The 1976 NASCAR Grand National Winston Cup Series was the 28th season of professional stock car racing in the United States, the 5th modern era season of the Grand National series and sixth under R. J. Reynolds sponsorship through its Winston cigarette brand. The season began on Sunday, January 18 and ended on Sunday, November 21. Cale Yarborough, driving the #11 Junior Johnson Holly Farms Chevrolet scored his first of three consecutive NASCAR Grand National Series Winston Cup Championships. Skip Manning was named NASCAR Rookie of the Year.
Season recap NoDate Event Circuit Winner1January 18 Winston Western 500 Riverside International Raceway David PearsonFebruary 12125 Mile Qualifying RacesDaytona International SpeedwayDave MarcisDarrell Waltrip2February 15 Daytona 500 David Pearson3February 29 Carolina 500 North Carolina Speedway Richard Petty4March 7 Richmond 400 Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway Dave Marcis5March 14 Southeastern 400 Bristol International Speedway Cale Yarborough6March 21 Atlanta 500 Atlanta International Raceway David Pearson7April 4 Gwyn Staley 400 North Wilkesboro Speedway Cale Yarborough8April 11 Rebel 500 Darlington Raceway David Pearson9April 25 Virginia 500 Martinsville Speedway Darrell Waltrip10May 2 Winston 500 Alabama International Motor Speedway Buddy Baker11May 8 Music City USA 420 Nashville Speedway Cale Yarborough12May 16 Mason-Dixon 500 Dover Downs International Speedway Benny Parsons13May 30 World 600 Charlotte Motor Speedway David Pearson14June 13 Riverside 400 Riverside International Raceway David Pearson15June 20 Cam 2 Motor Oil 400 Michigan International Speedway David Pearson16July 4 Firecracker 400 Daytona International Speedway Cale Yarborough17July 17 Nashville 420 Nashville Speedway Benny Parsons18August 1 Purolator 500 Pocono Raceway Richard Petty19August 8 Talladega 500 Alabama International Motor Speedway Dave Marcis20August 22 Champion Spark Plug 400 Michigan International Speedway David Pearson21August 29 Volunteer 400 Bristol International Speedway Cale Yarborough22September 6 Southern 500 Darlington Raceway David Pearson23September 12 Capital City 400 Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway Cale Yarborough24September 19 Delaware 500 Dover Downs International Speedway Cale Yarborough25September 26 Old Dominion 500 Martinsville Speedway Cale Yarborough26October 3 Wilkes 400 North Wilkesboro Speedway Cale Yarborough27October 10 National 500 Charlotte Motor Speedway Donnie Allison28October 24 American 500 North Carolina Speedway Richard Petty29November 7 Dixie 500 Atlanta International Raceway Dave Marcis30November 21 Los Angeles Times 500 Ontario Motor Speedway David Pearson
Bold denotes a NASCAR Crown Jewel race.
Race Summaries
Winston Western 500 The Winston Western 500 was run on January 18 at Riverside International Raceway. Bobby Allison won the pole.
Top-10 results: #21 - David Pearson* #11 - Cale Yarborough #38 - Jimmy Insolo #96 - Ray Elder #72 - Benny Parsons #54 - Lennie Pond #3 - Richard Childress #71 - Dave Marcis #48 - James Hylton #73 - Bill Schmitt
This was Pearson's first road course victory since 1966, and the first Riverside victory for the Wood Brothers Racing team since 1968. Pearson led 124 of 191 laps. Richard Petty started 27th and stormed through the field to lead 15 laps, but fell out with engine failure. On lap 18, Darrell Waltrip suffered a brake failure in turn eight, which sent his car plowing over the fencing and landing near a spectator area. Waltrip drove back to the pits and ultimately finished 21st.Stock Car Racing Magazine, June 1976, p. 25 This was Roger Penske's final race fielding an AMC Matador. Penske and driver Bobby Allison would race for Mercury for the rest of the year.
Daytona 500
The 18th running of the Daytona 500 was run on February 15 at Daytona International Speedway. A. J. Foyt, Dave Marcis, and Darrell Waltrip qualified out front, but had their times disallowed after failing inspection. This resulted in Ramo Stott starting on the pole. This race is famous for the intense final lap battle between Richard Petty and David Pearson. Both cars made contact in turn 4, resulting in them crashing into the wall and spinning into the infield. Petty's Dodge stopped in the grass in front of the finish line, but stalled. This allowed Pearson, who managed to get his Mercury moving, to pass Petty and cross the line first to score his only Daytona 500 victory.
Top-10 results: #21 - David Pearson* #43 - Richard Petty #72 - Benny Parsons #54 - Lennie Pond #12 - Neil Bonnett #81 - Terry Ryan #70 - J.D. McDuffie #63 - Terry Bivins #3 - Richard Childress #79 - Frank Warren
This was the forth Daytona 500 victory for the Wood Brothers, and their last until 2011. This race was very nearly marred by tragedy on lap 118, when Johnny Ray spun in oil dropped by Ramo Stott, and was then rammed at high-speed in the driver-side door by Skip Manning. Ray was initially declared dead at the hospital, but managed to be revived by resuscitation.
Carolina 500 The Carolina 500 was run on February 29 at North Carolina Motor Speedway. Dave Marcis won the pole. Richard Petty won in dominant fashion, leading 362 of 492 laps, and finishing two laps ahead of 2nd-place finisher Darrell Waltrip.
Top-10 results: #43 - Richard Petty #88 - Darrell Waltrip #11 - Cale Yarborough #15 - Buddy Baker #72 - Benny Parsons #6 - Bobby Isaac #41 - Grant Adcox #14 - Coo Coo Marlin #8 - Ed Negre #70 - J.D. McDuffie
Richmond 400 The Richmond 400 was run on March 7 at Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway. Bobby Allison won the pole.
Top-10 results: #71 - Dave Marcis #43 - Richard Petty #2 - Bobby Allison #11 - Cale Yarborough #63 - Terry Bivins #3 - Richard Childress #24 - Cecil Gordon #05 - David Sisco #72 - Benny Parsons #64 - Elmo Langley
Southeastern 400 The Southeastern 400 was run on March 14 at Bristol International Speedway. Buddy Baker won the pole. Cale Yarborough led 285 of 400 laps and scored his first of 9 race victories in 1976.
Top-10 results: #11 - Cale Yarborough #88 - Darrell Waltrip #72 - Benny Parsons* #71 - Dave Marcis #2 - Bobby Allison #90 - Dick Brooks #48 - James Hylton #8 - Ed Negre #67 - Buddy Arrington #70 - J.D. McDuffie
Benny Parsons took the points lead after this race, as Richard Petty failed to finish after crashing with Cecil Gordon and Bill Champion on lap 64.
Atlanta 500 The Atlanta 500 was run on March 21 at Atlanta International Raceway. Dave Marcis won the pole. NASCAR mandated smaller carburetors beginning with this race. David Pearson won after falling off the lead lap early, and spending the next 225 laps fighting to get back into contention. Cale Yarborough finished third, a lap down after making up three laps of a four-lap deficit.
Top-10 results: #21 - David Pearson #72 - Benny Parsons #11 - Cale Yarborough* #54 - Lennie Pond #88 - Darrell Waltrip #14 - Coo Coo Marlin #90 - Dick Brooks #12 - Neil Bonnett #05 - David Sisco #60 - Jackie Rogers
Gwyn Staley 400
The Gwyn Staley 400 was run on April 4 at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Dave Marcis won the pole. Cale Yarborough dominated en route to victory at Junior Johnson's home track, leading 364 laps.
Top-10 results: #11 - Cale Yarborough #43 - Richard Petty #2 - Bobby Allison #72 - Benny Parsons #70 - J.D. McDuffie #54 - Lennie Pond #90 - Dick Brooks #71 - Dave Marcis #3 - Richard Childress #30 - Walter Ballard
Rebel 500 The Rebel 500 was run on April 11 at Darlington Raceway. David Pearson won the pole. Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip crashed out on Lap 80, while Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough fell out with engine failures.
Top-10 results: #21 - David Pearson #15 - Buddy Baker #72 - Benny Parsons #54 - Lennie Pond #71 - Dave Marcis #93 - Buck Baker #41 - Grant Adcox #18 - Joe Frasson #3 - Richard Childress #30 - Bruce Hill
Virginia 500 The Virginia 500 was run on April 25 at Martinsville Speedway. Dave Marcis won the pole.
Top-10 results: #88 - Darrell Waltrip #11 - Cale Yarborough #21 - David Pearson #43 - Richard Petty #90 - Dick Brooks #2 - Bobby Allison #47 - Bruce Hill #3 - Richard Childress #30 - Walter Ballard #24 - Cecil Gordon
Winston 500 The Winston 500 was run on May 2 at Alabama International Motor Speedway. Dave Marcis won the pole. This was the first 500-mile race in Winston Cup history to be completed in under 3 hours, finishing in 2 hours and 56 minutes.
Top-10 results: #15 - Buddy Baker* #11 - Cale Yarborough* #2 - Bobby Allison #43 - Richard Petty* #81 - Terry Ryan #24 - Cecil Gordon #28 - Donnie Allison #47 - Bruce Hill #71 - Dave Marcis #79 - Frank Warren
Buddy Baker qualified twelfth, a run so disappointing, the Bud Moore team drove back to their Spartanburg, SC shop, over four hours away, to overhaul the engine before returning to Talladega for the race. Cale Yarborough took the points lead for the first time all season in this race, as points leader Benny Parsons had issues that resulted in a 26th-place finish. Richard Petty finished fourth after stalling the car on an early pitstop and lost a lap.
Music City USA 420 The Music City USA 420 was run on May 8 at Nashville Speedway. Benny Parsons won the pole. Yarborough led all but 22 of 420 laps en route to his third victory of the season.
Top-10 results: #11 - Cale Yarborough #43 - Richard Petty #72 - Benny Parsons #15 - Buddy Baker #2 - Bobby Allison #54 - Lennie Pond #71 - Dave Marcis #30 - Walter Ballard #05 - David Sisco #79 - Frank Warren
Mason-Dixon 500 The Mason-Dixon 500 was run on May 16 at Dover Downs International Speedway. Dave Marcis won the pole. Benny Parsons suffered nose damage in a mid-race incident, but recovered to lead 161 of the last 169 laps and beat David Pearson by 25 seconds.
Top-10 results: #72 - Benny Parsons #21 - David Pearson #71 - Dave Marcis #2 - Bobby Allison #15 - Buddy Baker #43 - Richard Petty #90 - Dick Brooks #54 - Lennie Pond #50 - Darrell Bryant #3 - Richard Childress
Points leader Cale Yarborough led 243 laps but was penalized a lap on a pitstop, then fell out with an engine failure and finished 27th, losing the points lead to Parsons.
World 600
The World 600 was run on May 30 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. David Pearson won the pole. Pearson and Cale Yarborough fought for the lead and combined to lead 243 of the first 251 laps, but Yarborough lost a lap with a cut tire and finished third.
Top-10 results: #21 - David Pearson #43 - Richard Petty #11 - Cale Yarborough #2 - Bobby Allison #72 - Benny Parsons #28 - Donnie Allison #90 - Dick Brooks #54 - Lennie Pond #18 - Harry Gant #05 - David Sisco
Janet Guthrie made her NASCAR debut in this race, starting 27th and finishing 15th. Bruton Smith made his official return to Charlotte Motor Speedway in this race. Among his first acts was posting $18,000 in lap leader bonuses payable to whoever led the most laps per 100 miles.
Riverside 400 The Riverside 400 was run on June 13 at Riverside International Raceway. David Pearson won the pole. Pearson completed a season sweep at Riverside after a race-long battle with Bobby Allison and Cale Yarborough.
Top-10 results: #21 - David Pearson #2 - Bobby Allison #72 - Benny Parsons #96 - Ray Elder #15 - Buddy Baker #88 - Darrell Waltrip #11 - Cale Yarborough #38 - Jimmy Insolo #43 - Richard Petty #71 - Dave Marcis
CAM2 Motor Oil 400 The CAM2 Motor Oil 400 was run on June 20 at Michigan International Speedway. Richard Petty won the pole.
Top-10 results: #21 - David Pearson #11 - Cale Yarborough* #2 - Bobby Allison #43 - Richard Petty #15 - Buddy Baker #90 - Dick Brooks #54 - Lennie Pond #05 - David Sisco #60 - Jackie Rogers #24 - Cecil Gordon
Cale Yarborough dominated before losing power due to a blown head gasket, but managed to recover and finish 2nd.