# 1986 TranSouth 500

The 1986 TranSouth 500 was the sixth stock car race of the 1986 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, April 13, 1986, in Darlington, South Carolina, at Darlington Raceway, a 1.366 miles (2.198 km) permanent egg-shaped oval racetrack. The race took the scheduled 367 laps to complete.
In a race of attrition, Richard Childress Racing's Dale Earnhardt managed to fend off Junior Johnson & Associates' Darrell Waltrip on the final restart with two laps left, completing a dominant performance where he led 335 of the total 367 laps. The victory was Earnhardt's 16th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his first victory of the season. To fill out the top three, the aforementioned Waltrip and Stavola Brothers Racing's Bobby Allison finished 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 | Sterling Marlin | Ellington Racing | Chevrolet | Bull's-Eye Barbecue Sauce |
| 01 | Earle Canavan | Canavan Racing | Pontiac | Gates Hydraulics |
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Wrangler |
| 4 | Rick Wilson | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Oldsmobile | Cap'n Coty's |
| 5 | Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Levi Garrett |
| 6 | Trevor Boys | U.S. Racing | Chevrolet | U.S. Racing |
| 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 |
| 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 | Protecta Truck Bed Liner |
| 18 | Tommy Ellis | Freedlander Motorsports | Chevrolet | Freedlander Financial |
| 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 |
| 33 | Harry Gant | Mach 1 Racing | Chevrolet | Skoal Bandit |
| 35 | Alan Kulwicki (R) | AK Racing | Ford | Quincy's Steakhouse |
| 36 | H. B. Bailey | Bailey Racing | Pontiac | Almeda Auto Parts |
| 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | STP |
| 44 | Terry Labonte | Hagan Enterprises | Oldsmobile | Piedmont Airlines |
| 47 | Morgan Shepherd | Race Hill Farm Team | Chevrolet | Race Hill Farm Team |
| 48 | Ronnie Thomas | Hylton Motorsports | Chevrolet | Hylton Motorsports |
| 52 | Jimmy Means | Jimmy Means Racing | Pontiac | Jimmy Means Racing |
| 55 | Benny Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile | Copenhagen |
| 64 | Connie Saylor | Langley Racing | Ford | Sunny King Ford |
| 66 | Phil Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile | Skoal |
| 67 | Buddy Arrington | Arrington Racing | Ford | Pannill Sweatshirts |
| 68 | Mike Potter | Jimmy Walker Enterprises | Ford | Jimmy Walker Enterprises |
| 70 | J. D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | Pontiac | Rumple Furniture |
| 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Pontiac | Helen Rae Special |
| 74 | Bobby Wawak | Wawak Racing | Chevrolet | Superior Piping |
| 75 | Jody Ridley | RahMoc Enterprises | Pontiac | Nationwise Automotive |
| 82 | Mark Stahl | Stahl Racing | Ford | Auto Bell Car Wash |
| 88 | Buddy Baker | Baker–Schiff Racing | Oldsmobile | Crisco |
| 90 | Ken Schrader | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Red Baron Frozen Pizza |
| 91 | David Sosebee | Sosebee Racing | Chevrolet | Sosebee Racing |
| 92 | Jonathan Lee Edwards | Edwards Racing | Buick | Edwards Racing |
| 94 | Eddie Bierschwale | Eller Racing | Pontiac | Kodak Film |
| 95 | Davey Allison | Sadler Brothers Racing | Chevrolet | Martha Washington Inn |
| 98 | Ron Bouchard | Curb Racing | Pontiac | Valvoline |

## Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Thursday, April 10, at 3:00 PM EST. Each driver had one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 20 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 Friday, April 11, at 2:00 PM EST. As with the first round, each driver had one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 21-40 were 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; up to two were given.
Geoff Bodine, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, won the pole, setting a time of 30.890 and an average speed of 159.197 miles per hour (256.203 km/h) in the first round.
Five drivers failed to qualify.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 5 | Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.890 | 159.197 |
| 2 | 25 | Tim Richmond | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.928 | 159.002 |
| 3 | 55 | Benny Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 30.949 | 158.891 |
| 4 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 31.009 | 158.586 |
| 5 | 12 | Neil Bonnett | Junior Johnson & Associates | Chevrolet | 31.215 | 157.540 |
| 6 | 26 | Joe Ruttman | King Racing | Buick | 31.380 | 156.711 |
| 7 | 1 | Sterling Marlin | Ellington Racing | Chevrolet | 31.404 | 156.592 |
| 8 | 15 | Ricky Rudd | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 31.418 | 156.522 |
| 9 | 33 | Harry Gant | Mach 1 Racing | Chevrolet | 31.451 | 156.358 |
| 10 | 11 | Darrell Waltrip | Junior Johnson & Associates | Chevrolet | 31.529 | 155.971 |
| 11 | 44 | Terry Labonte | Hagan Enterprises | Oldsmobile | 31.546 | 155.887 |
| 12 | 22 | Bobby Allison | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 31.549 | 155.872 |
| 13 | 27 | Rusty Wallace | Blue Max Racing | Pontiac | 31.563 | 155.803 |
| 14 | 88 | Buddy Baker | Baker–Schiff Racing | Chevrolet | 31.567 | 155.783 |
| 15 | 47 | Morgan Shepherd | Race Hill Farm Team | Buick | 31.578 | 155.729 |
| 16 | 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 31.589 | 155.674 |
| 17 | 75 | Jody Ridley | RahMoc Enterprises | Pontiac | 31.707 | 155.095 |
| 18 | 8 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 31.725 | 155.007 |
| 19 | 23 | Michael Waltrip (R) | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 31.806 | 154.612 |
| 20 | 66 | Phil Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Pontiac | 31.813 | 154.578 |
| Failed to lock in the first round |||||||
| 21 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | Ford | 31.821 | 154.539 |
| 22 | 90 | Ken Schrader | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 31.927 | 154.026 |
| 23 | 28 | Cale Yarborough | Ranier-Lundy Racing | Ford | 31.942 | 153.954 |
| 24 | 98 | Ron Bouchard | Curb Racing | Pontiac | 32.052 | 153.426 |
| 25 | 4 | Rick Wilson | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 32.139 | 153.010 |
| 26 | 95 | Davey Allison | Sadler Brothers Racing | Chevrolet | 32.158 | 152.920 |
| 27 | 7 | Kyle Petty | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 32.232 | 152.569 |
| 28 | 36 | H. B. Bailey | Bailey Racing | Pontiac | 32.253 | 152.470 |
| 29 | 35 | Alan Kulwicki (R) | AK Racing | Ford | 32.352 | 152.003 |
| 30 | 6 | Trevor Boys | U.S. Racing | Chevrolet | 32.399 | 151.782 |
| 31 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Jimmy Means Racing | Pontiac | 32.439 | 151.595 |
| 32 | 18 | Tommy Ellis | Freedlander Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 32.451 | 151.539 |
| 33 | 94 | Eddie Bierschwale | Eller Racing | Pontiac | 32.453 | 151.530 |
| 34 | 48 | Ronnie Thomas | Hylton Motorsports | Chevrolet | 32.462 | 151.488 |
| 35 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 32.637 | 150.676 |
| 36 | 17 | Doug Heveron | Hamby Racing | Oldsmobile | 32.717 | 150.307 |
| 37 | 64 | Connie Saylor | Langley Racing | Ford | 32.822 | 149.826 |
| 38 | 70 | J. D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | Pontiac | 32.937 | 149.303 |
| 39 | 74 | Bobby Wawak | Wawak Racing | Buick | 33.057 | 148.761 |
| 40 | 82 | Mark Stahl | Stahl Racing | Ford | 33.990 | 144.678 |
| Failed to qualify (results unknown) |||||||
| 41 | 01 | Earle Canavan | Canavan Racing | Pontiac | -* | -* |
| 42 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Arrington Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| 43 | 68 | Mike Potter | Walker Enterprises | Ford | -* | -* |
| 44 | 91 | David Sosebee | Sosebee Racing | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 45 | 92 | Jonathan Lee Edwards | Edwards Racing | Buick | -* | -* |
| Official first round qualifying results |||||||
| Official starting lineup |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 4 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 367 | 335 | running | 185 | $52,250 |
| 2 | 10 | 11 | Darrell Waltrip | Junior Johnson & Associates | Chevrolet | 367 | 13 | running | 175 | $31,600 |
| 3 | 12 | 22 | Bobby Allison | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 366 | 1 | running | 170 | $13,355 |
| 4 | 5 | 12 | Neil Bonnett | Junior Johnson & Associates | Chevrolet | 366 | 0 | running | 160 | $16,480 |
| 5 | 2 | 25 | Tim Richmond | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 364 | 5 | running | 160 | $7,305 |
| 6 | 13 | 27 | Rusty Wallace | Blue Max Racing | Pontiac | 364 | 0 | running | 150 | $12,575 |
| 7 | 16 | 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 364 | 0 | running | 146 | $9,600 |
| 8 | 21 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | Ford | 362 | 0 | running | 142 | $13,685 |
| 9 | 27 | 7 | Kyle Petty | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 361 | 0 | running | 138 | $11,030 |
| 10 | 22 | 90 | Ken Schrader | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 356 | 0 | running | 134 | $10,525 |
| 11 | 29 | 35 | Alan Kulwicki (R) | AK Racing | Ford | 344 | 0 | running | 130 | $3,900 |
| 12 | 28 | 36 | H. B. Bailey | Bailey Racing | Pontiac | 343 | 0 | running | 127 | $3,195 |
| 13 | 19 | 23 | Michael Waltrip (R) | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 340 | 0 | engine | 124 | $3,515 |
| 14 | 9 | 33 | Harry Gant | Mach 1 Racing | Chevrolet | 330 | 10 | running | 126 | $11,435 |
| 15 | 25 | 4 | Rick Wilson | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 329 | 0 | running | 118 | $3,065 |
| 16 | 40 | 82 | Mark Stahl | Stahl Racing | Ford | 320 | 0 | running | 115 | $2,520 |
| 17 | 38 | 70 | J. D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | Pontiac | 319 | 0 | running | 112 | $6,585 |
| 18 | 37 | 64 | Connie Saylor | Langley Racing | Ford | 313 | 0 | running | 0 | $6,365 |
| 19 | 39 | 74 | Bobby Wawak | Wawak Racing | Buick | 300 | 0 | accident | 106 | $2,190 |
| 20 | 17 | 75 | Jody Ridley | RahMoc Enterprises | Pontiac | 292 | 0 | running | 103 | $6,585 |
| 21 | 6 | 26 | Joe Ruttman | King Racing | Buick | 285 | 0 | radiator | 100 | $1,995 |
| 22 | 23 | 28 | Cale Yarborough | Ranier-Lundy Racing | Ford | 267 | 0 | engine | 97 | $2,535 |
| 23 | 15 | 47 | Morgan Shepherd | Race Hill Farm Team | Buick | 234 | 0 | accident | 94 | $1,825 |
| 24 | 30 | 6 | Trevor Boys | U.S. Racing | Chevrolet | 227 | 0 | brakes | 91 | $5,575 |
| 25 | 31 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Jimmy Means Racing | Pontiac | 212 | 0 | accident | 88 | $5,435 |
| 26 | 8 | 15 | Ricky Rudd | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 207 | 1 | accident | 90 | $9,605 |
| 27 | 35 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 201 | 1 | water pump | 87 | $4,965 |
| 28 | 3 | 55 | Benny Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 199 | 1 | engine | 84 | $1,580 |
| 29 | 32 | 18 | Tommy Ellis | Freedlander Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 197 | 0 | accident | 76 | $1,460 |
| 30 | 14 | 88 | Buddy Baker | Baker–Schiff Racing | Chevrolet | 149 | 0 | valve | 73 | $1,420 |
| 31 | 20 | 66 | Phil Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Pontiac | 147 | 0 | accident | 70 | $1,380 |
| 32 | 11 | 44 | Terry Labonte | Hagan Enterprises | Oldsmobile | 146 | 0 | timing chain | 67 | $8,090 |
| 33 | 7 | 1 | Sterling Marlin | Ellington Racing | Chevrolet | 140 | 0 | engine | 64 | $1,300 |
| 34 | 33 | 94 | Eddie Bierschwale | Eller Racing | Pontiac | 130 | 0 | a-frame | 61 | $1,265 |
| 35 | 36 | 17 | Doug Heveron | Hamby Racing | Oldsmobile | 111 | 0 | engine | 58 | $4,440 |
| 36 | 34 | 48 | Ronnie Thomas | Hylton Motorsports | Chevrolet | 83 | 0 | engine | 55 | $4,250 |
| 37 | 24 | 98 | Ron Bouchard | Curb Racing | Pontiac | 65 | 0 | brakes | 52 | $3,950 |
| 38 | 18 | 8 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 42 | 0 | accident | 49 | $3,925 |
| 39 | 26 | 95 | Davey Allison | Sadler Brothers Racing | Chevrolet | 1 | 0 | accident | 46 | $1,195 |
| 40 | 1 | 5 | Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1 | 0 | camshaft | 43 | $11,005 |
| Failed to qualify (results unknown) |||||||||||
| 41 | | 01 | Earle Canavan | Canavan Racing | Pontiac | | | | | |
| 42 | | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Arrington Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| 43 | | 68 | Mike Potter | Walker Enterprises | Ford | | | | | |
| 44 | | 91 | David Sosebee | Sosebee Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 45 | | 92 | Jonathan Lee Edwards | Edwards Racing | Buick | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||

## Standings after the race

| | Pos | Driver | Points |
| | 1 | Darrell Waltrip | 1,000 |
| 1 | 2 | Dale Earnhardt | 952 (-48) |
| 1 | 3 | Rusty Wallace | 885 (-115) |
| 2 | 4 | Terry Labonte | 861 (–139) |
| | 5 | Bill Elliott | 832 (–168) |
| 1 | 6 | Kyle Petty | 785 (–215) |
| 2 | 7 | Tim Richmond | 773 (–227) |
| | 8 | Harry Gant | 740 (–260) |
| 1 | 9 | Richard Petty | 730 (–270) |
| 3 | 10 | Bobby Allison | 726 (–273) |
| Official driver's standings ||||