The 1996 Winston Cup Series was the 48th season of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. The season began with the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18 and ended with the NAPA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on November 10.
Terry Labonte won his second NASCAR Winston Cup Series Championship in his 18th full time season. It came 12 years after his first championship in 1984, the longest span between championships in Cup history. Terry Labonte also became NASCAR's "Ironman" by breaking Richard Petty's consecutive start streak in his 514th consecutive race at the First Union 400. He held off teammate Jeff Gordon, who won 10 races to Labonte's 2, but had a more inconsistent season than Labonte. It was the second driver's championship won by Hendrick Motorsports.
The season was notable for being the final season with official races at North Wilkesboro Speedway (as of 2023), as well as the first season where NASCAR ran an exhibition race in Japan. Petty Enterprises returned to victory lane for the first time since 1984 with Bobby Hamilton's first career win at Phoenix, and they posted their best points finish since 1987.
Ernie Irvan returned to full time Cup competition driving the #28 Robert Yates Racing Ford, which led to the creation of a second Robert Yates Racing team, the #88, driven by Dale Jarrett. Jarrett would win 4 races with his new team, including the Daytona 500. Michael Waltrip left Bahari Racing, replacing Morgan Shepherd at Wood Brothers, and he scored a win at the Winston Select All-Star Race. Finally, Jeff Burton joined Roush Racing in a new third team, the #99. He would drive the #99 for the next 9 seasons. Johnny Benson, the 1995 Busch Grand National Series Champion, moved up to the Cup Series, replacing Waltrip at Bahari. He would win the Rookie of the Year award by default.
1996 Winston Cup Team Chart[]
- (C)=Champion
- (ROTY)=Rookie of the Year
Schedule[]
Round | Date | Race Name | Track | TV |
---|---|---|---|---|
February 11, 1996 | Busch Clash | Daytona International Speedway | CBS | |
February 15, 1996 | Gatorade Twin 125s | Daytona International Speedway | CBS | |
1 | February 18, 1996 | Daytona 500 | Daytona International Speedway | CBS |
2 | February 25, 1996 | Goodwrench Service 400 | North Carolina Speedway | TNN |
3 | March 3, 1996 | Pontiac Excitement 400 | Richmond International Raceway | ESPN |
4 | March 10, 1996 | Purolator 500 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | ABC |
5 | March 24, 1996 | TranSouth Financial 400 | Darlington Raceway | ESPN |
6 | March 31, 1996 | Food City 500 | Bristol Motor Speedway | ESPN |
7 | April 14, 1996 | First Union 400 | North Wilkesboro Speedway | ESPN |
8 | April 21, 1996 | Goody's Headache Powder 500 | Martinsville Speedway | ESPN |
9 | April 28, 1996 | Winston Select 500 | Talladega Superspeedway | ESPN |
10 | May 5, 1996 | Save Mart Supermarkets 300 | Sears Point Raceway | ESPN |
May 18, 1996 | Winston Select | Charlotte Motor Speedway | TNN | |
11 | May 26, 1996 | Coca-Cola 600 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | TBS |
12 | June 2, 1996 | Miller 500 | Dover Downs International Speedway | TNN |
13 | June 16, 1996 | UAW-GM Teamwork 500 | Pocono Raceway | TNN |
14 | June 23, 1996 | Miller 400 | Michigan Speedway | CBS |
15 | July 6, 1996 | Pepsi 400 | Daytona International Speedway | ESPN |
16 | July 14, 1996 | Jiffy Lube 300 | New Hampshire International Speedway | TNN |
17 | July 21, 1996 | Miller 500 | Pocono Raceway | TBS |
18 | July 28, 1996 | DieHard 500 | Talladega Superspeedway | CBS |
19 | August 3, 1996 | Brickyard 400 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | ABC |
20 | August 11, 1996 | The Bud At The Glen | Watkins Glen International | ESPN |
21 | August 18, 1996 | GM Goodwrench Dealer 400 | Michigan Speedway | ESPN |
22 | August 24, 1996 | Goody's Headache Powder 500 | Bristol Motor Speedway | ESPN |
23 | September 1, 1996 | Mountain Dew Southern 500 | Darlington Raceway | ESPN |
24 | September 7, 1996 | Miller 400 | Richmond International Raceway | ESPN |
25 | September 15, 1996 | MBNA 500 | Dover Downs International Speedway | TNN |
26 | September 22, 1996 | Hanes 500 | Martinsville Speedway | ESPN |
27 | September 29, 1996 | Tyson Holly Farms 400 | North Wilkesboro Speedway | ESPN |
28 | October 6, 1996 | UAW-GM Quality 500 | Lowe's Motor Speedway | TBS |
29 | October 20, 1996 | AC-Delco 400 | North Carolina Speedway | TNN |
30 | October 27, 1996 | Dura Lube 500 | Phoenix International Raceway | TNN |
31 | November 10, 1996 | NAPA 500 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | ESPN |
November 24, 1996 | NASCAR Suzuka Thunder Special | Suzuka Circuit | TBS |
Results[]
Round | Race | Pole Winner | Winner | Make | Cautions | Caution Laps | Average Speed | Number of Lead Changes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996 Busch Clash | Rick Mast | Dale Jarrett | 1 | 0 | 184.995 | 3 | ||
1996 Gatorade Twin 125 (Race #1) | Dale Earnhardt | Dale Earnhardt | 3 | 10 | 143.039 | 2 | ||
1996 Gatorade Twin 125 (Race #2) | Ernie Irvan | Ernie Irvan | 0 | 0 | 186.027 | 0 | ||
1 | 1996 Daytona 500 | Dale Earnhardt | Dale Jarrett | 6 | 26 | 154.308 | 32 | |
2 | 1996 Goodwrench Service 400 | Terry Labonte | Dale Earnhardt | 10 | 66 | 113.959 | 22 | |
3 | 1996 Pontiac Excitement 400 | Terry Labonte | Jeff Gordon | 8 | 36 | 102.750 | 25 | |
4 | 1996 Purolator 500 | Johnny Benson, Jr | Dale Earnhardt | 3 | 13 | 161.298 | 30 | |
5 | 1996 TranSouth Financial 400 | Ward Burton | Jeff Gordon | 11 | 56 | 124.792 | 15 | |
6 | 1996 Food City 500 | Mark Martin | Jeff Gordon | 5 | 37 | 91.308 | 7 | |
7 | 1996 First Union 400 | Terry Labonte | Terry Labonte | 3 | 25 | 96.370 | 17 | |
8 | 1996 Goody's Headache Powder 500 | Ricky Craven | Rusty Wallace | 6 | 36 | 81.410 | 18 | |
9 | 1996 Winston Select 500 | Ernie Irvan | Sterling Marlin | 6 | 31 | 149.999 | 24 | |
10 | 1996 Save Mart Supermarkets 300 | Terry Labonte | Rusty Wallace | 5 | 10 | 77.673 | 9 | |
1996 Winston Select | Jeff Gordon | Michael Waltrip | 1 | 3 | 162.721 | 6 | ||
11 | 1996 Coca-Cola 600 | Jeff Gordon | Dale Jarrett | 6 | 35 | 147.581 | 20 | |
12 | 1996 Miller 500 | Jeff Gordon | Jeff Gordon | 5 | 38 | 122.741 | 19 | |
13 | 1996 UAW-GM Teamwork 500 | Jeff Gordon | Jeff Gordon | 4 | 23 | 139.104 | 26 | |
14 | 1996 Miller 400 | Bobby Hamilton | Rusty Wallace | 2 | 8 | 166.033 | 17 | |
15 | 1996 Pepsi 400 | Jeff Gordon | Sterling Marlin | 3 | 11 | 161.602 | 9 | |
16 | 1996 Jiffy Lube 300 | Ricky Craven | Ernie Irvan | 8 | 49 | 98.930 | 23 | |
17 | 1996 Miller 500 | Mark Martin | Rusty Wallace | 4 | 17 | 144.892 | 23 | |
18 | 1996 DieHard 500 | Jeremy Mayfield | Jeff Gordon | 5 | 35 | 133.387 | 24 | |
19 | 1996 Brickyard 400 | Jeff Gordon | Dale Jarrett | 5 | 21 | 139.508 | 18 | |
20 | 1996 The Bud At The Glen | Dale Earnhardt | Geoffrey Bodine | 4 | 11 | 92.334 | 8 | |
21 | 1996 GM Goodwrench Dealer 400 | Jeff Burton | Dale Jarrett | 8 | 36 | 139.792 | 13 | |
22 | 1996 Goody's Headache Powder 500 | Mark Martin | Rusty Wallace | 8 | 67 | 91.267 | 8 | |
23 | 1996 Mountain Dew Southern 500 | Dale Jarrett | Jeff Gordon | 6 | 37 | 135.757 | 29 | |
24 | 1996 Miller 400 | Mark Martin | Ernie Irvan | 4 | 24 | 105.469 | 16 | |
25 | 1996 MBNA 500 | Bobby Labonte | Jeff Gordon | 14 | 91 | 105.646 | 28 | |
26 | 1996 Hanes 500 | Bobby Hamilton | Jeff Gordon | 7 | 35 | 82.223 | 11 | |
27 | 1996 Tyson Holly Farms 400 | Ted Musgrave | Jeff Gordon | 4 | 29 | 96.837 | 18 | |
28 | 1996 UAW-GM Quality 500 | Bobby Labonte | Terry Labonte | 5 | 37 | 143.143 | 21 | |
29 | 1996 AC-Delco 400 | Dale Jarrett | Ricky Rudd | 7 | 46 | 122.320 | 21 | |
30 | 1996 Dura Lube 500 | Bobby Labonte | Bobby Hamilton | 5 | 25 | 109.709 | 19 | |
31 | 1996 NAPA 500 | Bobby Labonte | Bobby Labonte | 8 | 47 | 134.661 | 27 | |
1996 NASCAR Suzuka Thunder Special | Rusty Wallace | Rusty Wallace | 5 | 10 | 71.897 | 4 |
Final Point Standings[]
Pos. | Driver | Races | Wins | Top 5s | Top 10s | Poles | Points | Difference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Terry Labonte | 31 | 2 | 21 | 24 | 4 | 4657 | |
2 | Jeff Gordon | 31 | 10 | 21 | 24 | 5 | 4620 | -37 |
3 | Dale Jarrett | 31 | 4 | 17 | 21 | 2 | 4568 | -89 |
4 | Dale Earnhardt | 31 | 2 | 13 | 17 | 2 | 4327 | -330 |
5 | Mark Martin | 31 | 0 | 14 | 23 | 4 | 4278 | -379 |
6 | Ricky Rudd | 31 | 1 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 3845 | -812 |
7 | Rusty Wallace | 31 | 5 | 8 | 18 | 0 | 3717 | -940 |
8 | Sterling Marlin | 31 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 3682 | -975 |
9 | Bobby Hamilton | 31 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 3639 | -1,018 |
10 | Ernie Irvan | 31 | 2 | 12 | 16 | 1 | 3632 | -1,025 |
11 | Bobby Labonte | 31 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 4 | 3590 | -1,067 |
12 | Ken Schrader | 31 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 3540 | -1,117 |
13 | Jeff Burton | 30 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 3538 | -1,119 |
14 | Michael Waltrip | 31 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 3535 | -1,122 |
15 | Jimmy Spencer | 31 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 3476 | -1,181 |
16 | Ted Musgrave | 31 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 3466 | -1,191 |
17 | Geoffrey Bodine | 31 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 3218 | -1,439 |
18 | Rick Mast | 31 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3190 | -1,467 |
19 | Morgan Shepherd | 31 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3133 | -1,524 |
20 | Ricky Craven | 31 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3078 | -1,579 |
21 | Johnny Benson, Jr. | 30 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 3004 | -1,653 |
22 | Hut Stricklin | 31 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2854 | -1,803 |
23 | Lake Speed | 31 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2834 | -1,823 |
24 | Brett Bodine | 30 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2814 | -1,843 |
25 | Wally Dallenbach, Jr. | 30 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2786 | -1,871 |
26 | Jeremy Mayfield | 30 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2721 | -1,936 |
27 | Kyle Petty | 28 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2696 | -1,961 |
28 | Kenny Wallace | 30 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2694 | -1,963 |
29 | Darrell Waltrip | 31 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2657 | -2,000 |
30 | Bill Elliott | 24 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2627 | -2,030 |
31 | John Andretti | 30 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2621 | -2,036 |
32 | Robert Pressley | 30 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2485 | -2,172 |
33 | Ward Burton | 27 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2411 | -2,246 |
34 | Joe Nemechek | 29 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2391 | -2,266 |
35 | Derrike Cope | 29 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2374 | -2,283 |
36 | Dick Trickle | 26 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2131 | -2,526 |
37 | Bobby Hillin, Jr. | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2128 | -2,529 |
38 | Dave Marcis | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2047 | -2,610 |
39 | Steve Grissom | 13 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1188 | -3,469 |
40 | Todd Bodine | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 991 | -3,666 |
41 | Mike Wallace | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 799 | -3,858 |
42 | Greg Sacks | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 710 | -3,947 |
43 | Elton Sawyer | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 705 | -3,952 |
44 | Chad Little | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 627 | -4,030 |
45 | Loy Allen, Jr. | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 603 | -4,054 |
46 | Gary Bradberry | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 591 | -4,066 |
47 | Mike Skinner | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 529 | -4,128 |
48 | Jeff Purvis | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 328 | -4,329 |
49 | Jeff Green | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 247 | -4,410 |
50 | Randy MacDonald | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 228 | -4,429 |
Complete statistics can be found at Racing-Reference.info.
Rookie of the Year[]
Johnny Benson, Jr. won the Rookie of the Year award for 1996. He was the only eligible competitor for the award, as Randy MacDonald and Stacy Compton both declared for the Rookie of the Year award, but did not run the minimum required 7 races to be eligible. Gary Bradberry did not declare for the award, but ran 9 races, making him ineligible from competing for the Rookie of the Year award in future seasons.
Position | Driver | Points | Race Wins |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Johnny Benson, Jr | 216 | 0 |
Manufacturer's Championship[]
With 17 wins, Chevrolet won the 1996 Manufacturer's Championship.[2]
Position | Make | Points | Race Wins |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 233 | 17 | |
2 | 223 | 13 | |
3 | 133 | 1 |
External Links[]
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