The 1996 Coca-Cola 600 was the 11th stock car race of the 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 37th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, May 26, 1996, in Concord, North Carolina, at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent quad-oval. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete. At race's end, Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett would manage to dominate the late stages of the race to take his sixth career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt and Hendrick Motorsports driver Terry Labonte would finish second and third, respectively.
Background
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, as well as the UAW-GM Quality 500. The speedway was built in 1959 by Bruton Smith and is considered the home track for NASCAR with many race teams located in the Charlotte area. The track is owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI) with Marcus G. Smith (son of Bruton Smith) as track president.
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver.
#DriverTeamMake0Delma CowartH. L. Waters RacingFord1Rick MastPrecision Products RacingPontiac2Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord02Robbie FaggartMiles MotorsportsChevrolet3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet4Sterling MarlinMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet5Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6Mark MartinRoush RacingFord7Geoff BodineGeoff Bodine RacingFord8Hut StricklinStavola Brothers RacingFord9Lake SpeedMelling RacingFord10Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord11Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord12Derrike CopeBobby Allison MotorsportsFord15Wally Dallenbach Jr.Bud Moore EngineeringFord16Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord17Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet18Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet19Dick TrickleTriStar MotorsportsFord21Michael WaltripWood Brothers RacingFord22Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac23Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesFord24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet25Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet26Hermie SadlerSadler RacingChevrolet27Elton SawyerDavid Blair MotorsportsFord28Ernie IrvanRobert Yates RacingFord29Steve GrissomDiamond Ridge MotorsportsChevrolet30Johnny Benson Jr. (R)Bahari RacingPontiac33Robert PressleyLeo Jackson MotorsportsChevrolet37Jeremy MayfieldKranefuss-Haas RacingFord41Ricky CravenLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet42Kyle PettyTeam SABCOPontiac43Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac49Mark GibsonCampbell RacingFord57Steve SeligmanSeligman RacingFord63Ed BerrierSchnell MotorsportsFord71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet75Morgan ShepherdButch Mock MotorsportsFord77Bobby Hillin Jr.Jasper MotorsportsFord78Randy MacDonaldTriad MotorsportsFord81Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord87Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsChevrolet88Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord90Dick TrickleDonlavey RacingFord94Todd BodineElliott-Hardy RacingFord95Chuck BownSadler Brothers RacingFord97Chad LittleMark Rypien MotorsportsPontiac98Jeremy MayfieldCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord99Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord
Qualifying Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Wednesday, May 22, at 7:00 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 Thursday, May 23, at 6:00 PM 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, 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; up to four provisionals were given. If needed, a past champion who did not qualify on either time or provisionals could use a champion's provisional, adding one more spot to the field.
Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would win the pole, setting a time of 29.384 and an average speed of in the first round.
Seven drivers would fail to qualify.
Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed124Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29.384183.773241Ricky CravenLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet29.528182.877337John AndrettiKranefuss-Haas RacingFord29.529182.87145Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29.594182.469518Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet29.606182.395697Chad LittleMark Rypien MotorsportsPontiac29.659182.07076Mark MartinRoush RacingFord29.675181.971821Michael WaltripWood Brothers RacingFord29.675181.971919Dick TrickleTriStar MotorsportsFord29.688181.892109Lake SpeedMelling RacingFord29.700181.8181130Johnny Benson Jr. (R)Bahari RacingPontiac29.736181.5981294Todd BodineElliott-Hardy RacingFord29.741181.5681399Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord29.754181.4881412Derrike CopeBobby Allison MotorsportsFord29.762181.4391588Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord29.774181.3661681Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord29.786181.2931777Bobby Hillin Jr.Jasper MotorsportsFord29.786181.2931823Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesFord29.811181.1411915Wally Dallenbach Jr.Bud Moore EngineeringFord29.827181.044203Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet29.830181.0262129Steve GrissomDiamond Ridge MotorsportsChevrolet29.836180.9892228Ernie IrvanRobert Yates RacingFord29.850180.9052325Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29.853180.8862498Jeremy MayfieldCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord29.872180.771258Hut StricklinStavola Brothers RacingFord29.876180.747Failed to lock in Round 1261Rick MastPrecision Products RacingPontiac29.897180.6202790Mike WallaceDonlavey RacingFord29.948180.3132817Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet29.949180.3072933Robert PressleyLeo Jackson MotorsportsChevrolet29.995180.0303010Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord30.005179.970317Geoff BodineGeoff Bodine RacingFord30.037179.7783242Kyle PettyTeam SABCOPontiac30.045179.7303387Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsChevrolet30.059179.6473495Chuck BownSadler Brothers RacingFord30.059179.6473522Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac30.081179.515364Sterling MarlinMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet30.132179.2113743Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac30.137179.1823875Morgan ShepherdButch Mock MotorsportsFord30.157179.063Provisionals3916Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord -* -*4011Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord -* -*4171Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet -* -*4227Elton SawyerDavid Blair MotorsportsFord -* -*Champion's Provisional432Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord -* -*Failed to qualify4478Randy MacDonaldTriad MotorsportsFord -* -*4563Ed BerrierSchnell MotorsportsFord -* -*4626Hermie SadlerSadler RacingChevrolet -* -*4749Mark GibsonCampbell RacingFord -* -*4802Robbie FaggartMiles MotorsportsChevrolet -* -*490Delma CowartH. L. Waters RacingFord -* -*5057Steve SeligmanSeligman RacingFord -* -*Official first round qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings11588Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord400199running185$165,2502203Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet4007running175$97,000345Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet40059running170$75,3004124Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet400101running165$118,20052325Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet3990running155$46,3506364Sterling MarlinMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet3999running155$55,100776Mark MartinRoush RacingFord3990running146$43,4008821Michael WaltripWood Brothers RacingFord3990running142$36,50092228Ernie IrvanRobert Yates RacingFord3980running138$37,00010317Geoff BodineGeoff Bodine RacingFord3980running134$36,500113522Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac3970running130$34,15012261Rick MastPrecision Products RacingPontiac3970running127$29,150132817Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet3970running124$27,700141412Derrike CopeBobby Allison MotorsportsFord3970running121$26,450153010Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord3960running118$30,620162129Steve GrissomDiamond Ridge MotorsportsChevrolet3950running115$24,200171823Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesFord3950running112$23,350181399Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord3950running109$15,490191915Wally Dallenbach Jr.Bud Moore EngineeringFord3930running106$21,80020919Dick TrickleTriStar MotorsportsFord3920running103$16,325214227Elton SawyerDavid Blair MotorsportsFord3920running100$13,49022518Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet39113running102$26,945233242Kyle PettyTeam SABCOPontiac3910running94$19,485244011Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord3890running91$19,220253387Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsChevrolet3860running88$19,210261777Bobby Hillin Jr.Jasper MotorsportsFord3690running85$8,68027337John AndrettiKranefuss-Haas RacingFord3680running82$22,17028258Hut StricklinStavola Brothers RacingFord3640running79$11,510293875Morgan ShepherdButch Mock MotorsportsFord3640running76$11,480303916Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord3520running73$18,465313743Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac3420running70$15,455321681Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord3320engine67$8,445332933Robert PressleyLeo Jackson MotorsportsChevrolet3100running64$15,43534432Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord3000running61$23,42535109Lake SpeedMelling RacingFord2130handling58$15,720361294Todd BodineElliott-Hardy RacingFord2090accident55$15,41537241Ricky CravenLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet1939accident57$21,415381130Johnny Benson Jr. (R)Bahari RacingPontiac1920accident49$16,400392790Mike WallaceDonlavey RacingFord1890oil pump46$8,400404171Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet1383accident48$9,300412498Jeremy MayfieldCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord1360transmission40$8,400423495Chuck BownSadler Brothers RacingFord680handling37$8,40043697Chad LittleMark Rypien MotorsportsPontiac00oil pump34$8,400Official race results
References