# 1986 Sovran Bank 500

The 1986 Sovran Bank 500 was the eighth stock car race of the 1986 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 37th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, April 27, 1986, before an audience of 38,500 in Martinsville, Virginia at Martinsville Speedway, a 0.526 miles (0.847 km) permanent oval-shaped short track. The race took the scheduled 500 laps to complete.
In a race of attrition, Bud Moore Engineering's Ricky Rudd took advantage of numerous mechanical failures given to other drivers during the race, lapping the field and leading the final 149 laps. The victory was Rudd's fifth career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his first victory of the season. To fill out the top three, King Racing's Joe Ruttman and Hagan Enterprises' Terry Labonte finished second and third, respectively.

## Background

Martinsville Speedway is a NASCAR-owned stock car racing track located in Henry County, in Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At 0.526 miles (0.847 km) in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in NASCAR, being built in 1947 by H. Clay Earles. It is also the only remaining race track that has been on the NASCAR circuit from its beginning in 1948.

### Entry list

* (R) denotes rookie driver.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Wrangler |
| 5 | Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Levi Garrett |
| 6 | Trevor Boys | U.S. Racing | Chevrolet | U.S. Racing |
| 7 | Kyle Petty | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 7-Eleven |
| 8 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Stavola Brothers Racing | Chevrolet | Miller American |
| 9 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | Ford | Coors |
| 11 | Darrell Waltrip | Junior Johnson & Associates | Chevrolet | Budweiser |
| 12 | Neil Bonnett | Junior Johnson & Associates | Chevrolet | Budweiser |
| 15 | Ricky Rudd | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | Motorcraft Quality Parts |
| 17 | Doug Heveron | Hamby Racing | Chevrolet | Hesco Exhaust Systems |
| 18 | Tommy Ellis | Freedlander Motorsports | Chevrolet | Freedlander Financial |
| 19 | Mike Skinner | Zanworth Racing Team | Pontiac | Zanworth Racing Team |
| 22 | Bobby Allison | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | Miller American |
| 23 | Michael Waltrip (R) | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | Hawaiian Punch |
| 25 | Tim Richmond | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Folgers |
| 26 | Joe Ruttman | King Racing | Buick | Quaker State |
| 27 | Rusty Wallace | Blue Max Racing | Pontiac | Alugard |
| 33 | Harry Gant | Mach 1 Racing | Chevrolet | Skoal Bandit |
| 35 | Alan Kulwicki (R) | AK Racing | Ford | Quincy's Steakhouse |
| 41 | Ronnie Thomas | Ronnie Thomas Racing | Chevrolet | Ronnie Thomas Racing |
| 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | STP |
| 44 | Terry Labonte | Hagan Enterprises | Oldsmobile | Piedmont Airlines |
| 48 | Jerry Cranmer | Hylton Motorsports | Chevrolet | Hylton Motorsports |
| 52 | Jimmy Means | Jimmy Means Racing | Pontiac | Jimmy Means Racing |
| 64 | Rick Baldwin | Langley Racing | Ford | Sunny King Ford |
| 67 | Buddy Arrington | Arrington Racing | Ford | Pannill Sweatshirts |
| 70 | J. D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | Pontiac | Rumple Furniture |
| 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Pontiac | Helen Rae Special |
| 75 | Jody Ridley | RahMoc Enterprises | Ford | Nationwise Automotive |
| 79 | Derrike Cope | Razore Racing | Ford | Peterbilt |
| 87 | Bryan Baker | Buck Baker Racing | Oldsmobile | Bull Frog Knits |
| 90 | Ken Schrader | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Red Baron Frozen Pizza |
| 94 | Morgan Shepherd | Eller Racing | Pontiac | Kodak Film |

## Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Thursday, April 24, at 1:30 PM EST. Each driver had one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 10 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, April 25, at 1:30 PM EST. As with the first round, each driver had one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 11-30 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 were given.
Tim Richmond, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, won the pole, setting a time of 20.893 and an average speed of 90.716 miles per hour (145.993 km/h) in the first round.
Two drivers failed to qualify.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 25 | Tim Richmond | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.893 | 90.716 |
| 2 | 11 | Darrell Waltrip | Junior Johnson & Associates | Chevrolet | 20.986 | 90.318 |
| 3 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 20.987 | 90.313 |
| 4 | 15 | Ricky Rudd | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 21.048 | 90.051 |
| 5 | 27 | Rusty Wallace | Blue Max Racing | Pontiac | 21.065 | 89.979 |
| 6 | 5 | Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 21.083 | 89.902 |
| 7 | 44 | Terry Labonte | Hagan Enterprises | Oldsmobile | 21.111 | 89.782 |
| 8 | 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 21.123 | 89.731 |
| 9 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | Ford | 21.154 | 89.600 |
| 10 | 26 | Joe Ruttman | King Racing | Buick | 21.238 | 89.245 |
| Failed to lock in Round 1 |||||||
| 11 | 22 | Bobby Allison | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 21.222 | 89.312 |
| 12 | 7 | Kyle Petty | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 21.300 | 88.985 |
| 13 | 75 | Jody Ridley | RahMoc Enterprises | Pontiac | 21.312 | 88.935 |
| 14 | 18 | Tommy Ellis | Freedlander Motorsports | Chevrolet | 21.345 | 88.797 |
| 15 | 33 | Harry Gant | Mach 1 Racing | Chevrolet | 21.350 | 88.776 |
| 16 | 35 | Alan Kulwicki (R) | AK Racing | Ford | 21.351 | 88.772 |
| 17 | 79 | Derrike Cope | Razore Racing | Ford | 21.388 | 88.618 |
| 18 | 12 | Neil Bonnett | Junior Johnson & Associates | Chevrolet | 21.401 | 88.565 |
| 19 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 21.404 | 88.552 |
| 20 | 90 | Ken Schrader | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 21.408 | 88.536 |
| 21 | 94 | Morgan Shepherd | Eller Racing | Pontiac | 21.438 | 88.412 |
| 22 | 64 | Jimmy Hensley | Langley Racing | Ford | 21.446 | 88.379 |
| 23 | 8 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 21.454 | 88.346 |
| 24 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Arrington Racing | Ford | 21.504 | 88.140 |
| 25 | 23 | Michael Waltrip (R) | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 21.527 | 88.046 |
| 26 | 17 | Doug Heveron | Hamby Racing | Chevrolet | 21.533 | 88.021 |
| 27 | 19 | Mike Skinner | Zanworth Racing Team | Pontiac | 21.580 | 87.829 |
| 28 | 6 | Trevor Boys | U.S. Racing | Chevrolet | 21.588 | 87.797 |
| 29 | 70 | J. D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | Pontiac | 21.680 | 87.424 |
| 30 | 48 | Jerry Cranmer | Hylton Motorsports | Chevrolet | 21.689 | 87.388 |
| Provisional |||||||
| 31 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Jimmy Means Racing | Pontiac | 21.906 | 86.522 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 32 | 41 | Ronnie Thomas | Ronnie Thomas Racing | Chevrolet | 21.911 | 86.422 |
| 33 | 87 | Bryan Baker | Buck Baker Racing | Oldsmobile | 22.004 | 86.139 |
| Official first round qualifying results |||||||
| Official starting lineup |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 4 | 15 | Ricky Rudd | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 500 | 163 | running | 185 | $40,850 |
| 2 | 10 | 26 | Joe Ruttman | King Racing | Buick | 499 | 0 | running | 170 | $17,325 |
| 3 | 7 | 44 | Terry Labonte | Hagan Enterprises | Oldsmobile | 496 | 0 | running | 165 | $17,125 |
| 4 | 16 | 35 | Alan Kulwicki (R) | AK Racing | Ford | 496 | 0 | running | 160 | $8,350 |
| 5 | 12 | 7 | Kyle Petty | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 496 | 0 | running | 155 | $11,050 |
| 6 | 23 | 8 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 495 | 0 | running | 150 | $7,680 |
| 7 | 20 | 90 | Ken Schrader | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 493 | 0 | running | 146 | $7,830 |
| 8 | 11 | 22 | Bobby Allison | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 492 | 0 | running | 142 | $6,710 |
| 9 | 17 | 79 | Derrike Cope | Razore Racing | Ford | 489 | 0 | running | 138 | $2,350 |
| 10 | 13 | 75 | Jody Ridley | RahMoc Enterprises | Pontiac | 487 | 0 | running | 134 | $6,620 |
| 11 | 25 | 23 | Michael Waltrip (R) | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 484 | 0 | running | 130 | $2,070 |
| 12 | 31 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Jimmy Means Racing | Pontiac | 479 | 0 | running | 127 | $5,000 |
| 13 | 30 | 48 | Jerry Cranmer | Hylton Motorsports | Chevrolet | 465 | 0 | running | 124 | $4,790 |
| 14 | 28 | 6 | Trevor Boys | U.S. Racing | Chevrolet | 465 | 0 | running | 121 | $4,580 |
| 15 | 24 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Arrington Racing | Ford | 464 | 0 | engine | 118 | $6,120 |
| 16 | 19 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 463 | 0 | running | 115 | $4,245 |
| 17 | 6 | 5 | Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 455 | 1 | engine | 117 | $7,280 |
| 18 | 29 | 70 | J. D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | Pontiac | 429 | 0 | running | 109 | $4,035 |
| 19 | 21 | 94 | Morgan Shepherd | Eller Racing | Pontiac | 381 | 0 | running | 106 | $1,525 |
| 20 | 1 | 25 | Tim Richmond | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 372 | 13 | running | 108 | $7,440 |
| 21 | 3 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 347 | 102 | engine | 105 | $9,915 |
| 22 | 27 | 19 | Mike Skinner | Zanworth Racing Team | Pontiac | 344 | 0 | running | 97 | $1,205 |
| 23 | 22 | 64 | Jimmy Hensley | Langley Racing | Ford | 326 | 0 | oil pressure | 94 | $3,375 |
| 24 | 14 | 18 | Tommy Ellis | Freedlander Motorsports | Chevrolet | 301 | 36 | engine | 96 | $1,185 |
| 25 | 15 | 33 | Harry Gant | Mach 1 Racing | Chevrolet | 292 | 83 | engine | 93 | $9,075 |
| 26 | 18 | 12 | Neil Bonnett | Junior Johnson & Associates | Chevrolet | 267 | 5 | engine | 90 | $8,265 |
| 27 | 2 | 11 | Darrell Waltrip | Junior Johnson & Associates | Chevrolet | 241 | 97 | engine | 87 | $12,155 |
| 28 | 8 | 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 202 | 0 | axle | 79 | $3,315 |
| 29 | 26 | 17 | Doug Heveron | Hamby Racing | Chevrolet | 78 | 0 | fan belt | 76 | $3,295 |
| 30 | 5 | 27 | Rusty Wallace | Blue Max Racing | Pontiac | 56 | 0 | engine | 73 | $7,125 |
| 31 | 9 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | Ford | 42 | 0 | engine | 70 | $9,025 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 32 | | 41 | Ronnie Thomas | Ronnie Thomas Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 33 | | 87 | Bryan Baker | Buck Baker Racing | Oldsmobile | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||

## Standings after the race

| | Pos | Driver | Points |
| | 1 | Darrell Waltrip | 1,247 |
| | 2 | Dale Earnhardt | 1,242 (-5) |
| 2 | 3 | Terry Labonte | 1,113 (-134) |
| 1 | 4 | Rusty Wallace | 1,092 (–155) |
| 1 | 5 | Kyle Petty | 1,082 (–165) |
| 2 | 6 | Bill Elliott | 1,040 (–207) |
| 1 | 7 | Bobby Allison | 1,018 (–229) |
| 1 | 8 | Tim Richmond | 1,008 (–239) |
| | 9 | Geoff Bodine | 1,000 (–247) |
| 2 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | 987 (–260) |
| Official driver's standings ||||