1996 Food City 500

Sixth race of the 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series February 2025 NASWINSTON Hendrick Motorsports 15.527 36th Annual Food City 500 The 1996 Food City 500 program cover, featuring Dale Earnhardt. Artwork by Sam Bass. 31 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing MRN Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett, Benny Parsons ESPN 91.308 mph km/h 148 Hendrick Motorsports Jeff Gordon Bristol, Tennessee, Bristol Motor Speedway Jeff Gordon 24 500 0.858 342 428.89 293.36 266.5 March 31 0.533 Food City 500 1996 182.286 1996 Food City 500.jpeg The 1996 Food City 500 was the sixth stock car race of the 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 36th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, March 31, 1996, in Bristol, Tennessee at Bristol Motor Speedway, a 0.533 miles (0.858 km) permanent oval-shaped racetrack. The race was shortened from its scheduled 500 laps to 342 laps due to rain. At race's end, Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon would manage to dominate a majority of the race to take his 12th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his third victory of the season.Higgins Tom April 1, 1996 Gordon `rains' in Bristol victory http://www.thatsracin.com/96/docs/3_31food.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/20000815213957/http://www.thatsracin.com/96/docs/3_31food.htm August 15, 2000 October 13, 2022 That's Racin' The Charlotte ObserverHarris Mike April 1, 1996 Rain is Gordon's friend 16 Public Opinion https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111183020/rain-is-gordons-friend/ October 12, 2022 Newspapers.com To fill out the top three, Hendrick Motorsports driver Terry Labonte and Roush Racing driver Mark Martin would finish second and third, respectively. Background thumb|The layout of Bristol Motor Speedway, the venue where the race was held. The Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway, is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. Despite its short length, Bristol is among the most popular tracks on the NASCAR schedule because of its distinct features, which include extraordinarily steep banking, an all concrete surface, two pit roads, and stadium-like seating. It has also been named one of the loudest NASCAR tracks. Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. #DriverTeamMake1Rick MastPrecision Products RacingPontiac2Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord3Dale 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 SpencerHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet25Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet27Elton SawyerDavid Blair MotorsportsFord28Ernie IrvanRobert Yates RacingFord29Steve GrissomDiamond Ridge MotorsportsChevrolet30Johnny Benson Jr. (R)Bahari RacingPontiac31Mike SkinnerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet33Robert PressleyLeo Jackson MotorsportsChevrolet37Jeremy MayfieldKranefuss-Haas RacingFord41Ricky CravenLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet42Kyle PettyTeam SABCOPontiac43Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet75Morgan ShepherdButch Mock MotorsportsFord77Bobby Hillin Jr.Jasper MotorsportsFord81Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord87Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsChevrolet88Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord90Mike WallaceDonlavey RacingFord94Bill ElliottBill Elliott RacingFord95Chuck BownSadler Brothers RacingFord98Jeremy MayfieldCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord99Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord Qualifying Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, March 29, at 3:00 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 Saturday, March 30, at 12:30 PM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 26-32 would be decided on time,March 29, 1996 Food City 500 15 The Charlotte Observer https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111183333/food-city-500/ October 13, 2022 Newspapers.com 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. Mark Martin, driving for Roush Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 15.527 and an average speed of 123.578 mph km/h.Harris Mike March 30, 1996 Martin zips to Bristol pole 17 Messenger-Inquirer https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111183448/martin-zips-to-bristol-pole/ October 12, 2022 Six drivers would fail to qualify: Mike Wallace, John Andretti, Johnny Benson Jr., Dave Marcis, Bobby Hillin Jr., and Chuck Bown. Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed16Mark MartinRoush RacingFord15.527123.57825Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.610122.921317Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet15.627122.78744Sterling MarlinMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet15.637122.709518Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet15.653122.584631Mike SkinnerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet15.653122.584788Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord15.657122.552824Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.677122.396910Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord15.678122.3881081Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord15.690122.294112Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord15.704122.1851222Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac15.709122.1471341Ricky CravenLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.710122.139148Hut StricklinStavola Brothers RacingFord15.713122.1151523Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesFord15.716122.0921628Ernie IrvanRobert Yates RacingFord15.726122.0141712Derrike CopeBobby Allison MotorsportsFord15.727122.0071875Morgan ShepherdButch Mock MotorsportsFord15.728121.999193Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet15.730121.9832087Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsChevrolet15.743121.883217Geoff BodineGeoff Bodine RacingFord15.744121.8752211Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord15.760121.7512333Robert PressleyLeo Jackson MotorsportsChevrolet15.761121.7442443Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac15.765121.7132521Michael WaltripWood Brothers RacingFord15.770121.674Failed to lock in Round 1269Lake SpeedMelling RacingFord15.774121.6432727Elton SawyerDavid Blair MotorsportsFord15.790121.5202825Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.791121.5122919Dick TrickleTriStar MotorsportsFord15.804121.4123016Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord15.806121.3973115Wally Dallenbach Jr.Bud Moore EngineeringFord15.832121.198321Rick MastPrecision Products RacingPontiac15.838121.152Provisionals3399Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord15.947120.3243442Kyle PettyTeam SABCOPontiac15.989120.0083598Jeremy MayfieldCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord15.856121.0143629Steve GrissomDiamond Ridge MotorsportsChevrolet15.864120.9533794Bill ElliottBill Elliott RacingFord15.991119.992Failed to qualify3890Mike WallaceDonlavey RacingFord -* -*3937John AndrettiKranefuss-Haas RacingFord -* -*4030Johnny Benson Jr. (R)Bahari RacingPontiac -* -*4171Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet -* -*4277Bobby Hillin Jr.Jasper MotorsportsFord -* -*4395Chuck BownSadler Brothers RacingFord -* -*Official first round qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup Race results FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings1824Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet342148running185$93,765225Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet3420running170$54,215316Mark MartinRoush RacingFord34259running170$44,8154193Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet3420running160$35,3515112Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord34276running160$29,8956788Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord3420running150$26,3957518Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet3412running151$28,89582919Dick TrickleTriStar MotorsportsFord3410running142$15,49591341Ricky CravenLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet3410running138$25,190102521Michael WaltripWood Brothers RacingFord3400running134$27,04011148Hut StricklinStavola Brothers RacingFord3400running130$16,19012321Rick MastPrecision Products RacingPontiac3400running127$23,340131523Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesFord3400running124$22,56514910Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord3409running126$26,115153442Kyle PettyTeam SABCOPontiac3400running118$23,265161628Ernie IrvanRobert Yates RacingFord3400running115$25,890172333Robert PressleyLeo Jackson MotorsportsChevrolet3400running112$21,9401844Sterling MarlinMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet3400running109$27,49019217Geoff BodineGeoff Bodine RacingFord3400running106$14,780202211Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord3390running103$23,321213598Jeremy MayfieldCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord3380running100$14,215221712Derrike CopeBobby Allison MotorsportsFord3380running97$21,065233399Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord3380running94$10,415243115Wally Dallenbach Jr.Bud Moore EngineeringFord3380running91$20,840253016Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord3360running88$20,89526317Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet3330crash85$21,865273629Steve GrissomDiamond Ridge MotorsportsChevrolet3260running82$20,441283794Bill ElliottBill Elliott RacingFord32438running84$20,290292825Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet3050running76$20,160301875Morgan ShepherdButch Mock MotorsportsFord3040running73$12,835312087Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsChevrolet2610running70$18,835322443Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac2030running67$15,835331222Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac2000running64$24,785341081Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord1840running61$8,83535269Lake SpeedMelling RacingFord1520running58$15,83536631Mike SkinnerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet7210crash60$8,835372727Elton SawyerDavid Blair MotorsportsFord290crash52$8,835Official race results References 1996 TranSouth Financial 400 1996 First Union 400 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Category:1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Category:NASCAR races at Bristol Motor Speedway Category:March 1996 sports events in the United States Category:1996 in sports in Tennessee