1976 NASCAR Winston Cup Series

Season recap

Race Summaries

1. #21 - David Pearson
2. #11 - Cale Yarborough
3. #38 - Jimmy Insolo
4. #96 - Ray Elder
5. #72 - Benny Parsons
6. #54 - Lennie Pond
7. #3 - Richard Childress
8. #71 - Dave Marcis
9. #48 - James Hylton
10. #73 - Bill SchmittDaytona 500 – From disallowance of qualifying times for A. J. Foyt, Dave Marcis, and Darrell Waltrip to the crashing of race leaders Richard Petty and David Pearson a half-mile from the checkered flag - the finish broadcast live on Wide World of Sports - the 1976 500 became one of the most celebrated races in history, and national interest in stock car racing began swelling with the finish.
11. #21 - David Pearson
12. #43 - Richard Petty
13. #72 - Benny Parsons
14. #54 - Lennie Pond
15. #12 - Neil Bonnett
16. #81 - Terry Ryan
17. #70 - J.D. McDuffie
18. #63 - Terry Bivins
19. #3 - Richard Childress
20. #79 - Frank WarrenCarolina 500 – Richard Petty won going away in a race marred by a huge melee on the backstretch where Bobby Allison tumbled.
21. #43 - Richard Petty
22. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
23. #11 - Cale Yarborough
24. #15 - Buddy Baker
25. #72 - Benny Parsons
26. #6 - Bobby Isaac
27. #41 - Grant Adcox
28. #14 - Coo Coo Marlin
29. #8 - Ed Negre
30. #70 - J.D. McDuffieRichmond 400 - Cale Yarborough's bid for his first win of the season ended when he crashed with twelve laps to go. Dave Marcis edged Richard Petty in a battle of Dodges.
31. #71 - Dave Marcis
32. #43 - Richard Petty
33. #2 - Bobby Allison
34. #11 - Cale Yarborough
35. #63 - Terry Bivins
36. #3 - Richard Childress
37. #24 - Cecil Gordon
38. #05 - David Sisco
39. #72 - Benny Parsons
40. #64 - Elmo LangleySoutheastern 400 - Yarborough finally broke through, leading 285 laps and putting runner-up Darrell Waltrip a lap down. Petty lost the point lead to Benny Parsons after a crash with Cecil Gordon and Bill Champion just 64 laps in.
41. #11 - Cale Yarborough
42. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
43. #72 - Benny Parsons
44. #71 - Dave Marcis
45. #2 - Bobby Allison
46. #90 - Dick Brooks
47. #48 - James Hylton
48. #8 - Ed Negre
49. #67 - Buddy Arrington
50. #70 - J.D. McDuffieAtlanta 500 – NASCAR mandated smaller carburetors beginning with this race. David Pearson spent 225 laps fighting to get back onto the lead lap and took his third win of the season, beating Parsons. Yarborough finished third, a lap down after making up three laps of a four-lap deficit.
51. #21 - David Pearson
52. #72 - Benny Parsons
53. #11 - Cale Yarborough
54. #54 - Lennie Pond
55. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
56. #14 - Coo Coo Marlin
57. #90 - Dick Brooks
58. #12 - Neil Bonnett
59. #05 - David Sisco
60. #60 - Jackie RogersGwyn Staley 400 - Dave Marcis won the pole but finished a distant eighth as Cale Yarborough won at Junior Johnson's home track, leading 364 laps and putting runner-up Richard Petty a lap down. Benny Parsons led 23 laps and finished fourth.
61. #11 - Cale Yarborough
62. #43 - Richard Petty
63. #2 - Bobby Allison
64. #72 - Benny Parsons
65. #70 - J.D. McDuffie
66. #54 - Lennie Pond
67. #90 - Dick Brooks
68. #71 - Dave Marcis
69. #3 - Richard Childress
70. #30 - Walter BallardRebel 500 - Pearson ran down Buddy Baker in a race where his father Buck finished sixth. Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip were involved in a hard crash at Lap 80 while Petty and Yarborough fell out with engine failures; Petty had led 52 laps while Cale led 16.
71. #21 - David Pearson
72. #15 - Buddy Baker
73. #72 - Benny Parsons
74. #54 - Lennie Pond
75. #71 - Dave Marcis
76. #93 - Buck Baker
77. #41 - Grant Adcox
78. #18 - Joe Frasson
79. #3 - Richard Childress
80. #30 - Bruce HillVirginia 500 – Cale Yarborough crashed when Dave Marcis' rearend spilled fluid while dueling for the lead. Darrell Waltrip thus took the win, his first with Gatorade sponsorship.
81. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
82. #11 - Cale Yarborough
83. #21 - David Pearson
84. #43 - Richard Petty
85. #90 - Dick Brooks
86. #2 - Bobby Allison
87. #47 - Bruce Hill
88. #3 - Richard Childress
89. #30 - Walter Ballard
90. #24 - Cecil GordonWinston 500 – Buddy Baker qualified twelfth, a run so disappointing his Bud Moore team drove the over four hours back to their Spartanburg, SC shop to overhaul the engine before returning to Talladega for the race. Baker nonetheless became the first driver to win a 500-miler in less than three hours, while an early-race crash with Pearson, Dave Marcis, and Dick Brooks eliminated Benny Parsons and cost him the point lead to runner-up Yarborough. Richard Petty finished fourth after he stalled the car on an early pitstop and lost a lap.
91. #15 - Buddy Baker
92. #11 - Cale Yarborough
93. #2 - Bobby Allison
94. #43 - Richard Petty
95. #81 - Terry Ryan
96. #24 - Cecil Gordon
97. #28 - Donnie Allison
98. #47 - Bruce Hill
99. #71 - Dave Marcis
100. #79 - Frank WarrenMusic City 420 - Yarborough led 398 of 420 laps at the Nashville Fairgrounds to his third short track win of the season. Richard Petty and pole-sitter Benny Parsons finished 2-3 after leading a combined six laps. Darrell Waltrip, long a Fairgrounds regular, led seven laps but finished 12th with rearend failure.
101. #11 - Cale Yarborough
102. #43 - Richard Petty
103. #72 - Benny Parsons
104. #15 - Buddy Baker
105. #2 - Bobby Allison
106. #54 - Lennie Pond
107. #71 - Dave Marcis
108. #30 - Walter Ballard
109. #05 - David Sisco
110. #79 - Frank WarrenMason-Dixon 500 - Benny Parsons suffered nose damage in a mid-race crash but his Chevrolet ran stronger after the wreck; he stormed to lead 161 of the race's last 169 laps and beat Pearson by 25 seconds. Cale Yarborough led 243 laps but was penalized a lap on a pitstop, then fell out with engine failure; he thus lost the point lead to Parsons.
111. #72 - Benny Parsons
112. #21 - David Pearson
113. #71 - Dave Marcis
114. #2 - Bobby Allison
115. #15 - Buddy Baker
116. #43 - Richard Petty
117. #90 - Dick Brooks
118. #54 - Lennie Pond
119. #50 - Darrell Bryant
120. #3 - Richard ChildressWorld 600 – Pearson edged Petty and Cale Yarborough as Bruton Smith made his official return to Charlotte Motor Speedway; among his first acts was posting $18,000 in lap leader bonuses payable to whoever led the most laps per 100 miles. Pearson and Yarborough fought for the lead and combined to lead 243 of the first 251 laps but Cale lost a lap with a cut tire and finished third; Petty led 56 laps. Janet Guthrie made her NASCAR debut.
121. #21 - David Pearson
122. #43 - Richard Petty
123. #11 - Cale Yarborough
124. #2 - Bobby Allison
125. #72 - Benny Parsons
126. #28 - Donnie Allison
127. #90 - Dick Brooks
128. #54 - Lennie Pond
129. #18 - Harry Gant
130. #05 - David SiscoRiverside 400 - Pearson completed a season sweep at Riverside after a race-long chase with Bobby Allison and Yarborough.
131. #21 - David Pearson
132. #2 - Bobby Allison
133. #72 - Benny Parsons
134. #96 - Ray Elder
135. #15 - Buddy Baker
136. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
137. #11 - Cale Yarborough
138. #38 - Jimmy Insolo
139. #43 - Richard Petty
140. #71 - Dave Marcis

1. #21 - David Pearson
2. #11 - Cale Yarborough
3. #2 - Bobby Allison
4. #43 - Richard Petty
5. #15 - Buddy Baker
6. #90 - Dick Brooks
7. #54 - Lennie Pond
8. #05 - David Sisco
9. #60 - Jackie Rogers
10. #24 - Cecil GordonFirecracker 400 - Cale Yarborough edged Pearson and Bobby Allison for his first Daytona win since 1968. A. J. Foyt won the pole.
11. #11 - Cale Yarborough
12. #21 - David Pearson
13. #2 - Bobby Allison
14. #28 - A.J. Foyt
15. #71 - Dave Marcis
16. #14 - Coo Coo Marlin
17. #72 - Benny Parsons
18. #90 - Dick Brooks
19. #05 - David Sisco
20. #22 - Ricky RuddNashville 420 - Neil Bonnett drove most of the race for pole-sitter Bobby Allison; days before Allison was injured in a bad crash at Elko, MN and had to give way to Bonnett after the opening lap; the Penske #2 finished a distant seventh. Buddy Baker led 220 laps but fell out while leading with 90 laps to go; Benny Parsons took over and beat Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip. Waltrip's third place at his home track came following the hiring by DiGard of engine builder Marion "Ducky" Newman, who'd left Bud Moore's team in a salary dispute.
21. #72 - Benny Parsons
22. #43 - Richard Petty
23. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
24. #54 - Lennie Pond
25. #11 - Cale Yarborough
26. #71 - Dave Marcis
27. #2 - Bobby Allison
28. #14 - Coo Coo Marlin
29. #92 - Skip Manning
30. #36 - Bobby WawakPurolator 500 – NASCAR allowed teams to use larger carburetors again beginning with Pocono. The lead changed 47 times - a season high promptly broken a week later - as Pearson's blown tire coming to the white flag gave Petty only his second win of the season. Buddy Baker finished second. Benny Parsons edged Pearson for third while pole-sitter Cale Yarborough blew his engine halfway through; Junior Johnson's team changed engines in the garage in 33 minutes and Yarborough finished 25th; he lost the points lead to Parsons.
31. #43 - Richard Petty
32. #15 - Buddy Baker
33. #72 - Benny Parsons
34. #21 - David Pearson
35. #54 - Lennie Pond
36. #24 - Cecil Gordon
37. #67 - Buddy Arrington
38. #60 - Jackie Rogers
39. #3 - Richard Childress
40. #05 - David SiscoTalladega 500 – Dave Marcis took his only Talladega win and the first for crew chief Harry Hyde; it was the first superspeedway win for Hyde's K&K Insurance Dodge since 1973. The lead changed a season-high 57 times. Benny Parsons blew his engine after 39 laps while Cale suffered another engine failure, yet Junior Johnson's team changed engines mid-race again, this time in 20 minutes. Richard Petty blew his engine after taking the lead in the final 20 laps; with this combination of DNFs Cale thus took the point lead for what proved to be the final time. Darrell Waltrip blew his engine and following the race DiGard fired team manager Mario Rossi and engine builders Carroll "Stump" Davis and Keith Harlan; the team hired Robert Yates to assist Marion Newman.
41. #71 - Dave Marcis
42. #15 - Buddy Baker
43. #90 - Dick Brooks
44. #48 - James Hylton
45. #54 - Lennie Pond
46. #30 - Tighe Scott
47. #70 - J.D. McDuffie
48. #3 - Richard Childress
49. #92 - Skip Manning
50. #26 - Jimmy Lee CappsChampion Spark Plug 400 – David Pearson took his eighth win of the season, but first since the June event at Michigan International Speedway. Cale Yarborough finished second; Junior Johnson hired a security guard to watch his engines, suspecting sabotage after back-to-back engine failures.
51. #21 - David Pearson
52. #11 - Cale Yarborough
53. #43 - Richard Petty
54. #2 - Bobby Allison
55. #71 - Dave Marcis
56. #12 - Neil Bonnett
57. #40 - D.K. Ulrich
58. #70 - J.D. McDuffie
59. #72 - Benny Parsons
60. #36 - Bobby WawakVolunteer 400 - Cale Yarborough took his fifth win of the season leading 373 laps. Darrell Waltrip won the pole, his first with Robert Yates-Ducky Newman power, and led 27 laps to finish third.
61. #11 - Cale Yarborough
62. #43 - Richard Petty
63. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
64. #72 - Benny Parsons
65. #15 - Buddy Baker
66. #2 - Bobby Allison
67. #90 - Dick Brooks
68. #54 - Lennie Pond
69. #36 - Bobby Wawak
70. #3 - Richard ChildressSouthern 500 – Pearson took the one race he had sought his entire career. A big wreck occurred after Buddy Baker blew up and spun; behind him Skip Manning spun and was hit in the left side door by Joe Frasson. Cale Yarborough hit a guardrail post on pit road and it bent the rearend assembly; Richard Childress helped the Junior Johnson crew replace the assembly and Cale finished 23rd; Richard Petty finished second despite hammering the wall off the track's infamous fourth turn and cut Cale's point lead to 29. Darrell Waltrip and Dave Marcis were the two remaining cars on the lead lap.
71. #21 - David Pearson
72. #43 - Richard Petty
73. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
74. #71 - Dave Marcis
75. #54 - Lennie Pond
76. #90 - Dick Brooks
77. #72 - Benny Parsons
78. #14 - Coo Coo Marlin
79. #2 - Bobby Allison
80. #36 - Bobby WawakCapital City 400 - Bobby Allison made his most determined bid for a win of the season, chasing Cale Yarborough and finished one length back at the finish. Cale increased his point lead over Petty to 44.
81. #11 - Cale Yarborough
82. #2 - Bobby Allison
83. #43 - Richard Petty
84. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
85. #15 - Buddy Baker
86. #54 - Lennie Pond
87. #71 - Dave Marcis
88. #90 - Dick Brooks
89. #30 - Terry Bivins
90. #36 - Bobby WawakDelaware 500 - Cale Yarborough made up two laps on two separate occasions and won his second straight race.
91. #11 - Cale Yarborough
92. #43 - Richard Petty
93. #21 - David Pearson
94. #2 - Bobby Allison
95. #15 - Buddy Baker
96. #90 - Dick Brooks
97. #70 - J.D. McDuffie
98. #40 - D.K. Ulrich
99. #48 - James Hylton
100. #67 - Buddy ArringtonOld Dominion 500 - Darrell Waltrip won the pole, his second since the hiring of Robert Yates, but could only finish second to Cale as rain cut short the 500-lap race at 340 laps.
101. #11 - Cale Yarborough
102. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
103. #15 - Buddy Baker
104. #43 - Richard Petty
105. #72 - Benny Parsons
106. #90 - Dick Brooks
107. #63 - Jimmy Hensley
108. #30 - Terry Bivins
109. #55 - Sonny Easley
110. #3 - Richard ChildressWilkes 400 - Yarborough won his fourth straight race and season-leading ninth overall.
111. #11 - Cale Yarborough
112. #72 - Benny Parsons
113. #43 - Richard Petty
114. #15 - Buddy Baker
115. #54 - Lennie Pond
116. #90 - Dick Brooks
117. #70 - J.D. McDuffie
118. #36 - Bobby Wawak
119. #30 - Terry Bivins
120. #92 - Sonny EasleyNational 500 - Donnie Allison surprised the field in a backup Hoss Ellington Monte Carlo; the engine measured a tick over the legal displacement in immediate post race inspection but after cooling down the engine was within limits; Ellington stated, "This one's legal. We left all the cheater stuff at Darlington." The win was Donnie's first in Grand National competition since 1971. 57 year old veteran Buck Baker competed in his final Winston Cup race. The two-time champion finished 24th in the #59 Monte Carlo fielded by H.C. Porter. Neil Bonnett had to drive most of the race in the Wood Brothers 21 when David Pearson had to get out of the car with a back injury that flared up the day before.
121. #1 - Donnie Allison
122. #11 - Cale Yarborough
123. #2 - Bobby Allison
124. #15 - Buddy Baker
125. #72 - Benny Parsons
126. #21 - David Pearson
127. #54 - Lennie Pond
128. #43 - Richard Petty
129. #90 - Dick Brooks
130. #36 - Bobby WawakAmerican 500 - Richard Petty took the win, only his third of the season. Lennie Pond finished second. Green flag pit stops became frequent as Petty spent a total of 125 seconds in the pits to Pond's 54 seconds.
131. #43 - Richard Petty
132. #54 - Lennie Pond
133. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
134. #2 - Bobby Allison
135. #11 - Cale Yarborough
136. #21 - David Pearson
137. #1 - Donnie Allison
138. #90 - Dick Brooks
139. #92 - Skip Manning
140. #14 - Coo Coo MarlinDixie 500 – Dave Marcis took his final superspeedway win after a race-long duel with Yarborough, Pearson, and Buddy Baker; Richard Benyo of Stock Car Racing Magazine described the initial 62 laps as a battle where "Marcis was able to nose Pearson, Yarborough, and Baker to the stripe" from Laps 14 through 62. Dale Earnhardt made his third career start in this race and survived a vicious tumble after hitting the spinning Ford of Dick Brooks. Richard Petty's engine failure all but clinched the season championship for Cale Yarborough. During the weekend Penske Racing issued a press release stating Bobby Allison, fresh from victory in a USAC 200-mile stock car race at Texas World Speedway in the Penske Mercury, would return to the team for 1977.
141. #71 - Dave Marcis
142. #21 - David Pearson
143. #1 - Donnie Allison
144. #11 - Cale Yarborough
145. #15 - Buddy Baker
146. #72 - Benny Parsons
147. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
148. #12 - Neil Bonnett
149. #27 - Sam Sommers
150. #36 - Bobby WawakLA Times 500 – Pearson led the final 121 laps and easily posted his eighth super-speedway win and tenth overall of the season. Yarborough clinched the season championship by taking the green flag, only to fall out with transmission trouble after leading 68 laps. Bobby Allison blew his engine simultaneously with his brother Donnie and after the race told Roger Penske he was leaving the team.
151. #21 - David Pearson
152. #54 - Lennie Pond
153. #72 - Benny Parsons
154. #90 - Dick Brooks
155. #48 - James Hylton
156. #36 - Bobby Wawak
157. #50 - Terry Bivins
158. #92 - Skip Manning
159. #81 - Terry Ryan
160. #47 - Bruce Hill

Full Drivers’ Championship