# 1996 Pepsi 400

The 1996 Pepsi 400 was the 15th stock car race of the 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 38th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, July 6, 1996, in Daytona Beach, Florida at Daytona International Speedway, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) permanent triangular-shaped superspeedway. The race was shortened from its scheduled 160 laps to 117 laps due to rain. After suffering an ignition failure in the middle of the race, Morgan–McClure Motorsports driver Sterling Marlin was able to come back through the field and dominate a majority of the race when the race ended due to the rain. The win was Marlin's sixth career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second and final victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Terry Labonte and Jeff Gordon, both drivers for Hendrick Motorsports, would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

Daytona International Speedway is one of three superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the other two being Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. The standard track at Daytona International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long. The track's turns are banked at 31 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at 18 degrees.

### Entry list

* (R) denotes rookie driver.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 1 | Rick Mast | Precision Products Racing | Pontiac | Hooters |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | Miller |
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench Service Plus |
| 4 | Sterling Marlin | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kodak |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kellogg's Frosted Flakes |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Valvoline |
| 7 | Geoff Bodine | Geoff Bodine Racing | Ford | QVC |
| 8 | Hut Stricklin | Stavola Brothers Racing | Ford | Circuit City |
| 9 | Lake Speed | Melling Racing | Ford | Spam |
| 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | Tide |
| 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | Lowe's |
| 12 | Derrike Cope | Bobby Allison Motorsports | Ford | Badcock Home Furniture |
| 15 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | Hayes Modems |
| 16 | Ted Musgrave | Roush Racing | Ford | PrimeStar, The Family Channel |
| 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Darrell Waltrip Motorsports | Chevrolet | Parts America |
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | Interstate Batteries |
| 19 | Loy Allen Jr. | TriStar Motorsports | Ford | HealthSource RI |
| 21 | Michael Waltrip | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Citgo |
| 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | MBNA |
| 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Camel Cigarettes |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | DuPont |
| 25 | Ken Schrader | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Budweiser, 1996 Summer Olympics |
| 28 | Ernie Irvan | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Texaco, Havoline |
| 29 | Greg Sacks | Diamond Ridge Motorsports | Chevrolet | Cartoon Network, The Flintstones |
| 30 | Johnny Benson Jr. (R) | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | Pennzoil |
| 33 | Robert Pressley | Leo Jackson Motorsports | Chevrolet | Skoal |
| 37 | Jeremy Mayfield | Kranefuss-Haas Racing | Ford | Kmart, Little Caesars |
| 41 | Ricky Craven | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kodiak |
| 42 | Kyle Petty | Team SABCO | Pontiac | Coors Light, Independence Day |
| 43 | Bobby Hamilton | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | STP |
| 44 | Jeff Purvis | Phoenix Racing | Chevrolet | David Lee Murphy |
| 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | Prodigy 800 Starts |
| 75 | Morgan Shepherd | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | Stren Fishing Lines, Remington Arms |
| 77 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 81 | Kenny Wallace | FILMAR Racing | Ford | Square D, TIC Financial Systems |
| 87 | Joe Nemechek | NEMCO Motorsports | Chevrolet | Burger King |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Quality Care Service, Ford Credit |
| 90 | Dick Trickle | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Heilig-Meyers |
| 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | McDonald's |
| 95 | Gary Bradberry | Sadler Brothers Racing | Ford | Shoney's Inn |
| 98 | Jeremy Mayfield | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | RCA |
| 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | Exide |

## Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was scheduled to be held on Thursday, July 4, at 2:30 PM EST. However, only nine drivers were able to set a lap before qualifying was rained out and postponed until Friday, July 5, at 9:00 AM EST. Each driver would have two laps to set a time, the fastest of which would count as their qualifying lap. During the first round, the top 25 drivers in the round would be 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 5, at 1:00 PM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have two laps to set a time. For this specific race, positions 26-38 would be 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.
Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would win the pole, setting a time of 47.652 and an average speed of 188.869 miles per hour (303.955 km/h).
No drivers would fail to qualify.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 47.652 | 188.869 |
| 2 | 4 | Sterling Marlin | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 48.075 | 187.207 |
| 3 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 48.117 | 187.044 |
| 4 | 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Darrell Waltrip Motorsports | Chevrolet | 48.186 | 186.776 |
| 5 | 30 | Johnny Benson Jr. (R) | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 48.218 | 186.652 |
| 6 | 44 | Jeff Purvis | Phoenix Racing | Chevrolet | 48.264 | 186.474 |
| 7 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 48.281 | 186.409 |
| 8 | 25 | Ken Schrader | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 48.352 | 186.135 |
| 9 | 9 | Lake Speed | Melling Racing | Ford | 48.361 | 186.100 |
| 10 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 48.370 | 186.066 |
| 11 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 48.376 | 186.043 |
| 12 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 48.384 | 186.012 |
| 13 | 90 | Dick Trickle | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 48.402 | 185.943 |
| 14 | 28 | Ernie Irvan | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 48.413 | 185.900 |
| 15 | 8 | Hut Stricklin | Stavola Brothers Racing | Ford | 48.414 | 185.897 |
| 16 | 33 | Robert Pressley | Leo Jackson Motorsports | Chevrolet | 48.498 | 185.575 |
| 17 | 12 | Derrike Cope | Bobby Allison Motorsports | Ford | 48.502 | 185.559 |
| 18 | 75 | Morgan Shepherd | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 48.541 | 185.410 |
| 19 | 43 | Bobby Hamilton | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 48.543 | 185.403 |
| 20 | 87 | Joe Nemechek | NEMCO Motorsports | Chevrolet | 48.547 | 185.387 |
| 21 | 81 | Kenny Wallace | FILMAR Racing | Ford | 48.576 | 185.277 |
| 22 | 37 | John Andretti | Kranefuss-Haas Racing | Ford | 48.582 | 185.254 |
| 23 | 21 | Michael Waltrip | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 48.603 | 185.174 |
| 24 | 98 | Jeremy Mayfield | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | 48.703 | 184.794 |
| 25 | 41 | Ricky Craven | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 48.717 | 184.740 |
| Failed to lock in Round 1 |||||||
| 26 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 48.286 | 186.389 |
| 27 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Travis Carter Enterprises | Ford | 48.735 | 184.672 |
| 28 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 48.738 | 184.661 |
| 29 | 95 | Gary Bradberry | Sadler Brothers Racing | Ford | 48.823 | 184.339 |
| 30 | 29 | Greg Sacks | Diamond Ridge Motorsports | Chevrolet | 48.828 | 184.320 |
| 31 | 77 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 48.858 | 184.207 |
| 32 | 1 | Rick Mast | Precision Products Racing | Pontiac | 48.891 | 184.083 |
| 33 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 48.941 | 183.895 |
| 34 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 48.976 | 183.763 |
| 35 | 15 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 48.985 | 183.730 |
| 36 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 49.012 | 183.628 |
| 37 | 42 | Kyle Petty | Team SABCO | Pontiac | 49.035 | 183.542 |
| 38 | 16 | Ted Musgrave | Roush Racing | Ford | 49.086 | 183.352 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 39 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | -* | -* |
| 40 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| 41 | 7 | Geoff Bodine | Geoff Bodine Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| 42 | 19 | Loy Allen Jr. | TriStar Motorsports | Ford | -* | -* |
| Official starting lineup |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 2 | 4 | Sterling Marlin | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 117 | 88 | running | 185 | $106,565 |
| 2 | 12 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 117 | 0 | running | 170 | $63,335 |
| 3 | 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 117 | 7 | running | 170 | $63,735 |
| 4 | 7 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 117 | 0 | running | 160 | $97,960 |
| 5 | 14 | 28 | Ernie Irvan | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 117 | 0 | running | 155 | $44,210 |
| 6 | 3 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 117 | 14 | running | 155 | $30,910 |
| 7 | 23 | 21 | Michael Waltrip | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 117 | 6 | running | 151 | $33,760 |
| 8 | 8 | 25 | Ken Schrader | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 117 | 1 | running | 147 | $31,660 |
| 9 | 36 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 117 | 0 | running | 138 | $37,760 |
| 10 | 27 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Travis Carter Enterprises | Ford | 117 | 0 | running | 134 | $31,310 |
| 11 | 40 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 117 | 0 | running | 130 | $34,095 |
| 12 | 35 | 15 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 117 | 0 | running | 127 | $27,990 |
| 13 | 38 | 16 | Ted Musgrave | Roush Racing | Ford | 117 | 0 | running | 124 | $27,600 |
| 14 | 33 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 117 | 0 | running | 121 | $20,260 |
| 15 | 18 | 75 | Morgan Shepherd | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 117 | 0 | running | 118 | $20,920 |
| 16 | 19 | 43 | Bobby Hamilton | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 117 | 0 | running | 115 | $26,530 |
| 17 | 16 | 33 | Robert Pressley | Leo Jackson Motorsports | Chevrolet | 117 | 0 | running | 112 | $26,190 |
| 18 | 20 | 87 | Joe Nemechek | NEMCO Motorsports | Chevrolet | 117 | 0 | running | 109 | $25,875 |
| 19 | 15 | 8 | Hut Stricklin | Stavola Brothers Racing | Ford | 117 | 0 | running | 106 | $18,535 |
| 20 | 32 | 1 | Rick Mast | Precision Products Racing | Pontiac | 117 | 0 | running | 103 | $25,670 |
| 21 | 6 | 44 | Jeff Purvis | Phoenix Racing | Chevrolet | 117 | 0 | running | 100 | $14,550 |
| 22 | 25 | 41 | Ricky Craven | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 117 | 0 | running | 97 | $24,730 |
| 23 | 22 | 37 | John Andretti | Kranefuss-Haas Racing | Ford | 117 | 0 | running | 94 | $24,460 |
| 24 | 37 | 42 | Kyle Petty | Team SABCO | Pontiac | 117 | 1 | running | 96 | $24,240 |
| 25 | 5 | 30 | Johnny Benson Jr. (R) | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 117 | 0 | running | 88 | $25,195 |
| 26 | 4 | 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Darrell Waltrip Motorsports | Chevrolet | 117 | 0 | running | 85 | $23,835 |
| 27 | 24 | 98 | Jeremy Mayfield | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | 117 | 0 | running | 82 | $16,180 |
| 28 | 13 | 90 | Dick Trickle | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 117 | 0 | running | 79 | $13,560 |
| 29 | 9 | 9 | Lake Speed | Melling Racing | Ford | 116 | 0 | running | 76 | $20,465 |
| 30 | 42 | 19 | Loy Allen Jr. | TriStar Motorsports | Ford | 116 | 0 | running | 73 | $13,370 |
| 31 | 11 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 116 | 0 | running | 70 | $28,315 |
| 32 | 31 | 77 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 116 | 0 | running | 67 | $13,285 |
| 33 | 39 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 116 | 0 | running | 64 | $28,255 |
| 34 | 41 | 7 | Geoff Bodine | Geoff Bodine Racing | Ford | 116 | 0 | running | 61 | $20,225 |
| 35 | 29 | 95 | Gary Bradberry | Sadler Brothers Racing | Ford | 116 | 0 | running | 58 | $13,195 |
| 36 | 26 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 115 | 0 | running | 55 | $13,665 |
| 37 | 28 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 109 | 0 | running | 52 | $20,136 |
| 38 | 21 | 81 | Kenny Wallace | FILMAR Racing | Ford | 100 | 0 | crash | 49 | $13,090 |
| 39 | 30 | 29 | Greg Sacks | Diamond Ridge Motorsports | Chevrolet | 95 | 0 | crash | 46 | $20,090 |
| 40 | 10 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 95 | 0 | engine | 43 | $29,090 |
| 41 | 34 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 95 | 0 | running | 40 | $28,090 |
| 42 | 17 | 12 | Derrike Cope | Bobby Allison Motorsports | Ford | 63 | 0 | engine | 37 | $20,090 |
| Official race results |||||||||||