# 1986 Coca-Cola 600

The 1986 Coca-Cola 600 was the 11th stock car race of the 1986 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 27th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, May 25, 1986, before an audience of 158,000 in Concord, North Carolina, at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent quad-oval. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete.
After a poor start, Richard Childress Racing's Dale Earnhardt, crediting crew chief Kirk Shelmerdine, made several changes to the car afterward, making an improvement. As a result, Earnhardt steadily climbed through the field in the final stages of the race, taking the lead when Bill Elliott pitted for fuel with less than 20 laps left in the race, securing the victory. The victory was Earnhardt's 18th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his third victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Hendrick Motorsports' Tim Richmond and Ranier-Lundy Racing's Cale Yarborough finished 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 |
| 1 | Sterling Marlin | Ellington Racing | Chevrolet | Bull's-Eye Barbecue Sauce |
| 2 | Brett Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Exxon |
| 02 | Mark Martin | Gunderman Racing | Ford | Gunderman Racing |
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Wrangler |
| 4 | Lake Speed | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Oldsmobile | All Pro Auto Parts |
| 5 | Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Levi Garrett |
| 6 | D. K. Ulrich | U.S. Racing | Chevrolet | STP |
| 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 |
| 10 | Greg Sacks | DiGard Motorsports | Pontiac | TRW Automotive |
| 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 | Kmart |
| 18 | Tommy Ellis | Freedlander Motorsports | Chevrolet | Freedlander Financial |
| 21 | David Pearson | Pearson Racing | Chevrolet | Chattanooga Chew |
| 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 |
| 28 | Cale Yarborough | Ranier-Lundy Racing | Ford | Hardee's |
| 30 | Willy T. Ribbs | DiGard Motorsports | Chevrolet | Red Roof Inn |
| 32 | Eddie Bierschwale | Ingle Racing | Chevrolet | Ingle Racing |
| 33 | Harry Gant | Mach 1 Racing | Chevrolet | Skoal Bandit |
| 35 | Alan Kulwicki (R) | AK Racing | Ford | Quincy's Steakhouse |
| 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | STP |
| 44 | Terry Labonte | Hagan Enterprises | Oldsmobile | Piedmont Airlines |
| 45 | Ken Ragan | Morris Racing | Pontiac | Morris Racing |
| 47 | Morgan Shepherd | Race Hill Farm Team | Chevrolet | Race Hill Farm Team |
| 51 | Connie Saylor | Spohn Racing | Ford | Spohn Racing |
| 52 | Jimmy Means | Jimmy Means Racing | Pontiac | Jimmy Means Racing |
| 55 | Benny Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile | Copenhagen |
| 66 | Phil Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile | Skoal |
| 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 | Pontiac | Nationwise Automotive |
| 79 | Derrike Cope | Razore Racing | Ford | Peterbilt |
| 81 | Chet Fillip (R) | Fillip Racing | Ford | Circle Bar Truck Corral |
| 88 | Buddy Baker | Baker–Schiff Racing | Oldsmobile | Crisco |
| 90 | Ken Schrader | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Red Baron Frozen Pizza |
| 94 | Trevor Boys | Eller Racing | Pontiac | Kodak Film |
| 98 | Ron Bouchard | Curb Racing | Pontiac | Valvoline |
| 99 | Brad Teague | Ball Motorsports | Chevrolet | Ball Motorsports |

## Qualifying

Qualifying was split into three rounds. The first round was held on Wednesday, May 21, at 4:00 PM EST. Each driver had one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 15 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 Thursday, May 22, at 2:00 PM EST. As with the first round, each driver had one lap to set a time. Positions 16-30 were decided on times in the second round. The third round was held on Friday, May 23, at 12:30 PM EST; if a driver was not able to guarantee a starting spot in the previous two rounds, they had the option to scrub their time again and run in the third round. As with the previous two rounds, each driver had one lap to set a time. Positions 31-40 were determined on times in the third round. 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.
Geoff Bodine, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, won the pole, setting a time of 32.824 and an average speed of 164.511 miles per hour (264.755 km/h) in the first round.
Four drivers failed to qualify.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 5 | Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 32.824 | 164.511 |
| 2 | 25 | Tim Richmond | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 32.840 | 164.431 |
| 3 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 32.958 | 163.842 |
| 4 | 1 | Sterling Marlin | Ellington Racing | Chevrolet | 33.068 | 163.297 |
| 5 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | Ford | 33.119 | 163.048 |
| 6 | 55 | Benny Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 33.139 | 162.948 |
| 7 | 21 | David Pearson | Pearson Racing | Chevrolet | 33.164 | 162.828 |
| 8 | 33 | Harry Gant | Mach 1 Racing | Chevrolet | 33.238 | 162.465 |
| 9 | 27 | Rusty Wallace | Blue Max Racing | Pontiac | 33.255 | 162.379 |
| 10 | 47 | Morgan Shepherd | Race Hill Farm Team | Buick | 33.299 | 162.166 |
| 11 | 12 | Neil Bonnett | Junior Johnson & Associates | Chevrolet | 33.349 | 161.923 |
| 12 | 28 | Cale Yarborough | Ranier-Lundy Racing | Ford | 33.364 | 161.850 |
| 13 | 15 | Ricky Rudd | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 33.394 | 161.707 |
| 14 | 02 | Mark Martin | Gunderman Racing | Ford | 33.441 | 161.477 |
| 15 | 11 | Darrell Waltrip | Junior Johnson & Associates | Chevrolet | 32.849 | 164.389 |
| Failed to lock in Round 1 |||||||
| 16 | 44 | Terry Labonte | Hagan Enterprises | Oldsmobile | 32.862 | 164.324 |
| 17 | 7 | Kyle Petty | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 33.068 | 163.300 |
| 18 | 22 | Bobby Allison | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 33.133 | 162.980 |
| 19 | 4 | Lake Speed | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 33.158 | 162.857 |
| 20 | 66 | Phil Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 33.200 | 162.651 |
| 21 | 51 | Connie Saylor | Spohn Racing | Ford | 33.221 | 162.548 |
| 22 | 8 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 33.236 | 162.474 |
| 23 | 26 | Joe Ruttman | King Racing | Buick | 33.260 | 162.357 |
| 24 | 75 | Jody Ridley | RahMoc Enterprises | Pontiac | 33.272 | 162.299 |
| 25 | 10 | Greg Sacks | DiGard Motorsports | Chevrolet | 33.279 | 162.264 |
| 26 | 99 | Brad Teague | Ball Motorsports | Chevrolet | 33.283 | 162.245 |
| 27 | 90 | Ken Schrader | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 33.295 | 162.187 |
| 28 | 81 | Chet Fillip (R) | Fillip Racing | Ford | 33.297 | 162.177 |
| 29 | 35 | Alan Kulwicki (R) | AK Racing | Ford | 33.308 | 162.123 |
| 30 | 88 | Buddy Baker | Baker–Schiff Racing | Oldsmobile | 32.671 | 165.284 |
| Failed to lock in Round 2 |||||||
| 31 | 98 | Ron Bouchard | Curb Racing | Pontiac | 32.831 | 164.479 |
| 32 | 2 | Brett Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 32.872 | 164.274 |
| 33 | 17 | Doug Heveron | Hamby Racing | Chevrolet | 32.894 | 164.164 |
| 34 | 23 | Michael Waltrip (R) | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 32.918 | 164.044 |
| 35 | 79 | Derrike Cope | Razore Racing | Ford | 33.057 | 163.354 |
| 36 | 45 | Ken Ragan | Morris Racing | Pontiac | 33.073 | 163.275 |
| 37 | 6 | D. K. Ulrich | U.S. Racing | Chevrolet | 33.077 | 163.255 |
| 38 | 32 | Eddie Bierschwale | Ingle Racing | Chevrolet | 33.143 | 162.930 |
| 39 | 94 | Trevor Boys | Eller Racing | Pontiac | 33.245 | 162.430 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 40 | 18 | Tommy Ellis | Freedlander Motorsports | Chevrolet | 33.489 | 161.247 |
| 41 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Ford | - | - |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 42 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Arrington Racing | Ford | 33.276 | 162.279 |
| 43 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Jimmy Means Racing | Pontiac | 33.309 | 162.118 |
| 44 | 30 | Willy T. Ribbs | DiGard Motorsports | Chevrolet | 33.329 | 162.021 |
| 45 | 70 | J. D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | Pontiac | 33.969 | 158.968 |
| Withdrew after qualifying |||||||
| WD | 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 33.441 | 161.476 |
| Official first round qualifying results |||||||
| Official second round qualifying results |||||||
| Official starting lineup |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 3 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 400 | 26 | running | 180 | $98,150 |
| 2 | 2 | 25 | Tim Richmond | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 400 | 94 | running | 175 | $64,355 |
| 3 | 12 | 28 | Cale Yarborough | Ranier-Lundy Racing | Ford | 400 | 98 | running | 175 | $34,375 |
| 4 | 8 | 33 | Harry Gant | Mach 1 Racing | Chevrolet | 400 | 50 | running | 165 | $35,630 |
| 5 | 15 | 11 | Darrell Waltrip | Junior Johnson & Associates | Chevrolet | 400 | 3 | running | 160 | $27,250 |
| 6 | 5 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | Ford | 400 | 98 | running | 160 | $34,750 |
| 7 | 4 | 1 | Sterling Marlin | Ellington Racing | Chevrolet | 399 | 0 | running | 146 | $13,000 |
| 8 | 13 | 15 | Ricky Rudd | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 399 | 0 | running | 142 | $18,200 |
| 9 | 10 | 47 | Morgan Shepherd | Race Hill Farm Team | Buick | 399 | 12 | running | 143 | $14,450 |
| 10 | 9 | 27 | Rusty Wallace | Blue Max Racing | Pontiac | 398 | 5 | running | 139 | $16,750 |
| 11 | 16 | 44 | Terry Labonte | Hagan Enterprises | Oldsmobile | 398 | 0 | running | 130 | $14,800 |
| 12 | 18 | 22 | Bobby Allison | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 398 | 1 | running | 132 | $14,200 |
| 13 | 11 | 12 | Neil Bonnett | Junior Johnson & Associates | Chevrolet | 397 | 2 | running | 129 | $15,400 |
| 14 | 19 | 4 | Lake Speed | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 397 | 6 | running | 126 | $6,400 |
| 15 | 22 | 8 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 396 | 0 | running | 118 | $10,795 |
| 16 | 41 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Ford | 395 | 0 | running | 115 | $9,825 |
| 17 | 30 | 88 | Buddy Baker | Baker–Schiff Racing | Oldsmobile | 395 | 0 | running | 112 | $5,300 |
| 18 | 32 | 2 | Brett Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 394 | 0 | running | 109 | $10,100 |
| 19 | 31 | 98 | Ron Bouchard | Curb Racing | Pontiac | 394 | 0 | running | 106 | $4,900 |
| 20 | 17 | 7 | Kyle Petty | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 394 | 0 | running | 103 | $12,150 |
| 21 | 24 | 75 | Jody Ridley | RahMoc Enterprises | Pontiac | 392 | 0 | running | 100 | $8,315 |
| 22 | 14 | 02 | Mark Martin | Gunderman Racing | Ford | 391 | 0 | running | 97 | $4,200 |
| 23 | 27 | 90 | Ken Schrader | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 391 | 0 | running | 94 | $8,705 |
| 24 | 20 | 66 | Phil Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 389 | 0 | running | 91 | $3,500 |
| 25 | 39 | 94 | Trevor Boys | Eller Racing | Pontiac | 389 | 0 | running | 88 | $2,800 |
| 26 | 34 | 23 | Michael Waltrip (R) | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 389 | 0 | running | 85 | $3,850 |
| 27 | 29 | 35 | Alan Kulwicki (R) | AK Racing | Ford | 382 | 0 | running | 82 | $2,500 |
| 28 | 21 | 51 | Connie Saylor | Spohn Racing | Ford | 376 | 0 | running | 0 | $2,200 |
| 29 | 38 | 32 | Eddie Bierschwale | Ingle Racing | Chevrolet | 374 | 1 | running | 81 | $2,000 |
| 30 | 35 | 79 | Derrike Cope | Razore Racing | Ford | 361 | 0 | running | 73 | $1,900 |
| 31 | 1 | 5 | Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 319 | 2 | camshaft | 75 | $33,850 |
| 32 | 23 | 26 | Joe Ruttman | King Racing | Buick | 292 | 0 | running | 67 | $5,635 |
| 33 | 33 | 17 | Doug Heveron | Hamby Racing | Chevrolet | 278 | 0 | engine | 64 | $5,475 |
| 34 | 6 | 55 | Benny Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 198 | 1 | shocks | 66 | $2,200 |
| 35 | 40 | 18 | Tommy Ellis | Freedlander Motorsports | Chevrolet | 172 | 1 | overheating | 63 | $1,650 |
| 36 | 7 | 21 | David Pearson | Pearson Racing | Chevrolet | 138 | 0 | head gasket | 0 | $1,800 |
| 37 | 28 | 81 | Chet Fillip (R) | Fillip Racing | Ford | 124 | 0 | accident | 52 | $1,575 |
| 38 | 37 | 6 | Richard Petty | U.S. Racing | Chevrolet | 123 | 0 | engine | 49 | $5,465 |
| 39 | 25 | 10 | Greg Sacks | DiGard Motorsports | Chevrolet | 73 | 0 | accident | 46 | $1,525 |
| 40 | 26 | 99 | Brad Teague | Ball Motorsports | Chevrolet | 37 | 0 | accident | 43 | $1,500 |
| 41 | 36 | 45 | Ken Ragan | Morris Racing | Pontiac | 5 | 0 | accident | 40 | $1,500 |
| Failed to qualify or withdrew |||||||||||
| 42 | | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Arrington Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| 43 | | 52 | Jimmy Means | Jimmy Means Racing | Pontiac | | | | | |
| 44 | | 30 | Willy T. Ribbs | DiGard Motorsports | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 45 | | 70 | J. D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | Pontiac | | | | | |
| WD | | 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||

## Standings after the race

| | Pos | Driver | Points |
| | 1 | Dale Earnhardt | 1,767 |
| | 2 | Darrell Waltrip | 1,623 (-144) |
| 1 | 3 | Bobby Allison | 1,505 (-262) |
| 1 | 4 | Terry Labonte | 1,447 (–320) |
| 2 | 5 | Rusty Wallace | 1,440 (–327) |
| 1 | 6 | Bill Elliott | 1,436 (–331) |
| 2 | 7 | Harry Gant | 1,380 (–387) |
| 3 | 8 | Tim Richmond | 1,377 (–390) |
| 1 | 9 | Kyle Petty | 1,361 (–406) |
| | 10 | Ricky Rudd | 1,344 (–423) |
| Official driver's standings ||||