1996 Hanes 500

{{Short description|26th race of the 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series}}

{{Infobox NASCAR race report|Type=NASWINSTON|Location=Ridgeway, Virginia, Martinsville Speedway|Distance_mi=263|Pole_Time=20.119|Course_mi=0.526|Car=24|Scheduled_km=423.257|Distance_km=423.257|Distance_laps=500|Scheduled_laps=500|Scheduled_mi=263|Avg={{convert|82.223|mph|km/h}}|Date=September 22|Race_No=26|Season_No=31|Year=1996|Race_Name=Hanes 500|Most_laps=331|Most_Driver=Bobby Hamilton|Most_Team=Petty Enterprises|First_Driver=Jeff Gordon|First_Team=Hendrick Motorsports|Pole_Driver=Bobby Hamilton|Pole_Team=Petty Enterprises|Network=ESPN|Radio=Motor Racing Network|Announcers=Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett, Benny Parsons|Official_name=48th Annual Hanes 500|Course_km=0.847|Caption=The 1996 Hanes 500 program cover, featuring Dale Earnhardt.|Image=1996_Hanes_500.jpeg}}

The 1996 Hanes 500 was the 26th stock car race of the 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 48th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, September 22, 1996, in Martinsville, Virginia at Martinsville Speedway, a {{Convert|0.526|mi|km}} permanent oval-shaped short track. The race took the scheduled 500 laps to complete. In a one-lap shootout to the finish, Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon would manage to defend the field to take his 18th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his ninth victory of the season.{{Cite web |last=Higgins |first=Tom |date=September 23, 1996 |title=Martinsville gets its Gordon, Labonte finish |url=http://www.thatsracin.com/96/docs/9_22hane.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000815213704/http://www.thatsracin.com/96/docs/9_22hane.htm |archive-date=August 15, 2000 |access-date=October 24, 2022 |website=That's Racin' |publisher=The Charlotte Observer}}{{Cite news |last=Harris |first=Mike |date=September 23, 1996 |title=Short-track win boosts Gordon's confidence |pages=11 |work=Messenger-Inquirer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111908775/short-track-win-boosts-gordons/ |access-date=October 24, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} To fill out the top three, Hendrick Motorsports driver Terry Labonte and Petty Enterprises driver Bobby Hamilton would finish second and third, respectively.

Background

File:Martinsville_Speedway_track_map.png, the venue where the race was held.]]

Martinsville Speedway is a NASCAR-owned stock car racing track located in Henry County, in Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At 0.526 miles (0.847 km) in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in NASCAR, being built in 1947 by H. Clay Earles. It is also the only remaining race track that has been on the NASCAR circuit from its beginning in 1948.

= Entry list =

(R) denotes rookie driver.

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"

!Driver

!Team

!Make

!Sponsor

|Rick Mast

|Precision Products Racing

1996 Hanes 500

Background

= Entry list =

Qualifying

= Full qualifying results =

Race results

References