# 1996 TranSouth Financial 400

The 1996 TranSouth Financial 400 was the fifth stock car race of the 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 40th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, March 24, 1996, in Darlington, South Carolina, at Darlington Raceway, a 1.366 miles (2.198 km) permanent egg-shaped oval racetrack. The race took the scheduled 293 laps to complete. With seven laps to go, Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon would manage to take advantage of a disaster-stricken Dale Jarrett and pull away to take his 11th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte and Larry Hedrick Motorsports driver Ricky Craven would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

Darlington Raceway is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. It is nicknamed "The Lady in Black" and "The Track Too Tough to Tame" by many NASCAR fans and drivers and advertised as "A NASCAR Tradition." It is of a unique, somewhat egg-shaped design, an oval with the ends of very different configurations, a condition which supposedly arose from the proximity of one end of the track to a minnow pond the owner refused to relocate. This situation makes it very challenging for the crews to set up their cars' handling in a way that is effective at both ends.

### 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 |
| 02 | Robbie Faggart | Miles Motorsports | Chevrolet | Miles Motorsports |
| 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 | Mane 'n Tail |
| 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 | Dick Trickle | 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 |
| 27 | Elton Sawyer | David Blair Motorsports | Ford | David Blair Motorsports |
| 28 | Ernie Irvan | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Texaco, Havoline |
| 29 | Steve Grissom | 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 Silver Bullet |
| 43 | Bobby Hamilton | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | STP |
| 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | Prodigy |
| 75 | Morgan Shepherd | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | Remington Arms |
| 77 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 78 | Randy MacDonald | Triad Motorsports | Ford | Diamond Rio |
| 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 | Mike Wallace | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Heilig-Meyers |
| 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | McDonald's |
| 95 | Chuck Bown | 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 held on Friday, March 22, at 3:00 PM EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. 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 Saturday, March 23, at 11:30 AM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap 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.
Ward Burton, driving for Bill Davis Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 28.295 and an average speed of 173.797 miles per hour (279.699 km/h).
Three drivers would fail to qualify: Chuck Bown, Randy MacDonald, and Robbie Faggart.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 28.295 | 173.797 |
| 2 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.325 | 173.613 |
| 3 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 28.527 | 172.384 |
| 4 | 75 | Morgan Shepherd | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 28.640 | 171.704 |
| 5 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 28.652 | 171.632 |
| 6 | 25 | Ken Schrader | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.657 | 171.602 |
| 7 | 81 | Kenny Wallace | FILMAR Racing | Ford | 28.686 | 171.429 |
| 8 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 28.687 | 171.423 |
| 9 | 98 | Jeremy Mayfield | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | 28.704 | 171.321 |
| 10 | 27 | Elton Sawyer | David Blair Motorsports | Ford | 28.705 | 171.315 |
| 11 | 1 | Rick Mast | Precision Products Racing | Pontiac | 28.708 | 171.297 |
| 12 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Travis Carter Enterprises | Ford | 28.731 | 171.160 |
| 13 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 28.732 | 171.154 |
| 14 | 41 | Ricky Craven | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.746 | 171.071 |
| 15 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 28.746 | 171.071 |
| 16 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.747 | 171.065 |
| 17 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.749 | 171.053 |
| 18 | 16 | Ted Musgrave | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.758 | 170.999 |
| 19 | 7 | Geoff Bodine | Geoff Bodine Racing | Ford | 28.779 | 170.875 |
| 20 | 12 | Derrike Cope | Bobby Allison Motorsports | Ford | 28.782 | 170.857 |
| 21 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.804 | 170.726 |
| 22 | 19 | Dick Trickle | TriStar Motorsports | Ford | 28.805 | 170.720 |
| 23 | 43 | Bobby Hamilton | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 28.809 | 170.697 |
| 24 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 28.826 | 170.596 |
| 25 | 9 | Lake Speed | Melling Racing | Ford | 28.828 | 170.584 |
| Failed to lock in Round 1 |||||||
| 26 | 77 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 28.842 | 170.502 |
| 27 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 28.891 | 170.212 |
| 28 | 29 | Steve Grissom | Diamond Ridge Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.963 | 169.789 |
| 29 | 21 | Michael Waltrip | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 28.972 | 169.736 |
| 30 | 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Darrell Waltrip Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.972 | 169.736 |
| 31 | 33 | Robert Pressley | Leo Jackson Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.985 | 169.660 |
| 32 | 28 | Ernie Irvan | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 28.987 | 169.648 |
| 33 | 4 | Sterling Marlin | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.000 | 169.572 |
| 34 | 8 | Hut Stricklin | Stavola Brothers Racing | Ford | 29.016 | 169.479 |
| 35 | 37 | John Andretti | Kranefuss-Haas Racing | Ford | 29.034 | 169.374 |
| 36 | 15 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 29.053 | 169.263 |
| 37 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 29.059 | 169.228 |
| 38 | 30 | Johnny Benson Jr. (R) | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 29.079 | 169.112 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 39 | 42 | Kyle Petty | Team SABCO | Pontiac | -* | -* |
| 40 | 87 | Joe Nemechek | NEMCO Motorsports | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 41 | 90 | Mike Wallace | Donlavey Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 42 | 95 | Chuck Bown | Sadler Brothers Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| 43 | 78 | Randy MacDonald | Triad Motorsports | Ford | -* | -* |
| 44 | 02 | Robbie Faggart | Miles Motorsports | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| Official first round qualifying results |||||||
| Official starting lineup |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 2 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 293 | 189 | running | 185 | $97,310 |
| 2 | 13 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 293 | 38 | running | 175 | $57,550 |
| 3 | 14 | 41 | Ricky Craven | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 293 | 0 | running | 165 | $46,690 |
| 4 | 8 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 293 | 0 | running | 160 | $29,480 |
| 5 | 17 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 293 | 0 | running | 155 | $34,325 |
| 6 | 16 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 293 | 0 | running | 150 | $31,275 |
| 7 | 18 | 16 | Ted Musgrave | Roush Racing | Ford | 293 | 0 | running | 146 | $25,695 |
| 8 | 4 | 75 | Morgan Shepherd | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 292 | 0 | running | 142 | $17,565 |
| 9 | 24 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 292 | 0 | running | 138 | $27,560 |
| 10 | 21 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 292 | 15 | running | 139 | $15,055 |
| 11 | 33 | 4 | Sterling Marlin | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 292 | 20 | running | 135 | $30,800 |
| 12 | 39 | 42 | Kyle Petty | Team SABCO | Pontiac | 292 | 0 | running | 127 | $22,870 |
| 13 | 5 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 292 | 0 | running | 124 | $22,585 |
| 14 | 27 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 292 | 1 | running | 126 | $28,080 |
| 15 | 3 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 291 | 10 | out of gas | 123 | $22,950 |
| 16 | 23 | 43 | Bobby Hamilton | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 291 | 0 | out of gas | 115 | $21,905 |
| 17 | 7 | 81 | Kenny Wallace | FILMAR Racing | Ford | 291 | 0 | running | 112 | $10,550 |
| 18 | 9 | 98 | Jeremy Mayfield | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | 291 | 0 | running | 109 | $14,515 |
| 19 | 11 | 1 | Rick Mast | Precision Products Racing | Pontiac | 290 | 0 | running | 106 | $21,270 |
| 20 | 34 | 8 | Hut Stricklin | Stavola Brothers Racing | Ford | 290 | 0 | running | 103 | $15,690 |
| 21 | 41 | 90 | Mike Wallace | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 289 | 0 | running | 100 | $13,670 |
| 22 | 19 | 7 | Geoff Bodine | Geoff Bodine Racing | Ford | 289 | 0 | running | 97 | $20,450 |
| 23 | 37 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 289 | 1 | running | 99 | $13,205 |
| 24 | 38 | 30 | Johnny Benson Jr. (R) | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 288 | 0 | handling | 91 | $21,485 |
| 25 | 25 | 9 | Lake Speed | Melling Racing | Ford | 283 | 0 | out of gas | 88 | $19,965 |
| 26 | 28 | 29 | Steve Grissom | Diamond Ridge Motorsports | Chevrolet | 282 | 0 | running | 85 | $19,550 |
| 27 | 15 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 281 | 0 | engine | 82 | $19,385 |
| 28 | 6 | 25 | Ken Schrader | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 281 | 0 | running | 79 | $19,225 |
| 29 | 29 | 21 | Michael Waltrip | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 277 | 0 | running | 76 | $19,115 |
| 30 | 10 | 27 | Elton Sawyer | David Blair Motorsports | Ford | 268 | 0 | out of gas | 73 | $9,080 |
| 31 | 40 | 87 | Joe Nemechek | NEMCO Motorsports | Chevrolet | 242 | 0 | handling | 70 | $16,020 |
| 32 | 12 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Travis Carter Enterprises | Ford | 233 | 0 | running | 67 | $15,985 |
| 33 | 32 | 28 | Ernie Irvan | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 230 | 0 | running | 64 | $23,895 |
| 34 | 30 | 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Darrell Waltrip Motorsports | Chevrolet | 203 | 0 | handling | 61 | $15,860 |
| 35 | 22 | 19 | Dick Trickle | TriStar Motorsports | Ford | 165 | 0 | handling | 58 | $8,825 |
| 36 | 31 | 33 | Robert Pressley | Leo Jackson Motorsports | Chevrolet | 161 | 12 | crash | 60 | 15,790 |
| 37 | 36 | 15 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 152 | 0 | crash | 52 | $15,776 |
| 38 | 1 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 137 | 7 | crash | 54 | $29,029 |
| 39 | 20 | 12 | Derrike Cope | Bobby Allison Motorsports | Ford | 130 | 0 | engine | 46 | $15,654 |
| 40 | 35 | 37 | John Andretti | Kranefuss-Haas Racing | Ford | 87 | 0 | crash | 43 | $15,654 |
| 41 | 26 | 77 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 29 | 0 | crash | 40 | $9,279 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 42 | | 95 | Chuck Bown | Sadler Brothers Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| 43 | | 78 | Randy MacDonald | Triad Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 44 | | 02 | Robbie Faggart | Miles Motorsports | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||