motor Speedway
27	October 19, 1986	Nationwise 500	North Carolina Motor Speedway
28	November 2, 1986	Atlanta Journal 500	Atlanta International Raceway
29	November 16, 1986	Winston Western 500	Riverside International Raceway

Results

Round	Race	Pole Winner	Winner	Make	Cautions	Caution Laps	Average Speed	Number of Lead Changes
	1986 Busch Clash	Harry Gant	Dale Earnhardt		1	0	195.865	2
	1986 7-Eleven Twin 125 (Race #1)	Bill Elliott	Bill Elliott		3	12	153.636	11
	1986 7-Eleven Twin 125 (Race #2)	Geoff Bodine	Dale Earnhardt		2	10	153.270	8
1	1986 Daytona 500	Bill Elliott	Geoff Bodine		8	46	148.124	27
2	1986 Miller High Life 400	N/A	Kyle Petty		9	63	71.078	11
3	1986 Goodwrench 500	Terry Labonte	Terry Labonte		9	50	120.488	22
4	1986 Motorcraft 500	Dale Earnhardt	Morgan Shepherd		9	56	132.126	18
5	1986 Valleydale 500	Geoff Bodine	Rusty Wallace		7	56	89.747	14
6	1986 TranSouth 500	Geoff Bodine	Dale Earnhardt		11	54	128.994	17
7	1986 First Union 400	Geoff Bodine	Dale Earnhardt		8	70	88.408	10
8	1986 Sovran Bank 500	Tim Richmond	Ricky Rudd		7	33	76.882	15
9	1986 Winston 500	Bill Elliott	Bobby Allison		9	41	157.698	24
	1986 The Winston	Darrell Waltrip	Bill Elliott		0	0	159.123	2
10	1986 Budweiser 500	Ricky Rudd	Geoff Bodine		8	67	115.009	29
11	1986 Coca-Cola 600	Geoff Bodine	Dale Earnhardt		6	32	140.406	38
12	1986 Budweiser 400	Darrell Waltrip	Darrell Waltrip		3	8	105.083	14
13	1986 Miller High Life 500	Geoff Bodine	Tim Richmond		9	53	113.279	20
14	1986 Miller American 400	Tim Richmond	Bill Elliott		8	39	138.851	34
15	1986 Firecracker 400	Cale Yarborough	Tim Richmond		8	58	131.916	32
16	1986 Summer 500	Harry Gant	Tim Richmond		8	33	124.218	20
17	1986 Talladega 500	Bill Elliott	Bobby Hillin, Jr.		9	44	151.522	49
18	1986 The Budweiser At The Glen	Tim Richmond	Tim Richmond		4	16	90.463	11
19	1986 Champion Spark Plug 400	Benny Parsons	Bill Elliott		5	38	135.376	23
20	1986 Busch 500	Geoff Bodine	Darrell Waltrip		6	56	86.934	15
21	1986 Southern 500	Tim Richmond	Tim Richmond		12	79	121.068	16
22	1986 Wrangler Jeans Indigo 400	Harry Gant	Tim Richmond		12	75	70.161	15
23	1986 Delaware 500	Geoff Bodine	Ricky Rudd		13	88	114.329	27
24	1986 Goody's 500	Geoff Bodine	Rusty Wallace		12	54	73.191	15
25	1986 Holly Farms 400	Tim Richmond	Darrell Waltrip		4	22	95.612	15
26	1986 Oakwood Homes 500	Tim Richmond	Dale Earnhardt		6	44	132.403	26
27	1986 Nationwise 500	Tim Richmond	Neil Bonnett		6	29	126.381	22
28	1986 Atlanta Journal 500	Bill Elliott	Dale Earnhardt		2	7	152.523	19
29	1986 Winston Western 500	Tim Richmond	Tim Richmond		7	25	101.246	12

Final Points Standings

Pos.	Driver	Races	Wins	Top 5s	Top 10s	Poles	Points	Difference
1	Dale Earnhardt	29	5	16	23	1	4468
2	Darrell Waltrip	29	3	21	22	1	4180	-288
3	Tim Richmond	29	7	13	17	8	4174	-294
4	Bill Elliott	29	2	8	16	4	3844	-624
5	Ricky Rudd	29	2	11	17	1	3823	-645
6	Rusty Wallace	29	2	4	16	0	3762	-706
7	Bobby Allison	29	1	6	15	0	3698	-770
8	Geoffrey Bodine	29	2	10	15	8	3678	-790
9	Bobby Hillin, Jr.	29	1	4	14	0	3546	-922
10	Kyle Petty	29	1	4	14	0	3537	-931
11	Harry Gant	29	0	9	13	2	3498	-970
12	Terry Labonte	29	1	5	10	1	3473	-995
13	Neil Bonnett	28	1	6	12	0	3369	-1,099
14	Richard Petty	29	0	4	11	0	3314	-1,154
15	Joe Ruttman	29	0	5	14	0	3295	-1,173
16	Ken Schrader	29	0	0	4	0	3052	-1,416
17	Dave Marcis	29	0	1	4	0	2912	-1,556
18	Morgan Shepherd	27	1	4	8	0	2896	-1,572
19	Michael Waltrip	28	0	0	0	0	2853	-1,615
20	Buddy Arrington	26	0	0	0	0	2776	-1,692
21	Alan Kulwicki	23	0	1	4	0	2705	-1,763
22	Jimmy Means	26	0	0	0	0	2495	-1,973
23	Tommy Ellis	24	0	0	3	0	2393	-2,075
24	Buddy Baker	17	0	6	6	0	1924	-2,544
25	Eddie Bierschwale	24	0	0	0	0	1860	-2,608
26	J.D. McDuffie	20	0	0	0	0	1825	-2,643
27	Phil Parsons	17	0	1	5	0	1742	-2,726
28	Rick Wilson	17	0	0	4	0	1698	-2,770
29	Cale Yarborough	16	0	2	5	1	1642	-2,826
30	Benny Parsons	16	0	2	4	1	1555	-2,913
31	Ron Bouchard	17	0	0	2	0	1553	-2,915
32	Chet Fillip	17	0	0	0	0	1433	-3,035
33	Jody Ridley	12	0	0	1	0	1213	-3,255
34	Trevor Boys	14	0	0	0	0	1064	-3,404
35	Doug Heveron	13	0	0	0	0	1052	-3,416
36	Sterling Marlin	10	0	2	4	0	989	-3,479
37	D.K. Ulrich	10	0	0	0	0	804	-3,664
38	Pancho Carter	9	0	0	0	0	706	-3,762
39	Ken Ragan	7	0	0	0	0	627	-3,841
40	Lake Speed	5	0	0	2	0	608	-3,860

Complete statistics can be found at Racing-Reference.info.

Rookie of the Year

Alan Kulwicki won a panel vote to win the Rookie of the Year award in 1986.

Rookie of the Year Standings

Position	Driver	Race Wins
1	Alan Kulwicki	0
2	Michael Waltrip	0
3	Chet Fillip	0
4	Pancho Carter	0
5	Jim Sauter	0

Manufacturer's Championship

With 18 wins, Chevrolet won the manufacturer's championship for 1986.

Position	Make	Points	Race Wins
1		220	18
2		146	5
3		127	3
4		114	2
5		89	1