The 1986 Talladega 500 was the 17th stock car race of the 1986 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 18th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, July 27, 1986, before an audience of 105,000 in Lincoln, Alabama at Alabama International Motor Speedway, a 2.66 miles (4.28 km) permanent triangle-shaped superspeedway. The race took the scheduled 188 laps to complete.

In a race plagued by high temperatures, by the final laps of the race, few cars remained. Of the ones that did, a battle for the lead between Stavola Brothers Racing's Bobby Hillin Jr., Hendrick Motorsports' Tim Richmond, and Ricky Rudd, who at the time was replaced by Rusty Wallace, was created that stretched out into the final lap of the race. At the finish, Hillin Jr. was able to defend the two, securing his only career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory, his only win of the season, and at the time, the record for the youngest driver to win in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. To fill out the top three, Richmond and Rudd finished second and third, respectively.

Background

Talladega Superspeedway, originally known as Alabama International Motor Superspeedway (AIMS), is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. The track is a tri-oval and was constructed in the 1960s by the International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France family. Talladega is most known for its steep banking and the unique location of the start/finish line that's located just past the exit to pit road. The track currently hosts the NASCAR series such as the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and the Camping World Truck Series. Talladega is the longest NASCAR oval, a tri-oval like the Daytona International Speedway, which also is a tri-oval.

Entry list

(R) denotes rookie driver.

#DriverTeamMakeSponsor0Delma CowartH. L. Waters RacingChevroletHeyward Grooms Construction1Sterling MarlinEllington RacingChevroletBull's-Eye Barbecue Sauce2Rodney CombsHarrington RacingChevroletSoldier Seal, Gunk3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevroletWrangler4Rick WilsonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsOldsmobileKodak5Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevroletLevi Garrett6D. K. UlrichU.S. RacingChevroletU.S. Racing7Kyle PettyWood Brothers RacingFord7-Eleven8Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingChevroletMiller American9Bill ElliottMelling RacingFordCoors11Darrell WaltripJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevroletBudweiser12Neil BonnettJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevroletBudweiser14A. J. FoytA. J. Foyt RacingOldsmobileCopenhagen15Ricky RuddBud Moore EngineeringFordMotorcraft Quality Parts17Pancho CarterHamby RacingChevroletKmart18Tommy EllisFreedlander MotorsportsChevroletFreedlander Financial22Bobby AllisonStavola Brothers RacingBuickMiller American23Michael Waltrip (R)Bahari RacingPontiacHawaiian Punch25Tim RichmondHendrick MotorsportsChevroletFolgers26Joe RuttmanKing RacingBuickQuaker State27Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiacAlugard28Cale YarboroughRanier-Lundy RacingFordHardee's29Grant AdcoxAdcox RacingChevroletAdcox Racing33Harry GantMach 1 RacingChevroletSkoal Bandit35Alan Kulwicki (R)AK RacingFordQuincy's Steakhouse43Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiacSTP44Terry LabonteHagan EnterprisesOldsmobilePiedmont Airlines47Morgan ShepherdRace Hill Farm TeamChevroletRace Hill Farm Team48Ronnie ThomasHylton MotorsportsChevroletHylton Motorsports52Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiacJimmy Means Racing54Eddie BierschwaleGray RacingChevroletKodak55Benny ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobileCopenhagen64Connie SaylorLangley RacingFordSunny King Ford66Phil ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobileSkoal67Buddy ArringtonArrington RacingFordPannill Sweatshirts70J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiacRumple Furniture71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingPontiacHelen Rae Special73Phil BarkdollBarkdoll RacingFordHelen Rae Special75Jim SauterRahMoc EnterprisesPontiacNationwise Automotive77Ken RaganRagan RacingChevroletMcCord Gasket79Derrike CopeRazore RacingFordPeterbilt81Chet Fillip (R)Fillip RacingFordCircle Bar Truck Corral88Buddy BakerBaker–Schiff RacingOldsmobileEvinrude Outboard Motors90Ken SchraderDonlavey RacingFordRed Baron Frozen Pizza98Ron BouchardCurb RacingPontiacValvoline

Qualifying Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Thursday, July 24, at 2:00p.m. EST. Each driver had one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 20 drivers in the round were 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 Friday, July 25, at 2:00p.m. EST. As with the first round, each driver had one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 21-40 were 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 two provisionals were given.

Bill Elliott, driving for Melling Racing, won the pole, setting a time of 45.817 and an average speed of in the first round.

Four drivers failed to qualify.

Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed19Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord45.817209.00523Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet46.027208.052325Tim RichmondHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet46.141207.538455Benny ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobile46.171207.40351Sterling MarlinEllington RacingChevrolet46.218207.19267Kyle PettyWood Brothers RacingFord46.242207.084712Davey AllisonJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevrolet46.408206.34484Rick WilsonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsOldsmobile46.441206.197944Terry LabonteHagan EnterprisesOldsmobile46.466206.086105Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet46.495205.9581114A. J. FoytA. J. Foyt RacingOldsmobile46.519205.8511288Buddy BakerBaker–Schiff RacingOldsmobile46.523205.834138Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuick46.537205.7721447Morgan ShepherdRace Hill Farm TeamBuick46.652205.2651511Darrell WaltripJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevrolet46.665205.2071666Phil ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobile46.677205.155172Rodney CombsHarrington RacingChevrolet46.713204.9961875Jim SauterRahMoc EnterprisesPontiac46.763204.7771928Cale YarboroughRanier-Lundy RacingFord46.803204.6022015Ricky RuddBud Moore EngineeringFord46.852204.388Failed to lock in Round 12122Bobby AllisonStavola Brothers RacingBuick46.905204.1572227Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiac46.929204.0532326Joe RuttmanKing RacingBuick46.971203.8702443Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac47.124203.2092581Chet Fillip (R)Fillip RacingFord47.124203.2092618Tommy EllisFreedlander MotorsportsChevrolet47.151203.0922798Ron BouchardCurb RacingPontiac47.285202.5172835Alan Kulwicki (R)AK RacingFord47.302202.4442971Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingPontiac47.344202.264300Delma CowartH. L. Waters RacingChevrolet47.371202.1493173Phil BarkdollBarkdoll RacingFord47.386202.0853233Harry GantMach 1 RacingChevrolet47.442201.8463317Pancho CarterHamby RacingChevrolet47.501201.5963423Michael Waltrip (R)Bahari RacingPontiac47.529201.4773590Ken SchraderDonlavey RacingFord47.563201.3333648Ronnie ThomasHylton MotorsportsChevrolet47.615201.1133767Buddy ArringtonArrington RacingFord47.616201.1093854Eddie BierschwaleGray RacingChevrolet47.633201.0373952Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac47.867200.0424077Ken RaganRagan RacingChevrolet47.913199.862Failed to qualify416D. K. UlrichU.S. RacingChevrolet -* -*4229Grant AdcoxAdcox RacingChevrolet -* -*4364Connie SaylorLangley RacingFord -* -*4470J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiac -* -*WD79Derrike CopeRazore RacingFord - -Official first round qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup

Race results FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings1138Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuick18816running180$60,0552325Tim RichmondHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet18819running175$34,34532015Ricky RuddBud Moore EngineeringFord1880running165$29,255451Sterling MarlinEllington RacingChevrolet1889running165$15,7505455Benny ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobile1882running160$12,81561447Morgan ShepherdRace Hill Farm TeamBuick1880running150$9,1707712Davey AllisonJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevrolet18813running151$17,82082326Joe RuttmanKing RacingBuick1880running142$10,495967Kyle PettyWood Brothers RacingFord1882running143$12,570102122Bobby AllisonStavola Brothers RacingBuick1872accident139$13,7201184Rick WilsonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsOldsmobile1877accident135$5,040121875Jim SauterRahMoc EnterprisesPontiac1872accident132$8,835131666Phil ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobile1871running129$4,350143423Michael Waltrip (R)Bahari RacingPontiac1861running126$4,780153952Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac1841running123$8,380163648Ronnie ThomasHylton MotorsportsChevrolet1830running115$7,800172798Ron BouchardCurb RacingPontiac1740accident112$3,730184077Ken RaganRagan RacingChevrolet1691accident114$3,71019172Rodney CombsHarrington RacingChevrolet1694accident111$3,710201288Buddy BakerBaker–Schiff RacingOldsmobile1633overheating108$4,130213767Buddy ArringtonArrington RacingFord1620running100$6,935223233Harry GantMach 1 RacingChevrolet1595accident102$12,05023105Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15919accident99$11,140241928Cale YarboroughRanier-Lundy RacingFord1590accident91$2,930251511Darrell WaltripJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevrolet1573accident93$13,6702623Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet15354engine95$15,3552719Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord1525valve87$15,185282581Chet Fillip (R)Fillip RacingFord1500accident79$3,62529300Delma CowartH. L. Waters RacingChevrolet1400engine76$2,565301114A. J. FoytA. J. Foyt RacingOldsmobile1190wheel bearing73$7,010313590Ken SchraderDonlavey RacingFord1131engine75$7,010322835Alan Kulwicki (R)AK RacingFord1122clutch72$2,485333173Phil BarkdollBarkdoll RacingFord1002overheating0$3,225342618Tommy EllisFreedlander MotorsportsChevrolet860engine61$2,365352227Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiac700engine58$5,410362971Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingPontiac610head gasket55$5,210372443Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac515accident57$5,08038944Terry LabonteHagan EnterprisesOldsmobile378oil pressure54$9,440393854Eddie BierschwaleGray RacingChevrolet370valve46$1,990403317Pancho CarterHamby RacingChevrolet291engine48$4,680Failed to qualify416D. K. UlrichU.S. RacingChevrolet4229Grant AdcoxAdcox RacingChevrolet4364Connie SaylorLangley RacingFord4470J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiacWD79Derrike CopeRazore RacingFordOfficial race results

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Dale Earnhardt 2,585 2 Darrell Waltrip 2,424 (-161) 3 Tim Richmond 2,400 (-185) 4 Bobby Allison 2,327 (–258) 5 Ricky Rudd 2,293 (–292) 6 Bill Elliott 2,182 (–403) 7 Rusty Wallace 2,138 (–447) 8 Terry Labonte 2,063 (–522) 1 9 Harry Gant 2,060 (–525) 2 10 Bobby Hillin Jr. 2,059 (–526)Official driver's standings Note: Only the first 10 positions are included for the driver standings.

Notes

References