1996 NAPA 500

The 1996 NAPA 500 was the 31st and final stock car race of the 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 37th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, November 10, 1996, in Hampton, Georgia at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a 1.522 miles (2.449 km) permanent asphalt quad-oval intermediate speedway. The race took the scheduled 328 laps to complete. At race's end, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte would manage to dominate for a majority of the race to take his fourth career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season.[1][2] To fill out the top three, Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett and Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon would finish second and third, respectively.

1996 NAPA 500
Race details
Race 31 of 31 in the 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
The 1996 NAPA 500 program cover, with artwork by Sam Bass.
The 1996 NAPA 500 program cover, with artwork by Sam Bass.
Date November 10, 1996
Official name 37th Annual NAPA 500
Location Hampton, Georgia, Atlanta Motor Speedway
Course Permanent racing facility
1.54 mi (2.48 km)
Distance 328 laps, 499.216 mi (803.41 km)
Scheduled Distance 328 laps, 499.216 mi (803.41 km)
Average speed 134.661 miles per hour (216.716 km/h)
Pole position
Driver Joe Gibbs Racing
Time 29.476
Most laps led
Driver Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing
Laps 147
Winner
No. 18 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing
Television in the United States
Network ESPN
Announcers Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett, Benny Parsons
Radio in the United States
Radio Performance Racing Network

In the process, Hendrick Motorsports driver Terry Labonte, needing an eighth-place finish or better to clinch the championship, would ride to a fifth-place finish, finishing ahead of runnerup Jeff Gordon, Labonte's teammate by 37 points. The championship was Labonte's second and final championship of his career.[3]

Background

The layout of Atlanta Motor Speedway, the circuit where the race was held.

Atlanta Motor Speedway (formerly Atlanta International Raceway) is a 1.522-mile race track in Hampton, Georgia, United States, 20 miles (32 km) south of Atlanta. It has annually hosted NASCAR Winston Cup Series stock car races since its inauguration in 1960.

The venue was bought by Speedway Motorsports in 1990. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track. In 1997, to standardize the track with Speedway Motorsports' other two intermediate ovals, the entire track was almost completely rebuilt. The frontstretch and backstretch were swapped, and the configuration of the track was changed from oval to quad-oval, with a new official length of 1.54-mile (2.48 km) where before it was 1.522-mile (2.449 km). The project made the track one of the fastest on the NASCAR circuit.

Entry list

  • (R) - denotes rookie driver.
# Driver Team Make Sponsor
1 Rick Mast Precision Products Racing Pontiac Hooters
2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Ford Miller
02 Randy Baker Miles Motorsports Chevrolet Miles Motorsports
3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet GM Goodwrench Service Plus
4 Sterling Marlin Morgan–McClure Motorsports Chevrolet Kodak
5 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Kellogg's Frosted Flakes
6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford Valvoline
7 Geoff Bodine Geoff Bodine Racing Ford QVC
8 Hut Stricklin Stavola Brothers Racing Ford Circuit City
9 Lake Speed Melling Racing Ford Spam
10 Ricky Rudd Rudd Performance Motorsports Ford Tide
11 Brett Bodine Brett Bodine Racing Ford Lowe's
12 Derrike Cope Bobby Allison Motorsports Ford Badcock Home Furniture
15 Wally Dallenbach Jr. Bud Moore Engineering Ford Hayes Modems
16 Ted Musgrave Roush Racing Ford PrimeStar, The Family Channel
17 Darrell Waltrip Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Chevrolet Parts America
18 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet Interstate Batteries
19 Loy Allen Jr. TriStar Motorsports Ford HealthSource RI
20 Elton Sawyer Ranier-Walsh Racing Ford LaFayette Ford
21 Michael Waltrip Wood Brothers Racing Ford Citgo, Star Trek: First Contact
22 Ward Burton Bill Davis Racing Pontiac MBNA
23 Jimmy Spencer Haas-Carter Motorsports Ford Camel Cigarettes
24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet DuPont
25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Budweiser
27 Ron Barfield Jr. David Blair Motorsports Ford David Blair Motorsports
28 Ernie Irvan Robert Yates Racing Ford Texaco, Havoline
29 Robert Pressley Diamond Ridge Motorsports Chevrolet Cartoon Network, The Flintstones
30 Johnny Benson Jr. (R) Bahari Racing Pontiac Pennzoil
33 Todd Bodine Andy Petree Racing Chevrolet Skoal
37 Jeremy Mayfield Kranefuss-Haas Racing Ford Kmart, Little Caesars
40 Greg Sacks Team SABCO Chevrolet First Union
41 Ricky Craven Larry Hedrick Motorsports Chevrolet Kodiak
42 Kyle Petty Team SABCO Pontiac Coors Light
43 Bobby Hamilton Petty Enterprises Pontiac STP
52 Jack Sprague Hendrick Motorsports Pontiac Pedigree, Kal Kan
71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet Prodigy
75 Morgan Shepherd Butch Mock Motorsports Ford Remington Arms
77 Bobby Hillin Jr. Jasper Motorsports Ford Jasper Engines & Transmissions
78 Billy Standridge Triad Motorsports Ford Diamond Rio
81 Kenny Wallace FILMAR Racing Ford Square D, TIC Financial Systems
87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet Burger King
88 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Ford Quality Care Service, Ford Credit
90 Dick Trickle Donlavey Racing Ford Heilig-Meyers
94 Bill Elliott Bill Elliott Racing Ford McDonald's
95 Gary Bradberry Sadler Brothers Racing Ford Shoney's Inn
97 Chad Little Mark Rypien Motorsports Pontiac Sterling Cowboy
98 Jeremy Mayfield Cale Yarborough Motorsports Ford RCA
99 Jeff Burton Roush Racing Ford Exide

Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, November 8, at 2:30 PM EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 25 drivers in the round would be guaranteed a starting spot in the race. If a driver was not able to guarantee a spot in the first round, they had the option to scrub their time from the first round and try and run a faster lap time in a second round qualifying run, held on Saturday, November 9, at 11:00 AM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 26-38 would be decided on time,[4] and depending on who needed it, a select amount of positions were given to cars who had not otherwise qualified but were high enough in owner's points.

Bobby Labonte, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 29.476 and an average speed of 185.887 miles per hour (299.156 km/h).[5]

Six drivers would fail to qualify: Derrike Cope, Jeremy Mayfield, Dick Trickle, Kenny Wallace, Ron Barfield Jr., and Kyle Petty.

Full qualifying results

Pos. # Driver Team Make Time Speed
1 18 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet 29.476 185.887
2 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 29.571 185.290
3 5 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 29.688 184.559
4 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 29.693 184.528
5 88 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Ford 29.757 184.131
6 28 Ernie Irvan Robert Yates Racing Ford 29.775 184.020
7 33 Todd Bodine Andy Petree Racing Chevrolet 29.800 183.866
8 40 Greg Sacks Team SABCO Pontiac 29.817 183.761
9 43 Bobby Hamilton Petty Enterprises Pontiac 29.874 183.410
10 97 Chad Little Mark Rypien Motorsports Pontiac 29.880 183.373
11 8 Hut Stricklin Stavola Brothers Racing Ford 29.886 183.337
12 52 Jack Sprague Hendrick Motorsports Pontiac 29.891 183.306
13 94 Bill Elliott Bill Elliott Racing Ford 29.906 183.214
14 95 Gary Bradberry Sadler Brothers Racing Ford 29.910 183.190
15 1 Rick Mast Precision Products Racing Pontiac 29.911 183.183
16 30 Johnny Benson Jr. (R) Bahari Racing Pontiac 29.914 183.165
17 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 29.928 183.079
18 29 Robert Pressley Diamond Ridge Motorsports Chevrolet 29.928 183.079
19 11 Brett Bodine Brett Bodine Racing Ford 29.930 183.067
20 9 Lake Speed Melling Racing Ford 29.936 183.030
21 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet 29.941 183.000
22 78 Billy Standridge Triad Motorsports Ford 29.948 182.957
23 22 Ward Burton Bill Davis Racing Pontiac 29.970 182.823
24 20 Elton Sawyer Ranier-Walsh Racing Ford 29.971 182.817
25 77 Bobby Hillin Jr. Jasper Motorsports Ford 29.973 182.805
26 41 Ricky Craven Larry Hedrick Motorsports Chevrolet 29.798 183.878
27 02 Randy Baker Miles Motorsports Chevrolet 29.914 183.165
28 10 Ricky Rudd Rudd Performance Motorsports Ford 29.983 182.744
29 19 Loy Allen Jr. TriStar Motorsports Ford 30.017 182.537
30 2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Ford 30.031 182.451
31 98 John Andretti Cale Yarborough Motorsports Ford 30.033 182.439
32 15 Wally Dallenbach Jr. Bud Moore Engineering Ford 30.037 182.415
33 21 Michael Waltrip Wood Brothers Racing Ford 30.045 182.366
34 4 Sterling Marlin Morgan–McClure Motorsports Chevrolet 30.058 182.288
35 16 Ted Musgrave Roush Racing Ford 30.064 182.251
36 71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet 30.066 182.239
37 17 Darrell Waltrip Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Chevrolet 30.088 182.106
38 7 Geoff Bodine Geoff Bodine Racing Ford 30.092 182.082
Provisionals
39 25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet -* -*
40 99 Jeff Burton Roush Racing Ford -* -*
41 23 Jimmy Spencer Travis Carter Enterprises Ford -* -*
42 75 Morgan Shepherd Butch Mock Motorsports Ford -* -*
Failed to qualify
43 12 Derrike Cope Bobby Allison Motorsports Ford -* -*
44 37 Jeremy Mayfield Kranefuss-Haas Racing Ford -* -*
45 90 Dick Trickle Donlavey Racing Ford -* -*
46 81 Kenny Wallace FILMAR Racing Ford -* -*
47 27 Ron Barfield Jr. David Blair Motorsports Ford -* -*
48 42 Kyle Petty Team SABCO Pontiac -* -*
Official first round qualifying results
Official starting lineup

Race results

Fin St # Driver Team Make Laps Led Status Pts Winnings
1 1 18 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet 328 147 running 185 $274,900
2 5 88 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Ford 328 0 running 170 $59,500
3 2 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 328 59 running 170 $71,600
4 17 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 328 4 running 165 $47,400
5 3 5 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 328 28 running 160 $48,800
6 9 43 Bobby Hamilton Petty Enterprises Pontiac 328 13 running 155 $40,000
7 4 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 328 14 running 151 $37,880
8 28 10 Ricky Rudd Rudd Performance Motorsports Ford 328 0 running 142 $34,100
9 40 99 Jeff Burton Roush Racing Ford 328 1 running 143 $26,075
10 30 2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Ford 328 0 running 134 $34,000
11 33 21 Michael Waltrip Wood Brothers Racing Ford 328 0 running 130 $29,125
12 23 22 Ward Burton Bill Davis Racing Pontiac 328 7 running 132 $33,000
13 15 1 Rick Mast Precision Products Racing Pontiac 328 0 running 124 $30,375
14 41 23 Jimmy Spencer Travis Carter Enterprises Ford 328 0 running 121 $27,950
15 34 4 Sterling Marlin Morgan–McClure Motorsports Chevrolet 328 0 running 118 $34,025
16 25 77 Bobby Hillin Jr. Jasper Motorsports Ford 328 0 running 115 $20,150
17 11 8 Hut Stricklin Stavola Brothers Racing Ford 328 0 running 112 $19,730
18 8 40 Greg Sacks Team SABCO Pontiac 327 0 running 109 $15,315
19 20 9 Lake Speed Melling Racing Ford 327 1 running 111 $26,175
20 13 94 Bill Elliott Bill Elliott Racing Ford 327 0 running 103 $27,360
21 19 11 Brett Bodine Brett Bodine Racing Ford 327 2 running 105 $25,445
22 10 97 Chad Little Mark Rypien Motorsports Pontiac 327 0 running 97 $14,230
23 24 20 Elton Sawyer Ranier-Walsh Racing Ford 327 0 running 94 $14,015
24 31 98 John Andretti Cale Yarborough Motorsports Ford 326 0 running 91 $17,400
25 36 71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet 325 0 running 88 $17,285
26 38 7 Geoff Bodine Geoff Bodine Racing Ford 325 0 running 85 $28,470
27 16 30 Johnny Benson Jr. (R) Bahari Racing Pontiac 325 0 running 82 $24,755
28 42 75 Morgan Shepherd Butch Mock Motorsports Ford 322 0 running 79 $16,540
29 22 78 Billy Standridge Triad Motorsports Ford 321 0 running 76 $13,180
30 39 25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 319 0 running 73 $23,305
31 35 16 Ted Musgrave Roush Racing Ford 316 0 running 70 $23,140
32 7 33 Todd Bodine Andy Petree Racing Chevrolet 312 0 running 67 $22,975
33 18 29 Robert Pressley Diamond Ridge Motorsports Chevrolet 303 0 running 64 $22,910
34 21 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet 281 0 running 61 $22,345
35 26 41 Ricky Craven Larry Hedrick Motorsports Chevrolet 259 2 engine 63 $21,980
36 6 28 Ernie Irvan Robert Yates Racing Ford 255 50 crash 60 $44,215
37 37 17 Darrell Waltrip Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Chevrolet 196 0 handling 52 $19,685
38 14 95 Gary Bradberry Sadler Brothers Racing Ford 194 0 oil leak 49 $12,550
39 29 19 Loy Allen Jr. TriStar Motorsports Ford 192 0 crash 46 $12,550
40 32 15 Wally Dallenbach Jr. Bud Moore Engineering Ford 190 0 crash 43 $19,550
41 27 02 Randy Baker Miles Motorsports Chevrolet 51 0 crash 40 $12,550
42 12 52 Jack Sprague Hendrick Motorsports Pontiac 23 0 crash 37 $12,550
Failed to qualify
43 12 Derrike Cope Bobby Allison Motorsports Ford
44 37 Jeremy Mayfield Kranefuss-Haas Racing Ford
45 90 Dick Trickle Donlavey Racing Ford
46 81 Kenny Wallace FILMAR Racing Ford
47 27 Ron Barfield Jr. David Blair Motorsports Ford
48 42 Kyle Petty Team SABCO Pontiac
Official race results

References

  1. Green Jr., Ron (November 11, 1996). "Labontes take home all the prizes". That's Racin'. The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on August 15, 2000. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  2. Sonderegger, John (November 11, 1996). "At NAPA 500, Labontes Win More Than Race". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 24. Retrieved October 27, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  3. Harris, Mike (November 11, 1996). "Labonte, brothers cruise to race, NASCAR crowns". Citizens' Voice. p. 53. Retrieved October 27, 2022 via Newspapers.com.
  4. "NAPA 500". The Charlotte Observer. November 8, 1996. p. 15. Retrieved October 27, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  5. Strubin, John (November 9, 1996). "'Other' Labonte might be factor in race for series title". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. 101. Retrieved October 27, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
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