The 1976 Mason-Dixon 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series event that took place on May 16, 1976, at Dover Downs International Speedway (now called Dover International Speedway) in Dover, Delaware.

Background

Dower Downs International Speedway, now called Dover International Speedway, is one of five short tracks to hold NASCAR races; the others are Bristol Motor Speedway, Richmond International Raceway, Martinsville Speedway, and Phoenix International Raceway. The NASCAR race makes use of the track's standard configuration, a four-turn short track oval that is long. The track's turns are banked at twenty-four degrees, and both the front stretch (the location of the finish line) and the backstretch are banked at nine degrees.

Race report The total time of the race was four hours, nineteen minutes, and fifty-three seconds. Six cautions were given for thirty-eight laps while thirty-two thousand and eight hundred fans were in attendance for the race. The average speed in the race was with the pole winning speed being . From lap 115 to lap 227, Cale Yarborough would lead for a duration of 163 laps. He would never regain the lead after losing it to David Pearson on lap 278.

Benny Parsons defeated second place driver David Pearson by a time of 25½ seconds. Other notable racers who competed includes: Darrell Waltrip, Ricky Rudd, and Cale Yarborough (who would lose the points lead after this race). Bruce Hill finished in last place due to an engine problem on lap 2.

This race would be Neil Castles' final race in his NASCAR Cup Series career. It would also be the last race for Doc Faustina before his retirement. Total winnings for this race would be $108,140 ($ when adjusted for inflation).

Qualifying Grid Driver Manufacturer Owner 1 71 Dave Marcis Dodge Nord Krauskopf 2 21 David Pearson Mercury Wood Brothers 3 2 Bobby Allison Mercury Roger Penske 4 15 Buddy Baker Ford Bud Moore 5 88 Darrell Waltrip Chevrolet DiGard Racing 6 43 Richard Petty Dodge Petty Enterprises 7 72 Benny Parsons Chevrolet L.G. DeWitt 8 11 Cale Yarborough Chevrolet Junior Johnson 9 28 Donnie Allison Chevrolet Hoss Ellington 10 54 Lennie Pond Chevrolet Ronnie Elder 11 90 Dick Brooks Ford Junie Donlavey 12 36 Bobby Wawak Chevrolet John Gwinn 13 24 Cecil Gordon Chevrolet Cecil Gordon 14 3 Richard Childress Chevrolet Richard Childress 15 47 Bruce Hill Chevrolet Bruce Hill 16 8 Ed Negre Dodge Ed Negre 17 22 Ricky Rudd Chevrolet Al Rudd 18 67 Buddy Arrington Dodge Buddy Arrington 19 50 Darrell Bryant Chevrolet Cliff Stewart 20 40 D.K. Ulrich Chevrolet J.R. DeLotto

Top 10 finishers Pos Grid Driver Manufacturer Time/Status 1 7 72 Benny Parsons Chevrolet 500 176 180 4:19:53 2 2 21 David Pearson Mercury 500 75 175 +25.5 seconds 3 1 71 Dave Marcis Dodge 499 4 170 +1 lap 4 3 2 Bobby Allison Mercury 497 2 165 +3 laps 5 4 15 Buddy Baker Ford 495 0 155 +5 laps 6 6 43 Richard Petty Dodge 492 0 150 +7 laps 7 11 93 Dick Brooks Ford 492 0 146 +7 laps 8 10 54 Lennie Pond Chevrolet 491 0 142 +8 laps 9 19 50 Darrell Bryant Chevrolet 478 0 138 +12 laps 10 14 3 Richard Childress Chevrolet 476 0 134 +14 laps

Timeline Section reference: Start of race: Bobby Allison had the pole position as the green flag waves into the air. Lap 2: Bruce Hill's engine stopped working properly on this lap. Lap 3: David Pearson took over the lead from Bobby Allison. Lap 16: Cale Yarborough took over the lead from David Pearson. Lap 23: Benny Parsons took over the lead from Cale Yarborough. Lap 34: Cale Yarborough took over the lead from Benny Parsons. Lap 51: Tommy Gale had a terminal crash. Lap 57: Dave Marcis took over the lead from Cale Yarborough. Lap 58: David Pearson took over the lead from Dave Marcis. Lap 59: Benny Parsons took over the lead from David Pearson. Lap 63: Cale Yarborough took over the lead from Benny Parsons. Lap 113: Dave Marcis took over the lead from Cale Yarborough. Lap 115: Cale Yarborough took over the lead from Dave Marcis. Lap 136: Cecil Gordon's vehicle suffered from engine problems. Lap 149: Transmission problems would force Donnie Allison to quit the race prematurely. Lap 218: Engine problems struck Ed Negre in a manner that he could not continue the race. Lap 247: Ricky Rudd had a terminal crash. Lap 250: Ignition problems ended Earl Brooks' chance of winning the race. Lap 271: Engine problems forced Buddy Arrington to step aside. Lap 278: David Pearson took over the lead from Cale Yarborough. Lap 316: Engine problems managed to bring Darrell Waltrip into the garage for the remainder of the race. Lap 320: A faulty swar bar took away Buck Baker's hopes at a respectable race finish. Lap 326: Dave Marcis took over the lead from David Pearson. Lap 327: David Pearson took over the lead from Dave Marcis. Lap 332: Benny Parsons took over the lead from David Pearson. Lap 354: David Pearson took over the lead from Benny Parsons. Lap 362: Benny Parsons took over the lead from David Pearson. Finish: Benny Parsons was officially declared the winner of the event.

Standings after the race Pos Driver Points Differential 1 Benny Parsons 1836 0 2 Cale Yarborough 1812 -24 3 Richard Petty 1723 -113 4 Bobby Allison 1656 -180 5 Dave Marcis 1612 -224 6 Lennie Pond 1588 -248 7 Richard Childress 1516 -320 8 Buddy Baker 1429 -407 9 Darrell Waltrip 1384 -452 10 Frank Warren 1371 -465

References