1986 NASCAR Winston Cup Series

Races

Busch Clash

7-Eleven Twin 125's

1. 9-Bill Elliott
2. 22-Bobby Allison
3. 44-Terry Labonte
4. 7-Kyle Petty
5. 1-Sterling Marlin
6. 43-Richard Petty
7. 12-Neil Bonnett
8. 98-Ron Bouchard
9. 4-Rick Wilson
10. 66-Phil Parsons

1. 3-Dale Earnhardt
2. 5-Geoff Bodine
3. 11-Darrell Waltrip
4. 47-Morgan Shepherd
5. 27-Rusty Wallace
6. 71-Dave Marcis
7. 28-Cale Yarborough
8. 33-Harry Gant
9. 88-Buddy Baker
10. 6-Trevor Boys

Daytona 500

1. 5-Geoff Bodine
2. 44-Terry Labonte
3. 11-Darrell Waltrip
4. 8-Bobby Hillin Jr.
5. 55-Benny Parsons -1 lap
6. 98-Ron Bouchard -1 lap
7. 4-Rick Wilson -1 lap
8. 27-Rusty Wallace -1 lap
9. 1-Sterling Marlin -2 laps
10. 75-Lake Speed -2 laps

• In what would be the first of a string of Daytona 500 heartbreakers for Dale Earnhardt; Earnhardt ran out of fuel with three laps to go and coasted into pit road for gas, only to blow his engine when restarting it; resulting in a 14th place finish.

Miller High Life 400

1. 7-Kyle Petty*
2. 26-Joe Ruttman
3. 3-Dale Earnhardt
4. 22-Bobby Allison -1 lap
5. 11-Darrell Waltrip -2 laps
6. 8-Bobby Hillin Jr. -2 laps
7. 12-Neil Bonnett -2 laps
8. 5-Geoff Bodine -3 laps
9. 71-Dave Marcis -3 laps
10. 27-Rusty Wallace -5 laps

• This was Kyle Petty's first career Winston Cup Series victory.
• The race is widely considered one of the most controversial finishes in NASCAR history. Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt battled for the better part of the race. In the final five laps, Waltrip rode on the back bumper of Earnhardt, bumping and rubbing the whole way. With three laps to go, Waltrip finally got a nose underneath Earnhardt exiting turn two. But Waltrip did not fully clear Earnhardt down the backstretch. Going into turn 3, Earnhardt spun Waltrip out, but lost control himself and both cars crashed hard into outside guardrail. The wreck collected Joe Ruttman and Geoff Bodine, allowing 5th place Kyle Petty to slip by and take his first-career Cup victory in improbable fashion. The incident drew a fine for Earnhardt, raised tempers throughout the garage area, and earned Earnhardt the "Ironhead" nickname. The incident was dramatized in the movie 3.
• With his victory, Kyle Petty became NASCAR's first third generation winner.
• In the 1990 film Days of Thunder, a clip of the incident between Earnhardt and Waltrip appears on the TV set that Cole Trickle and Harry Hogge are watching in the scene where they are riding in a transporter.
• Terry Labonte, thinking his engine had failed, pulled his #44 Piedmont Airlines Oldsmobile behind the wall. However, a crew member noticed some metal interfering with the ignition, and once the obstruction was cleared, the engine refired, allowing Labonte to return to the race and finish in 15th place.
• Early in the race, Earnhardt could be seen steering his car while simultaneously wiping dirt off his windshield.

Goodwrench 500

1. 44-Terry Labonte
2. 33-Harry Gant
3. 43-Richard Petty
4. 47-Morgan Shepherd -1 lap
5. 11-Darrell Waltrip -1 lap
6. 28-Cale Yarborough -2 laps
7. 9-Bill Elliott -2 laps
8. 3-Dale Earnhardt -2 laps
9. 12-Neil Bonnett -2 laps
10. 75-Lake Speed -3 laps

• The win proved to be Labonte's last with Billy Hagan.
• This was the only points paying win for the Oldsmobile Delta 88 in the Winston Cup Series.

Motorcraft 500

1. 47-Morgan Shepherd
2. 3-Dale Earnhardt
3. 44-Terry Labonte
4. 11-Darrell Waltrip
5. 9-Bill Elliott
6. 55-Benny Parsons
7. 25-Tim Richmond
8. 27-Rusty Wallace -1 lap
9. 22-Bobby Allison -1 lap
10. 5-Geoff Bodine -1 lap

• This was Morgan Shepherd's 1st victory since 1981.

Valleydale 500

1. 27-Rusty Wallace*
2. 15-Ricky Rudd
3. 11-Darrell Waltrip
4. 33-Harry Gant -1 lap
5. 9-Bill Elliott -1 lap
6. 22-Bobby Allison -1 lap
7. 44-Terry Labonte -2 laps
8. 25-Tim Richmond -2 laps
9. 7-Kyle Petty -3 laps
10. 3-Dale Earnhardt -3 laps

• This was Rusty Wallace's 1st career Winston Cup victory.
• This was also the 1st victory for the Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2.

TranSouth 500

1. 3-Dale Earnhardt
2. 11-Darrell Waltrip
3. 22-Bobby Allison -1 lap
4. 12-Neil Bonnett -1 lap
5. 25-Tim Richmond -3 laps
6. 27-Rusty Wallace -3 laps
7. 43-Richard Petty -3 laps
8. 9-Bill Elliott -5 laps
9. 7-Kyle Petty -6 laps
10. 90-Ken Schrader -11 laps

First Union 400

1. 3-Dale Earnhardt
2. 15-Ricky Rudd
3. 5-Geoff Bodine
4. 11-Darrell Waltrip
5. 26-Joe Ruttman
6. 22-Bobby Allison
7. 33-Harry Gant
8. 7-Kyle Petty
9. 9-Bill Elliott
10. 27-Rusty Wallace -1 lap

• This race marked the 1st career Winston Cup start for Willy T. Ribbs, best known for being the 1st African-American to start the Indianapolis 500 in 1991. Ribbs struggled during the race, spinning out twice on his way to a 22nd-place finish, 13 laps down.
• The No. 6 of Trevor Boys smacked the wall in Turn 3 on lap 89 and came to a stop at the entrance of pit road, blocking it. Instead of throwing a caution, the tow truck was sent out to tow the D. K. Ulrich-owned car to his pit stall/hauler while the rest of the cars continued around the track at full speed.
• This race included two caution periods around halfway due to rain. However, the race was not red-flagged either time the caution was thrown for the rain showers.

Sovran Bank 500

1. 15-Ricky Rudd*
2. 26-Joe Ruttman -1 lap
3. 44-Terry Labonte -4 laps
4. 35-Alan Kulwicki ' -4 laps
5. 7-Kyle Petty -4 laps
6. 8-Bobby Hillin Jr. -5 laps
7. 90-Ken Schrader -7 laps
8. 22-Bobby Allison -8 laps
9. 79-Derrike Cope ' -11 laps
10. 75-Jody Ridley -13 laps

• Ricky Rudd's official margin of victory in the race was 1 lap, and an additional 6 seconds.
• According to Bill Elliott's book, Awesome Bill From Dawsonville, Elliott suffered his first engine failure in 3 years in this race.
• This race marked the first career Winston Cup start for Mike Skinner. Skinner finished 22nd, 156 laps behind.
• First career top 5 for Alan Kulwicki.

Winston 500

1. 22-Bobby Allison
2. 3-Dale Earnhardt
3. 88-Buddy Baker
4. 8-Bobby Hillin Jr.
5. 55-Phil Parsons
6. 47-Morgan Shepherd
7. 43-Richard Petty
8. 4-Rick Wilson
9. 98-Ron Bouchard
10. 10-Greg Sacks

• This race is most notable for a pre-race incident involving a drunken fan who stole the pace car before the race started and drove a lap around the track. Local Sheriff's Deputies and track workers quickly set up a road block at the exit of Turn 4. When the fan stopped the Pontiac Firebird, the sheriffs opened the door, pulled the driver out and detained him.
• The whole field qualified over 200 miles per hour with several upcoming stars failing to qualify.
• Bill Elliott led a race-high 116 laps. Elliott had the dominant car all day, but finished 24th after his engine blew while leading with 14 laps remaining.

The Winston

1. 9-Bill Elliott
2. 3-Dale Earnhardt
3. 33-Harry Gant
4. 11-Darrell Waltrip
5. 28-Cale Yarborough
6. 12-Neil Bonnett
7. 5-Geoff Bodine
8. 15-Ricky Rudd
9. 44-Terry Labonte
10. 10-Greg Sacks

• This was the only time the All-Star Race was held at Atlanta, and featured a 200-kilometer format, with a mandatory green flag pit stop. Because there were only nine race winners in 1985, the highest placed non-winner from the 1985 point standings was added to the field to make it an even ten cars.
• Bill Elliott led 82 of the 83 en route to a dominating victory. Elliott collected the $200,000 first place prize, plus $40,000 in additional cash bonuses for leading laps 20, 30, 50, and 60.
• A consolation race for non-winners from 1985, the Atlanta Invitational, was added to the weekend's events. Benny Parsons won the 100-lap/152.2 mile race, his last NASCAR-sanctioned victory. The win gave Parsons a free spot in the next year's All-Star Race. In subsequent years, the winner of the All-Star Open advances to the All-Star Race, followed by a few years where the number of cars advancing to the All-Star Race were designed to ensure the field reaches 20 cars. Since 2023, the top two drivers in the All-Star Open and a fan vote winner advance to the feature.
• A lackluster crowd of only 18,500 attended the event, and only 23 cars entered. However, the all-star format of having a non-winners' "last chance" race followed by a main event would become a permanent fixture of all-star weekend.
• Originally, R. J. Reynolds intended the race to rotate to different tracks each year. This was the second and last year of that format. Rather that rotate each year, for 1987 it was moved back to Charlotte where it remained through 2019. The All-Star Race moved to Bristol in 2020 because of NASCAR's compacted schedule and North Carolina's ban on spectator events at the time, it was then held in Fort Worth, Texas f9r both 2021 and 2022. It was then moved to North Wilkesboro for 2023 through 2025. The 2026 edition is scheduled to be moved yet again to Dover Motor Speedway.

Budweiser 500

1. 5-Geoff Bodine
2. 22-Bobby Allison
3. 3-Dale Earnhardt -1 lap
4. 15-Ricky Rudd -2 laps
5. 11-Darrell Waltrip -2 laps
6. 43-Richard Petty -6 laps
7. 9-Bill Elliott -7 laps
8. 8-Bobby Hillin Jr. -7 laps
9. 18-Tommy Ellis -7 laps
10. 90-Ken Schrader -7 laps

Coca-Cola 600

1. 3-Dale Earnhardt
2. 25-Tim Richmond
3. 28-Cale Yarborough
4. 33-Harry Gant
5. 11-Darrell Waltrip
6. 9-Bill Elliott
7. 1-Sterling Marlin -1 lap
8. 15-Ricky Rudd -1 lap
9. 47-Morgan Shepherd -1 lap
10. 27-Rusty Wallace -2 laps

• Richard Petty was not allowed to bring out a backup car after crashing his #43 Pontiac in practice. As a result, Petty Enterprises bought the lime green-and-white #6 Chevrolet of D.K. Ulrich, and raced that car. Petty finished 38th as a result of a blown engine after completing 123 laps.
• This was the 1st career Winston Cup start for Brett Bodine, who drove a Hendrick Motorsports #2 Chevrolet to an 18th-place finish, 6 laps down.
• This race insured there would be no Winston Million winner in 1986. The bonus for winning 2 out of 4 races was still alive for the Southern 500 later in the season.
• After this race, Dale Earnhardt would not take the checkered flag first again until returning to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Oakwood Homes 500 on October 5.

Budweiser 400

1. 11-Darrell Waltrip
2. 25-Tim Richmond
3. 15-Ricky Rudd
4. 27-Rusty Wallace
5. 3-Dale Earnhardt
6. 43-Richard Petty
7. 22-Bobby Allison
8. 12-Neil Bonnett
9. 33-Harry Gant
10. 18-Glen Steurer -1 lap

• This was the 1st career Winston Cup start for Chad Little, who was then a regular in the Winston West series. Little finished 13th, 3 laps down in the race after starting 25th.
• This was the final time that Darrell Waltrip wins from the pole.

Miller High Life 500

1. 25-Tim Richmond
2. 3-Dale Earnhardt
3. 28-Cale Yarborough
4. 15-Ricky Rudd
5. 9-Bill Elliott
6. 27-Rusty Wallace
7. 26-Joe Ruttman
8. 7-Kyle Petty
9. 5-Geoff Bodine
10. 8-Bobby Hillin Jr. -1 lap

• The race ended under caution when Morgan Shepherd, Harry Gant, and Buddy Arrington were involved in a violent crash with four laps to go in turn one.
• The win was Richmond's first since April 1984, coming after two second-place finishes in the two preceding races, and the first for Harry Hyde since November 1984.

Miller American 400

1. 9-Bill Elliott
2. 33-Harry Gant
3. 5-Geoff Bodine
4. 88-Buddy Baker
5. 11-Darrell Waltrip
6. 3-Dale Earnhardt
7. 8-Bobby Hillin Jr.
8. 4-Rick Wilson
9. 26-Joe Ruttman
10. 15-Ricky Rudd

• This race celebrated Richard Petty's 1,000th career start in the Winston Cup Series, dating back to 1958. Since the race also fell on Father's Day, Petty's daughters Rebecca, Sharron, and Lisa gave the starting command. Petty would finish 13th after falling a lap down early on; a caution came out while he was pitting on lap 45.
• Rick Baldwin, who was scheduled for the ARCA event that weekend, substituted for Buddy Arrington, who had been ruled out from a concussion in the Lap 196 crash the previous week at Pocono. During the first round qualifying session, Baldwin, who drove Arrington's No. 67 Ford Thunderbird that was a former Melling Racing car, spun in Turn 1, with the car hitting the wall flush with the driver's side, knocking him unconscious into a coma from the massive head injuries. In 1992, drivers Ken Schrader and Darrell Waltrip, along with owners Elmo Langley and Richard Childress, testified in court after Baldwin's wife Deborah sued NASCAR over the incident. The drivers testified Baldwin's car was too fast with a chassis setup that was not appropriate for him. Childress testified that Baldwin made chassis adjustments, while Langley cautioned Baldwin about the chassis alterations. The jury ruled in NASCAR's favour. The seat mount broke, and Baldwin's head hit the wall, from which he would succumb eleven years later. NASCAR made changes to seat mounting for the 1990 season.

Firecracker 400

1. 25-Tim Richmond
2. 1-Sterling Marlin
3. 8-Bobby Hillin Jr.
4. 11-Darrell Waltrip
5. 7-Kyle Petty
6. 15-Ricky Rudd
7. 26-Joe Ruttman
8. 27-Rusty Wallace
9. 66-Phil Parsons
10. 35-Alan Kulwicki

• Dale Earnhardt blew his engine with 7 laps remaining and spun head-on into the wall after the blown engine dumped oil on his back tires. Attempting to avoid the crash, leader Buddy Baker clipped Connie Saylor's car; damaging Baker's car and providing an opening for Richmond.

Summer 500

1. 25-Tim Richmond
2. 15-Ricky Rudd
3. 5-Geoff Bodine
4. 11-Darrell Waltrip
5. 22-Bobby Allison
6. 44-Terry Labonte
7. 3-Dale Earnhardt
8. 7-Kyle Petty -1 lap
9. 18-Tommy Ellis -2 laps
10. 4-Rick Wilson -2 laps

• This race was shortened to 150 laps due to a combination of rain, fog and darkness.
• On lap 121, Tim Richmond, racing with Geoff Bodine and Neil Bonnett, spun out and was hit by Richard Petty exiting Turn 2. His car had both front tires flattened and was in a position so that he could not drive it forwards. Richmond backed the car out, then drove it in reverse nearly 1 mile to his pit. At that point, his crew fixed the car so that he could go forward, but only in high gear. He lost a lap but raced with the leaders until Dale Earnhardt crashed around Lap 140; he beat the leaders to the flag and thus got his lap back. With a long rain delay at the start of the race, a NASCAR rule used until July 2024 stated they would race until NASCAR gave the ten laps remaining indicator from the starter. On Lap 141, officials gave the ten laps remaining indicator because of darkness. Richmond pitted for new tires and then charged through the field after the restart; he passed Bodine on the final lap, but Bodine dove back alongside and the two raced through Turn Three; Bodine got loose and Ricky Rudd stormed three abreast; Richmond won in a photo finish. As the 1990 movie Days of Thunder was based on Richmond, this incident was fictionalised in the said movie.

Talladega 500

1. 8-Bobby Hillin Jr.*
2. 25-Tim Richmond
3. 15-Ricky Rudd*
4. 1-Sterling Marlin
5. 55-Benny Parsons
6. 47-Morgan Shepherd
7. 12-Davey Allison*
8. 26-Joe Ruttman
9. 7-Kyle Petty
10. 22-Bobby Allison -1 lap

• This was Bobby Hillin Jr.'s only career Winston Cup victory.
• The lead changed a season-high 49 times. The race set a motorsports record with 26 leaders, a record broken in 2008.
• Among the race's 26 leaders were Richard Petty, Bill Elliott, Darrell Waltrip, Rodney Combs, Buddy Baker, and Rick Wilson. Cale Yarborough took the lead on the backstretch on lap 107 but Dale Earnhardt beat him to the stripe.
• Ricky Rudd was relieved during the race by Rusty Wallace, who had blown an engine earlier.
• Davey Allison drove the race in place of Neil Bonnett, who was injured in a multi-car wreck at Pocono the previous week; Bonnett worked with CBS Sports as a second color analyst on the telecast of the race.
• Hillin was involved in a five car crash down the backstretch with 25 laps to go when he was drafting race leader Harry Gant; Gant was spun into Phil Parsons and the wreck swept up Darrell Waltrip, Geoff Bodine, and Cale Yarborough.
• Bobby Allison was eliminated while racing Richmond for third; he was hooked by Sterling Marlin and spun into traffic in Turn One; Richmond passed Wallace subbing for Rudd for second while Marlin finished fourth.

Budweiser at The Glen

1. 25-Tim Richmond
2. 11-Darrell Waltrip
3. 3-Dale Earnhardt
4. 9-Bill Elliott
5. 12-Neil Bonnett
6. 27-Rusty Wallace
7. 15-Ricky Rudd
8. 55-Benny Parsons
9. 7-Kyle Petty
10. 43-Richard Petty

• Ribbs withdrew after four engine failures during practice sessions.
• This was the first time a NASCAR race had been run at the track since 1965. However, the 1971 Six Hours configuration was new, as the circuit had moved the pits in the 1971 reconstruction.
• This was Richmond's 4th victory of the season.
• Neil Bonnett returns after sitting out the previous race due to broken ribs. Junior Johnson had Doug Heveron on standby to take over if Bonnett could not run the full race. He would run the full race, running as high as 2nd but eventually settling for 5th.
• Rusty Wallace had to earn his finishing spot the hard way. After taking the lead for three laps from laps 17 to 19, Wallace was black-flagged by NASCAR for leaking oil onto the track. Rejoining the field at the tail-end, Wallace would cut a tire after making contact with the wall, then spun out in turn 5 to bring out a full course caution flag. Despite the setbacks, Wallace would rally to finish 6th.
• Al Unser, Sr. made his first NASCAR start since 1969, driving the #88 Pontiac in place of Buddy Baker. Baker, the car co-owner and regular driver, was the crew chief.

Champion Spark Plug 400

1. 9-Bill Elliott
2. 25-Tim Richmond
3. 11-Darrell Waltrip
4. 5-Geoff Bodine
5. 3-Dale Earnhardt -1 lap
6. 27-Rusty Wallace -1 lap
7. 28-Cale Yarborough -1 lap
8. 33-Harry Gant -1 lap
9. 66-Phil Parsons -1 lap
10. 21-David Pearson* -1 lap

• With this win, Bill Elliott became the 1st driver in NASCAR history to win 4 straight races at one Superspeedway.
• This was David Pearson's last Winston Cup start. He ran as high as 3rd place at one point in the race.
• Buddy Arrington returned to the track where rookie Rick Baldwin, driving Arrington's #67, had suffered injuries that would eventually prove to be fatal in a crash during qualifying for the June event. Arrington would finish 6 laps down in 19th.

Busch 500

1. 11-Darrell Waltrip
2. 44-Terry Labonte
3. 5-Geoff Bodine -1 lap
4. 3-Dale Earnhardt -1 lap
5. 33-Harry Gant -1 lap
6. 25-Tim Richmond -2 laps
7. 43-Richard Petty -3 laps
8. 22-Bobby Allison -4 laps
9. 8-Bobby Hillin Jr. -5 laps
10. 35-Alan Kulwicki -6 laps

• This was the final race for owner of the #35 car Bill Terry. His driver Alan Kulwicki would buy out the team before the next race and be the sports newest owner/driver
• Darrell Waltrip scores his record 10th victory at Bristol.

Southern 500

1. 25-Tim Richmond
2. 22-Bobby Allison
3. 9-Bill Elliott
4. 47-Morgan Shepherd
5. 11-Darrell Waltrip
6. 15-Ricky Rudd
7. 8-Bobby Hillin Jr.
8. 5-Geoff Bodine
9. 3-Dale Earnhardt -1 lap
10. 28-Cale Yarborough -1 lap

• Geoff Bodine was leading with 14 laps left when Bill Elliott passed him coming off of turn 2 on lap 354. Bodine had slowed down due to running out of fuel and was forced to pit for a splash-and-go. Bodine's engine stalled and the car had to be pushed out, dropping him to the tail end of the lead lap. Elliott stretched his lead to a huge margin, but with 7 laps left, he clipped the outside wall in turn 1. Tim Richmond, who had led a race-high 168 laps, caught Elliott going down the front straightaway and passed him for the lead, winning the race by 2 seconds. It was Richmond's 5th win of the season.
• This race was plagued by rain, to the point of the race running on a damp surface and the drivers having to race as if Darlington Raceway was a dirt track.
• Before this race, rookie Alan Kulwicki bought out his owner Bill Terry and became the owner/driver of the #35 car. He would finish in 12th place, 7 laps down in his first owner/driver outing.
• This race insured no one would win the Winston bonus for winning 2 out of 4 crown jewel races.
• The race was red-flagged for 2 hours and 15 minutes after lap 14 due to a rain shower. Because of the delay, ESPN broke away from its TV coverage of the race on Lap 192 to broadcast the final round of the PGA Tour's St. Jude Classic, as originally scheduled. ESPN provided updates on the race during golf coverage and aired the finish live.

Wrangler Jeans Indigo 400

1. 25-Tim Richmond
2. 3-Dale Earnhardt
3. 75-Morgan Shepherd*
4. 43-Richard Petty
5. 12-Neil Bonnett
6. 26-Joe Ruttman
7. 33-Harry Gant
8. 22-Bobby Allison
9. 9-Bill Elliott -1 lap
10. 8-Bobby Hillin Jr. -3 laps

• Morgan Shepherd was hired by RahMoc Enterprises as the driver of the No. 75 Pontiac.
• Tim Richmond had to survive a late race restart because on lap 395 the caution flag flew when Michael Waltrip's entire driveshaft fell out of the car. The race went back under the green flag with 2 laps remaining. Richmond held on by 3 car lengths.
• This was the last Cup Series race to feature less than a 30 car field.

Delaware 500

1. 15-Ricky Rudd
2. 12-Neil Bonnett
3. 7-Kyle Petty
4. 88-Buddy Baker -1 lap
5. 71-Dave Marcis -2 laps
6. 26-Joe Ruttman -2 laps
7. 35-Alan Kulwicki -3 laps
8. 18-Tommy Ellis -4 laps
9. 8-Bobby Hillin Jr. -5 laps
10. 75-Morgan Shepherd -7 laps

• This was Rudd's 1st win on an oval that was 1 mile in length or longer.

Goody's 500

1. 27-Rusty Wallace
2. 5-Geoff Bodine
3. 33-Harry Gant
4. 11-Darrell Waltrip -1 lap
5. 26-Joe Ruttman -1 lap
6. 7-Kyle Petty -1 lap
7. 90-Ken Schrader -2 laps
8. 12-Neil Bonnett -3 laps
9. 71-Dave Marcis -3 laps
10. 25-Tim Richmond -4 laps

• This was Pontiac's 2nd & final victory for 1986.

Holly Farms 400

1. 11-Darrell Waltrip
2. 5-Geoff Bodine
3. 43-Richard Petty
4. 27-Rusty Wallace
5. 33-Harry Gant
6. 26-Joe Ruttman -1 lap
7. 15-Ricky Rudd -1 lap
8. 71-Dave Marcis -1 lap
9. 3-Dale Earnhardt -2 laps
10. 44-Terry Labonte -2 laps

• Geoff Bodine had the dominant car leading the most laps but faded late, losing the lead at lap 390 to Darrell Waltrip, he would pull away to a 1.21 second lead for his final victory of 1986.
• The win was also Waltrip's final race victory with Junior Johnson. Waltrip would join Bodine as Hendrick Motorsports teammates in 1987.

Oakwood Homes 500

1. 3-Dale Earnhardt
2. 33-Harry Gant
3. 12-Neil Bonnett -1 lap
4. 15-Ricky Rudd -1 lap
5. 88-Buddy Baker -1 lap
6. 5-Geoff Bodine -1 lap
7. 9-Bill Elliott -1 lap
8. 27-Rusty Wallace -2 laps
9. 11-Darrell Waltrip -2 laps
10. 66-Phil Parsons -3 laps

• Earnhardt had to work hard for this victory as he at one point in the race lost 2 laps due to separate tire issues.
• The pre-race ceremonies saw several members of marching bands pass out from heat exhaustion due to the warmer than normal for late October temperatures, which soared to around the upper 80s.

Nationwise 500

1. 12-Neil Bonnett
2. 15-Ricky Rudd
3. 11-Darrell Waltrip
4. 33-Harry Gant
5. 88-Buddy Baker
6. 3-Dale Earnhardt -1 lap
7. 9-Bill Elliott -1 lap
8. 43-Richard Petty -1 lap
9. 26-Joe Ruttman -2 laps
10. 7-Kyle Petty -3 laps

• The win was Bonnett's last with Junior Johnson, as he was tabbed to drive for RahMoc Enterprises in 1987.

Atlanta Journal 500

1. 3-Dale Earnhardt*
2. 43-Richard Petty -1 lap
3. 9-Bill Elliott -1 lap
4. 25-Tim Richmond -1 lap
5. 88-Buddy Baker -1 lap
6. 12-Neil Bonnett -1 lap
7. 7-Kyle Petty -2 laps
8. 44-Terry Labonte -2 laps
9. 26-Joe Ruttman -2 laps
10. 66-Phil Parsons -2 laps

• Dale Earnhardt's official margin of victory was 1 lap and an additional 3 seconds.
• By virtue of Darrell Waltrip blowing an engine to finish 39th and Dale Earnhardt winning the race while leading the most laps, Earnhardt clinched his 2nd Winston Cup Championship.

Winston Western 500

1. 25-Tim Richmond
2. 3-Dale Earnhardt
3. 5-Geoff Bodine
4. 11-Darrell Waltrip
5. 26-Joe Ruttman
6. 8-Bobby Hillin Jr.
7. 22-Bobby Allison
8. 27-Rusty Wallace
9. 12-Neil Bonnett -1 lap
10. 44-Terry Labonte -1 lap

• Going into the race, Dale Earnhardt had already clinched the Winston Cup championship. The attention shifted to the battle for second in the championship. Polesitter Tim Richmond needed to finish five positions higher than Darrell Waltrip to move into second. Richmond went on to win the race. However, Waltrip managed 4th place, which secured himself second in the championship, by 6 points over Richmond.
• This was the last race that both Darrell Waltrip and Neil Bonnett drove for Junior Johnson. Waltrip agreed to join Hendrick Motorsports in 1987 as a third car along with Bodine and Richmond, while Bonnett returned to RahMoc Enterprises to pilot the #75 Valvoline Pontiac after having previously driven for them during the 1983 season. Terry Labonte replaced Waltrip in the #11 car while the #12 team was dissolved and would reappear in 1991 as the #22 Maxwell House Ford Thunderbird with then journeyman driver Sterling Marlin behind the wheel.
• This was Al Unser's final NASCAR start. He would devote the rest of his career to CART.
• This marked the final time where Riverside would close the Cup season. Beginning in 1987 and lasting until 2000, the season finale would be at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Winston Cup Final Standings

Rookie of the Year