# 1996 UAW-GM Quality 500

The 1996 UAW-GM Quality 500 was the 28th stock car race of the 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 37th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, October 6, 1996, in Concord, North Carolina, at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent quad-oval. The race took the scheduled 334 laps to complete. In the late stages of the race, Hendrick Motorsports driver Terry Labonte would manage to make a late-race charge to the front, managing to close and come within one point of teammate Jeff Gordon in the point standings after a late season slump by Gordon. The win was Labonte's 18th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second and final victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Roush Racing driver Mark Martin and Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, as well as the UAW-GM Quality 500. The speedway was built in 1959 by Bruton Smith and is considered the home track for NASCAR with many race teams located in the Charlotte area. The track is owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI) with Marcus G. Smith (son of Bruton Smith) as track president.

### Entry list

* (R) denotes rookie driver.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 0 | Delma Cowart | H. L. Waters Racing | Ford | Masters Inn Economy |
| 1 | Rick Mast | Precision Products Racing | Pontiac | Hooters |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | Miller Silver Splash |
| 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 | Badcock Home Furniture |
| 14 | Robby Gordon | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Racing for Kids |
| 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 |
| 27 | Todd Bodine | David Blair Motorsports | Ford | David Blair Motorsports |
| 28 | Ernie Irvan | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Texaco, Havoline |
| 29 | Chad Little | 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 |
| 40 | Greg Sacks | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | First Union |
| 41 | Ricky Craven | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kodiak |
| 42 | Kyle Petty | Team SABCO | Pontiac | Coors Light |
| 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 | Billy Standridge | 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 | 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 |
| 97 | Chad Little | Mark Rypien Motorsports | Pontiac | Sterling Cowboy |
| 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 Wednesday, October 2, 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 Thursday, October 3, at 1:30 PM 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.
Bobby Labonte, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 29.337 and an average speed of 184.068 miles per hour (296.229 km/h).
Five drivers would fail to qualify: Joe Nemechek, Gary Bradberry, Dave Marcis, Robbie Faggart, and Delma Cowart.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 29.337 | 184.068 |
| 2 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.577 | 182.574 |
| 3 | 37 | Jeremy Mayfield | Kranefuss-Haas Racing | Ford | 29.597 | 182.451 |
| 4 | 43 | Bobby Hamilton | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 29.626 | 182.272 |
| 5 | 27 | Todd Bodine | David Blair Motorsports | Ford | 29.626 | 182.272 |
| 6 | 29 | Jeff Green | Diamond Ridge Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.628 | 182.260 |
| 7 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.635 | 182.217 |
| 8 | 41 | Ricky Craven | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.679 | 181.947 |
| 9 | 28 | Ernie Irvan | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.695 | 181.849 |
| 10 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.716 | 181.720 |
| 11 | 21 | Michael Waltrip | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 29.718 | 181.708 |
| 12 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.730 | 181.635 |
| 13 | 14 | Robby Gordon | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.731 | 181.629 |
| 14 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 29.736 | 181.598 |
| 15 | 75 | Morgan Shepherd | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 29.819 | 181.093 |
| 16 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.820 | 181.087 |
| 17 | 30 | Johnny Benson Jr. (R) | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 29.868 | 180.796 |
| 18 | 1 | Rick Mast | Precision Products Racing | Pontiac | 29.885 | 180.693 |
| 19 | 16 | Ted Musgrave | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.886 | 180.687 |
| 20 | 9 | Lake Speed | Melling Racing | Ford | 29.892 | 180.650 |
| 21 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 29.895 | 180.632 |
| 22 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 29.900 | 180.602 |
| 23 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 29.941 | 180.355 |
| 24 | 8 | Hut Stricklin | Stavola Brothers Racing | Ford | 29.961 | 180.234 |
| 25 | 77 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 29.985 | 180.090 |
| 26 | 7 | Geoff Bodine | Geoff Bodine Racing | Ford | 29.987 | 180.078 |
| 27 | 25 | Ken Schrader | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.000 | 180.000 |
| 28 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Travis Carter Enterprises | Ford | 30.005 | 179.970 |
| 29 | 90 | Dick Trickle | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 30.026 | 179.844 |
| 30 | 97 | Chad Little | Mark Rypien Motorsports | Pontiac | 30.028 | 179.832 |
| 31 | 98 | John Andretti | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | 30.034 | 179.796 |
| 32 | 78 | Billy Standridge | Triad Motorsports | Ford | 30.041 | 179.754 |
| 33 | 4 | Sterling Marlin | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.049 | 179.706 |
| 34 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 30.060 | 179.641 |
| 35 | 40 | Greg Sacks | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 30.065 | 179.611 |
| 36 | 12 | Derrike Cope | Bobby Allison Motorsports | Ford | 30.076 | 179.545 |
| 37 | 15 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 30.125 | 179.253 |
| 38 | 19 | Loy Allen Jr. | TriStar Motorsports | Ford | 30.147 | 179.122 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 39 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | -* | -* |
| 40 | 42 | Kyle Petty | Team SABCO | Pontiac | -* | -* |
| 41 | 81 | Kenny Wallace | FILMAR Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| 42 | 33 | Robert Pressley | Leo Jackson Motorsports | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| Champion's Provisional |||||||
| 43 | 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Darrell Waltrip Motorsports | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 87 | Joe Nemechek | NEMCO Motorsports | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 45 | 95 | Gary Bradberry | Sadler Brothers Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| 46 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 47 | 02 | Robbie Faggart | Miles Motorsports | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 48 | 0 | Delma Cowart | H. L. Waters Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| Official first round qualifying results |||||||
| Official starting lineup |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 16 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 334 | 129 | running | 185 | $133,950 |
| 2 | 12 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 334 | 56 | running | 175 | $85,100 |
| 3 | 10 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 334 | 0 | running | 165 | $58,300 |
| 4 | 33 | 4 | Sterling Marlin | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 334 | 0 | running | 160 | $60,100 |
| 5 | 8 | 41 | Ricky Craven | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 334 | 86 | running | 160 | $63,400 |
| 6 | 34 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 334 | 15 | running | 155 | $44,700 |
| 7 | 14 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 334 | 0 | running | 146 | $37,500 |
| 8 | 23 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 334 | 0 | running | 142 | $35,000 |
| 9 | 11 | 21 | Michael Waltrip | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 334 | 0 | running | 138 | $31,000 |
| 10 | 21 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 334 | 0 | running | 134 | $31,100 |
| 11 | 7 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 334 | 11 | running | 135 | $26,900 |
| 12 | 20 | 9 | Lake Speed | Melling Racing | Ford | 334 | 0 | running | 127 | $24,300 |
| 13 | 39 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 333 | 0 | running | 124 | $26,250 |
| 14 | 17 | 30 | Johnny Benson Jr. (R) | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 333 | 0 | running | 121 | $22,450 |
| 15 | 18 | 1 | Rick Mast | Precision Products Racing | Pontiac | 333 | 0 | running | 118 | $21,450 |
| 16 | 28 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Travis Carter Enterprises | Ford | 333 | 1 | running | 120 | $19,450 |
| 17 | 19 | 16 | Ted Musgrave | Roush Racing | Ford | 332 | 0 | running | 112 | $18,450 |
| 18 | 36 | 12 | Derrike Cope | Bobby Allison Motorsports | Ford | 332 | 0 | running | 109 | $17,950 |
| 19 | 4 | 43 | Bobby Hamilton | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 332 | 0 | running | 106 | $20,050 |
| 20 | 26 | 7 | Geoff Bodine | Geoff Bodine Racing | Ford | 332 | 0 | running | 103 | $23,450 |
| 21 | 5 | 27 | Todd Bodine | David Blair Motorsports | Ford | 332 | 0 | running | 100 | $7,900 |
| 22 | 30 | 97 | Chad Little | Mark Rypien Motorsports | Pontiac | 331 | 0 | running | 97 | $6,195 |
| 23 | 15 | 75 | Morgan Shepherd | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 330 | 0 | running | 94 | $9,515 |
| 24 | 35 | 40 | Greg Sacks | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 330 | 0 | running | 91 | $5,875 |
| 25 | 24 | 8 | Hut Stricklin | Stavola Brothers Racing | Ford | 330 | 0 | running | 88 | $9,340 |
| 26 | 6 | 29 | Jeff Green | Diamond Ridge Motorsports | Chevrolet | 328 | 0 | running | 85 | $16,615 |
| 27 | 32 | 78 | Billy Standridge | Triad Motorsports | Ford | 328 | 0 | running | 82 | $5,500 |
| 28 | 22 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 327 | 0 | running | 79 | $15,580 |
| 29 | 27 | 25 | Ken Schrader | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 325 | 0 | running | 76 | $15,370 |
| 30 | 41 | 81 | Kenny Wallace | FILMAR Racing | Ford | 325 | 1 | running | 78 | $8,365 |
| 31 | 2 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 319 | 14 | running | 75 | $35,070 |
| 32 | 42 | 33 | Robert Pressley | Leo Jackson Motorsports | Chevrolet | 314 | 0 | running | 67 | $14,995 |
| 33 | 37 | 15 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 311 | 0 | axle | 64 | $14,415 |
| 34 | 38 | 19 | Loy Allen Jr. | TriStar Motorsports | Ford | 286 | 0 | handling | 61 | $4,890 |
| 35 | 29 | 90 | Dick Trickle | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 230 | 0 | crash | 58 | $4,865 |
| 36 | 25 | 77 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 228 | 0 | crash | 55 | $4,840 |
| 37 | 9 | 28 | Ernie Irvan | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 208 | 0 | crash | 52 | $20,220 |
| 38 | 13 | 14 | Robby Gordon | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 206 | 0 | crash | 49 | $4,800 |
| 39 | 31 | 98 | John Andretti | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | 206 | 0 | crash | 46 | $5,300 |
| 40 | 1 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 179 | 21 | engine | 48 | $48,900 |
| 41 | 40 | 42 | Kyle Petty | Team SABCO | Pontiac | 114 | 0 | engine | 40 | $11,800 |
| 42 | 43 | 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Darrell Waltrip Motorsports | Chevrolet | 88 | 0 | clutch | 37 | $11,800 |
| 43 | 3 | 37 | Jeremy Mayfield | Kranefuss-Haas Racing | Ford | 17 | 0 | crash | 34 | $15,300 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 87 | Joe Nemechek | NEMCO Motorsports | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 45 | | 95 | Gary Bradberry | Sadler Brothers Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| 46 | | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 47 | | 02 | Robbie Faggart | Miles Motorsports | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 48 | | 0 | Delma Cowart | H. L. Waters Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||