1996 Pepsi 400

{{Short description|15th race of the 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series}}

{{Infobox NASCAR race report|Type=NASWINSTON|Official_name=38th Annual Pepsi 400|Caption=The 1996 Pepsi 400 program cover, featuring Jeff Gordon.|Date=July 6|Avg={{convert|161.602|mph|km/h}}|Season_No=31|Race_No=15|Scheduled_laps=160|Course_km=4.0|Distance_laps=117|Distance_km=470.733|Course_mi=2.5|Scheduled_km=643.737|Scheduled_mi=400|Race_Name=Pepsi 400|Location=Daytona Beach, Florida, Daytona International Speedway|Announcers=Bob Jenkins, Benny Parsons|Radio=Motor Racing Network|Network=ESPN|First_Team=Morgan-McClure Motorsports|First_Driver=Sterling Marlin|Pole_Team=Hendrick Motorsports|Most_Team=Morgan-McClure Motorsports|Pole_Driver=Jeff Gordon|Most_Driver=Sterling Marlin|Most_laps=88|Car=4|Year=1996|Distance_mi=292.5|Pole_Time=47.652|Image=1996_Pepsi_400.jpeg}}

The 1996 Pepsi 400 was the 15th stock car race of the 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 38th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, July 6, 1996, in Daytona Beach, Florida at Daytona International Speedway, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) permanent triangular-shaped superspeedway. The race was shortened from its scheduled 160 laps to 117 laps due to rain. After suffering an ignition failure in the middle of the race, Morgan–McClure Motorsports driver Sterling Marlin was able to come back through the field and dominate a majority of the race when the race ended due to the rain. The win was Marlin's sixth career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second and final victory of the season.{{Cite web |last=Higgins |first=Tom |date=July 7, 1996 |title=Marlin leaves Pepsi 400 field in a cloud |url=http://www.thatsracin.com/96/docs/7_06peps.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000815213803/http://www.thatsracin.com/96/docs/7_06peps.htm |archive-date=August 15, 2000 |access-date=October 18, 2022 |website=That's Racin' |publisher=The Charlotte Observer}}{{Cite news |last=Wine |first=Steven |date=July 7, 1996 |title=Marlin first on day of thunder |pages=23 |work=Indiana Gazette |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111534861/marlin-first-on-day-of-thunder/ |access-date=October 18, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} To fill out the top three, Terry Labonte and Jeff Gordon, both drivers for Hendrick Motorsports, would finish second and third, respectively.

Background

File:Daytona_International_Speedway.svg, the venue where the race was held.]]

Daytona International Speedway is one of three superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the other two being Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.{{Cite web |date=2010-08-11 |title=NASCAR.COM : Tracks |url=http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100811053515/http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/ |archive-date=2010-08-11 |access-date=2021-10-17}} The standard track at Daytona International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long. The track's turns are banked at 31 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at 18 degrees.{{Cite web |date=2010-08-30 |title=Daytona International Speedway: The World Center of Racing |url=http://www.speedway-guide.com/Daytona-International-Speedway.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100830050250/http://www.speedway-guide.com/Daytona-International-Speedway.html |archive-date=2010-08-30 |access-date=2021-10-17}}

= Entry list =

(R) denotes rookie driver.

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

!Driver

!Team

!Make

!Sponsor

|Rick Mast

|Precision Products Racing

1996 Pepsi 400

Background

= Entry list =

Qualifying

= Full qualifying results =

Race results

References