The 1996 edition ofThe Winston Selectwas astock car racingcompetition that took place on May 18, 1996. Held atCharlotte Motor SpeedwayinConcord, North Carolina,the 70-lap race was an exhibition race in the1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series.Jeff GordonofHendrick Motorsportswon the pole.Terry Labonteof Hendrick Motorsports led the most laps with 22 of the 70 laps.Michael WaltripofWood Brothers Racingbecame the first transferee to win the Winston Select after qualifying in the Winston Select Open.[3][4][5][6]
| Race details[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 2 of 2 exhibition races in the1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
| Date | May 18, 1996 | ||
| Location | Concord, North Carolina | ||
| Course |
Charlotte Motor Speedway 1.5 mi (2.4 km) | ||
| Distance | 70 laps, 105 mi (169 km) | ||
| Weather | Temperatures around 78.5 °F (25.8 °C), with winds gusting to 8 miles per hour (13 km/h)[2] | ||
| Average speed | 162.721 mph (261.874 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Hendrick Motorsports | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Laps | 22 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 21 | Michael Waltrip | Wood Brothers Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | TNN | ||
| Announcers | Eli Gold,Buddy Baker,andDick Berggren | ||
Background
edit
The Winston was open to winning drivers and team owners from last season through the1996 Winston Select 500atTalladega Superspeedwayand all previous All-Star race winners and NASCAR Winston Cup champions who had attempted to qualify for every race in 1996 were eligible to compete in the All-Star Race. In addition, the top five finishers of The Winston Select Open qualified for this race.
Bill Elliottsuffered a brokenfemurin a crash during the Winston Select 500.Harry Gant,who had retired in 1994, substituted for Elliott for this race.
1996 The Winston Select drivers and eligibility
editRace winners in 1995 and 1996
edit- 2-Rusty Wallace(4 wins from 1995 and 1996)
- 3-Dale Earnhardt(7 wins from 1995 and 1996)
- 4-Sterling Marlin(4 wins from 1995 and 1996, including the1995 Daytona 500)
- 5-Terry Labonte(4 wins from 1995 and 1996)
- 6-Mark Martin(4 wins in 1995)
- 10-Ricky Rudd(1 win in 1995)
- 18-Bobby Labonte(3 wins in 1995)
- 22-Ward Burton(1 win in 1995)
- 24-Jeff Gordon(10 wins from 1995 and 1996)
- 42-Kyle Petty(1 win in 1995)
- 88-Dale Jarrett(2 wins from 1995 and 1996, including the1996 Daytona 500)
Winning team owners in 1995 and 1996
edit- 28-Robert Yates Racingwith new driverErnie Irvan(1 win in 1995 with Dale Jarrett)
Previous winners of The Winston Select
edit- 7-Geoff Bodine(1994 The Winston Selectwinner)
Previous NASCAR Winston Cup Champions
edit- 17-Darrell Waltrip(3-time NASCAR Winston Cup Series Champion)
- 94-Bill Elliott(1988 NASCAR Winston Cup SeriesChampion)
Top five finishers of The Winston Select Open
edit- 8-Hut Stricklin(finished third)
- 9-Lake Speed(finished second)
- 21-Michael Waltrip(finished fifth)
- 23-Jimmy Spencer(finished first)
- 99-Jeff Burton(finished fourth)
Race summary
editSegment 1
editJeff Gordonwon the pole for the all-star event with a lap time of 142.001 mph (228.528 km/h). Gordon,Dale Earnhardt,Mark Martin,andMichael Waltripserved as onboard camera cars throughout the race. Just as the green flag dropped,Jeff Burtonlimped back to the garage area when his engine expired. As Earnhardt andDale Jarrettbattled for second place,Terry Labontelost momentum and slid out of the top 10 whileWard Burtoncharged within the top five. On lap 12, Jarrett took the lead from Gordon and ledBobby Labonteand Ward Burton on lap 30 to win the caution-free Segment 1 and collect the $50,000 bonus.
- Segment results
- 88-Dale Jarrett($50,000)
- 18-Bobby Labonte($15,000)
- 22-Ward Burton($7,500)
Segment 2
editDuring the 10-minute break between segments, the fan balloting on whether or not to invert the field for the second 30-lap segment was unveiled. The fans had spoken and the result flashed on the Winston Cup scoreboard — INVERT!
Jarrett was sent to the rear of the field, whileHarry GantandDarrell Waltripassumed the front row. By lap 32, Terry Labonte overtook Gant and held the lead until lap 53. On lap 36, Ward Burton got loose and crashed on the turn four wall, triggering the first caution in the race. Earnhardt took the lead from Terry Labonte by lap 54 and won Segment 2 to collect his $50,000 bonus. Terry Labonte crossed the line second andRusty Wallacefinished third. Meanwhile, Michael Waltrip, who started the race 20th, finished fourth.
- Segment results
- 3-Dale Earnhardt($50,000)
- 5-Terry Labonte($15,000)
- 2-Rusty Wallace($7,500)
Segment 3
editFor the final 10-lap shootout, Earnhardt led the field, but the caution flag waved after Wallace, Bobby Labonte, and Jarrett jumped the restart. The green flag finally dropped with Earnhardt and Terry Labonte battling for the lead. As they both made contact on lap 62, Michael Waltrip blasted past them while Wallace took the second spot away from Earnhardt and Martin overtook Terry Labonte for fourth. With over a one second lead over Wallace, Michael Waltrip took theWood Brothers RacingNo. 21Ford Thunderbirdto Victory Lane, earning the team $211,000. Following the race, he took home roughly $100,000 and used it to build half of a house for his parents.[4]
Being winless at the time, this victory was a huge achievement for Michael Waltrip. He would not win his first points race in the NASCAR Cup Series until the2001 Daytona 500.
References
edit- ^ab"1996 The Winston Select".Racing-Reference.RetrievedJuly 30,2019.
- ^"Weather information for the1996 The Winston Select".The Old Farmers' Almanac.RetrievedJuly 30,2019.
- ^Jensen, Tom (May 19, 2023)."10 Historic NASCAR All-Star Races".NASCAR Hall of Fame.RetrievedSeptember 27,2023.
- ^ab"Michael Waltrip marks 20th anniversary of improbable NASCAR Sprint All-Star win".Fox Sports.May 19, 2016.RetrievedJuly 30,2019.
- ^"Michael Waltrip wins Winston Select".United Press International.May 19, 1996.RetrievedJuly 30,2019.
- ^Scott, David (May 19, 1996)."Michael Waltrip remembers unlikely 1996 NASCAR All-Star Race victory".The Charlotte Observer.RetrievedJuly 30,2019.