# 1976 Winston 500

The 1976 Winston 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race that took place on May 2, 1976, at Alabama International Motor Speedway (now Talladega Superspeedway) in Talladega, Alabama.
Coo Coo Marlin had a serious crash the weekend before while attempting a qualifying run for the ARCA race and was unable to compete in any of the weekend's competition due to a shoulder injury.

## Background

Talladega Superspeedway, originally known as Alabama International Motor Superspeedway (AIMS), is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. The track is a Tri-oval and was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in the 1960s. Talladega is most known for its steep banking and the unique location of the start/finish line - located just past the exit to pit road. The track currently hosts the NASCAR series such as the Sprint Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and the Camping World Truck Series. Talladega Superspeedway is the longest NASCAR oval with a length of 2.66 miles (4.28 km), and the track at its peak had a seating capacity of 175,000 spectators.

## Race report

Dave Marcis won the pole position for the race with a lap of 189.197 miles per hour (304.483 km/h). 40 cars started the race. Buddy Baker defeated Cale Yarborough by 35 seconds, in an average speed of 167.887 miles per hour (270.188 km/h). His record of winning three races in a row at Talladega would not be broken until 2002 when Dale Earnhardt Jr. recorded his fourth consecutive victory at that track. There were 24 different leaders and three cautions for 14 laps. Attendance was 80,000. This apparently was the first time that a 500 mile race had been completed in under three hours; roughly comparable to a two-and-a-half hour National Basketball Association game or a two-hour Major League Soccer game that is quickly-paced and is based mostly on skill.
Baker had qualified 12th, and two days before the race Bud Moore's team transported the engine for the team's 1976 Ford Torino back to their shop in Spartanburg, SC for examination. The engine was brought back to Talladega the day before the race.
Through his second-place finish, Yarborough managed to take the lead in championship points over Benny Parsons; who finished in 26th place during this event. Parsons was eliminated when Dick Brooks spun out of the lead group and was hit by David Pearson, Marcis, and Parsons. Petty finished fourth after losing a lap when he stalled out his car on pit road. Terry Ryan scores his best career finish with a fifth in just his second career start.
Prize winnings for this race varied from $25,285 for the winner ($135,386 when considering inflation) all the way to $1,205 for last-place finisher Darrell Bryant ($6,452 when considering inflation).

### Qualifying

| Grid | No. | Driver | Manufacturer | Owner |
| 1 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Dodge | Nord Krauskopf |
| 2 | 43 | Richard Petty | Dodge | Petty Enterprises |
| 3 | 28 | Donnie Allison | Chevrolet | Hoss Ellington |
| 4 | 72 | Benny Parsons | Chevrolet | L.G. DeWitt |
| 5 | 11 | Cale Yarborough | Chevrolet | Junior Johnson |
| 6 | 88 | Darrell Waltrip | Chevrolet | DiGard Racing |
| 7 | 48 | James Hylton | Chevrolet | James Hylton |
| 8 | 12 | Neil Bonnett | Chevrolet | Neil Bonnett |
| 9 | 81 | Terry Ryan | Chevrolet | Bill Monaghan |
| 10 | 21 | David Pearson | Mercury | Wood Brothers |
| 11 | 2 | Bobby Allison | Mercury | Roger Penske |
| 12 | 15 | Buddy Baker | Ford | Bud Moore |
| 13 | 90 | Dick Brooks | Ford | Junie Donlavey |
| 14 | 79 | Frank Warren | Dodge | Frank Warren |
| 15 | 05 | David Sisco | Chevrolet | David Sisco |
| 16 | 3 | Richard Childress | Chevrolet | Richard Childress |
| 17 | 18 | Joe Frasson | Chevrolet | Joe Frasson |
| 18 | 24 | Cecil Gordon | Chevrolet | Cecil Gordon |
| 19 | 41 | Grant Adcox | Chevrolet | Herb Adcox |
| 20 | 22 | Ricky Rudd | Chevrolet | Al Rudd |
| 21 | 92 | Skip Manning | Chevrolet | Billy Hagan |
| 22 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Dodge | Buddy Arrington |
| 23 | 33 | Buck Baker | Chevrolet | Hiram Handy |
| 24 | 19 | Ed Negre | Chevrolet | Henley Gray |
| 25 | 30 | Tighe Scott | Chevrolet | Walter Ballard |

## Top 10 finishers

Section reference:
* Buddy Baker (No. 15), with an official time of 2:56:37
* Cale Yarborough (No. 11), 35 seconds down
* Bobby Allison (No. 2), 1 lap down
* Richard Petty (No. 43), 2 laps down
* Terry Ryan (No. 81), 4 laps down
* Cecil Gordon (No. 24), 4 laps down
* Donnie Allison (No. 28), 4 laps down
* Bruce Hill (No. 47), 6 laps down
* Dave Marcis (No. 71), 6 laps down
* Frank Warren (No. 79), 8 laps down

## Standings after the race

| Pos | Driver | Points | Differential |
| 1 | Cale Yarborough | 1535 | 0 |
| 2 | Benny Parsons | 1486 | -49 |
| 3 | Richard Petty | 1398 | -137 |
| 4 | Bobby Allison | 1331 | -204 |
| 5 | Dave Marcis | 1291 | -244 |
| 5 | Lennie Pond | 1291 | -244 |
| 7 | Richard Childress | 1270 | -265 |
| 8 | Darrell Waltrip | 1179 | -356 |
| 9 | Cecil Gordon | 1155 | -380 |
| 10 | J.D. McDuffie | 1115 | -420 |