1996 Miller 500 (Pocono)

Last updated


1996 Miller 500
Race details
Race 17 of 31 in the 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
1996 Miller 500 (Pocono).jpeg
The 1996 Miller 500 program cover, featuring Rusty Wallace. Artwork by NASCAR artist Sam Bass.
DateJuly 21, 1996
Official name 24th Annual Miller 500
Location Long Pond, Pennsylvania, Pocono Raceway
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 2.5 miles (4.0 km)
Distance 200 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km)
Scheduled distance 200 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km)
Average speed 144.892 miles per hour (233.181 km/h)
Pole position
Driver Roush Racing
Time 53.441
Most laps led
Driver Mark Martin Roush Racing
Laps 121
Winner
No. 2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South
Television in the United States
Network TBS
Announcers Ken Squier, Buddy Baker, Dick Berggren
Radio in the United States
Radio Motor Racing Network

The 1996 Miller 500 was the 17th stock car race of the 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 24th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, July 21, 1996, in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, at Pocono Raceway, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) triangular permanent course. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. In the final laps of the race, Penske Racing South driver Rusty Wallace would manage to pull away from the field on the final restart with 14 to go to take his 45th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his fifth victory of the season. [1] [2] To fill out the top three, Rudd Performance Motorsports driver Ricky Rudd and Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett would finish second and third, respectively.

Contents

Background

The layout of Pocono Raceway, the venue where the race was held. Pocono Raceway.svg
The layout of Pocono Raceway, the venue where the race was held.

The race was held at Pocono Raceway, which is a three-turn superspeedway located in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The track hosts two annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, as well as one Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series event. Until 2019, the track also hosted an IndyCar Series race.

Pocono Raceway is one of a very few NASCAR tracks not owned by either Speedway Motorsports, Inc. or International Speedway Corporation. It is operated by the Igdalsky siblings Brandon, Nicholas, and sister Ashley, and cousins Joseph IV and Chase Mattioli, all of whom are third-generation members of the family-owned Mattco Inc, started by Joseph II and Rose Mattioli.

Outside of the NASCAR races, the track is used throughout the year by Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and motorcycle clubs as well as racing schools and an IndyCar race. The triangular oval also has three separate infield sections of racetrack – North Course, East Course and South Course. Each of these infield sections use a separate portion of the tri-oval to complete the track. During regular non-race weekends, multiple clubs can use the track by running on different infield sections. Also some of the infield sections can be run in either direction, or multiple infield sections can be put together – such as running the North Course and the South Course and using the tri-oval to connect the two.

Entry list

#DriverTeamMakeSponsor
1 Rick Mast Precision Products Racing Pontiac Hooters
2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Ford Miller
3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet GM Goodwrench Service Plus
4 Sterling Marlin Morgan–McClure Motorsports Chevrolet Kodak
5 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Kellogg's Frosted Flakes
6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford Valvoline
7 Geoff Bodine Geoff Bodine Racing Ford QVC
8 Hut Stricklin Stavola Brothers Racing Ford Circuit City
9 Lake Speed Melling Racing Ford Spam
10 Ricky Rudd Rudd Performance Motorsports Ford Tide
11 Brett Bodine Brett Bodine Racing Ford Lowe's
12 Derrike Cope Bobby Allison Motorsports Ford Badcock Home Furniture
14 Jeff Green Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet Racing for Kids
15 Wally Dallenbach Jr. Bud Moore Engineering Ford Hayes Modems
16 Ted Musgrave Roush Racing Ford PrimeStar, The Family Channel
17 Darrell Waltrip Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Chevrolet Parts America
18 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet Interstate Batteries
19 Loy Allen Jr. TriStar Motorsports Ford HealthSource RI
21 Michael Waltrip Wood Brothers Racing Ford Citgo
22 Ward Burton Bill Davis Racing Pontiac MBNA
23 Jimmy Spencer Haas-Carter Motorsports Ford Camel Cigarettes
24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet DuPont
25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Budweiser, 1996 Summer Olympics
28 Ernie Irvan Robert Yates Racing Ford Texaco, Havoline
29 Greg Sacks Diamond Ridge Motorsports Chevrolet Cartoon Network, The Flintstones
30 Johnny Benson Jr. (R) Bahari Racing Pontiac Pennzoil
33 Robert Pressley Leo Jackson Motorsports Chevrolet Skoal
37 Jeremy Mayfield Kranefuss-Haas Racing Ford Kmart, Little Caesars
41 Ricky Craven Larry Hedrick Motorsports Chevrolet Kodiak
42 Kyle Petty Team SABCO Pontiac Coors Light
43 Bobby Hamilton Petty Enterprises Pontiac STP
71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet Prodigy
75 Morgan Shepherd Butch Mock Motorsports Ford Remington Arms
77 Bobby Hillin Jr. Jasper Motorsports Ford Jasper Engines & Transmissions
78 Randy MacDonald Triad Motorsports Ford Diamond Rio
81 Kenny Wallace FILMAR Racing Ford Square D, TIC Financial Systems
87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet Burger King
88 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Ford Quality Care Service, Ford Credit
90 Dick Trickle Donlavey Racing Ford Heilig-Meyers
94 Bill Elliott Bill Elliott Racing Ford McDonald's
98 Jeremy Mayfield Cale Yarborough Motorsports Ford RCA
99 Jeff Burton Roush Racing Ford Exide

Qualifying

Qualifying was originally scheduled to be split into two rounds. The first round was scheduled to be held on Friday, July 19, at 3:00 PM EST. However, only six drivers were able to set a lap before qualifying was rained out and postponed until Friday, July 20, at 9:00 AM EST. Qualifying was eventually combined into only one round. [3] Each driver would have one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 26-38 would be decided on time, [4] 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.

Mark Martin, driving for Roush Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 53.441 and an average speed of 168.410 miles per hour (271.030 km/h). [5]

No drivers would fail to qualify.

Full qualifying results

Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed
16 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 53.441168.410
275 Morgan Shepherd Butch Mock Motorsports Ford 53.737167.482
318 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet 53.738167.479
47 Geoff Bodine Geoff Bodine Racing Ford 53.906166.957
522 Ward Burton Bill Davis Racing Pontiac 53.910166.945
630 Johnny Benson Jr. (R) Bahari Racing Pontiac 53.976166.741
710 Ricky Rudd Rudd Performance Motorsports Ford 53.993166.688
83 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 53.997166.676
999 Jeff Burton Roush Racing Ford 53.998166.673
1012 Derrike Cope Bobby Allison Motorsports Ford 54.007166.645
119 Lake Speed Melling Racing Ford 54.070166.451
1294 Bill Elliott Bill Elliott Racing Ford 54.109166.331
132 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Ford 54.118166.303
1487 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet 54.131166.263
1524 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 54.136166.248
1611 Brett Bodine Brett Bodine Racing Ford 54.271165.834
174 Sterling Marlin Morgan–McClure Motorsports Chevrolet 54.297165.755
1823 Jimmy Spencer Travis Carter Enterprises Ford 54.306165.728
1978 Randy MacDonald Triad Motorsports Ford 54.315165.700
2088 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Ford 54.357165.572
215 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 54.367165.542
2225 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 54.377165.511
231 Rick Mast Precision Products Racing Pontiac 54.400165.441
2421 Michael Waltrip Wood Brothers Racing Ford 54.418165.386
2581 Kenny Wallace FILMAR Racing Ford 54.440165.320
2642 Kyle Petty Team SABCO Pontiac 54.479165.201
2715 Wally Dallenbach Jr. Bud Moore Engineering Ford 54.482165.192
2816 Ted Musgrave Roush Racing Ford 54.485165.183
2971 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet 54.504165.125
3077 Bobby Hillin Jr. Jasper Motorsports Ford 54.541165.013
3143 Bobby Hamilton Petty Enterprises Pontiac 54.548164.992
3298 Jeremy Mayfield Cale Yarborough Motorsports Ford 54.569164.929
3390 Dick Trickle Donlavey Racing Ford 54.601164.832
3441 Ricky Craven Larry Hedrick Motorsports Chevrolet 54.661164.651
3528 Ernie Irvan Robert Yates Racing Ford 54.737164.423
3637 John Andretti Kranefuss-Haas Racing Ford 54.965163.741
3714 Jeff Green Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet 55.088163.375
3829 Greg Sacks Diamond Ridge Motorsports Chevrolet 55.100163.339
Provisionals
3933 Robert Pressley Leo Jackson Motorsports Chevrolet -*-*
408 Hut Stricklin Stavola Brothers Racing Ford -*-*
4117 Darrell Waltrip Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Chevrolet -*-*
Official starting lineup

Race results

FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings
1132 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Ford 20030running180$59,165
2710 Ricky Rudd Rudd Performance Motorsports Ford 2009running175$56,615
32088 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Ford 20013running170$35,705
43528 Ernie Irvan Robert Yates Racing Ford 20010running165$44,590
5630 Johnny Benson Jr. (R) Bahari Racing Pontiac 2005running160$36,400
6174 Sterling Marlin Morgan–McClure Motorsports Chevrolet 2000running150$35,925
71524 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 2001running151$35,825
8119 Lake Speed Melling Racing Ford 2000running142$24,925
916 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 200121running148$46,950
101012 Derrike Cope Bobby Allison Motorsports Ford 2000running134$27,825
1147 Geoff Bodine Geoff Bodine Racing Ford 2003running135$22,975
123298 Jeremy Mayfield Cale Yarborough Motorsports Ford 1990running127$15,625
132421 Michael Waltrip Wood Brothers Racing Ford 1990running124$22,325
1483 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 1990running121$27,925
152225 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 1990running118$22,925
16215 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 1990running115$27,025
17275 Morgan Shepherd Butch Mock Motorsports Ford 1992running117$14,525
183390 Dick Trickle Donlavey Racing Ford 1990running109$14,225
192816 Ted Musgrave Roush Racing Ford 1990running106$20,975
203441 Ricky Craven Larry Hedrick Motorsports Chevrolet 1990running103$22,550
211294 Bill Elliott Bill Elliott Racing Ford 1990running100$20,425
22522 Ward Burton Bill Davis Racing Pontiac 1990running97$24,825
233637 John Andretti Kranefuss-Haas Racing Ford 1990running94$20,100
241823 Jimmy Spencer Travis Carter Enterprises Ford 1980running91$19,950
253933 Robert Pressley Leo Jackson Motorsports Chevrolet 1980running88$19,975
262642 Kyle Petty Team SABCO Pontiac 1981running90$19,625
271611 Brett Bodine Brett Bodine Racing Ford 1980running82$19,475
282971 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet 1970running79$12,425
293829 Greg Sacks Diamond Ridge Motorsports Chevrolet 1973running81$18,875
30231 Rick Mast Precision Products Racing Pontiac 1960running73$16,325
311978 Randy MacDonald Triad Motorsports Ford 1950running70$9,275
32408 Hut Stricklin Stavola Brothers Racing Ford 1940running67$9,225
332715 Wally Dallenbach Jr. Bud Moore Engineering Ford 1890running64$16,175
341487 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet 1792crash66$16,050
35999 Jeff Burton Roush Racing Ford 1760running58$8,975
362581 Kenny Wallace FILMAR Racing Ford 1750engine55$8,900
37318 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet 1680engine52$24,835
383077 Bobby Hillin Jr. Jasper Motorsports Ford 1390engine49$8,125
393143 Bobby Hamilton Petty Enterprises Pontiac 60crash46$16,125
404117 Darrell Waltrip Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Chevrolet 40crash43$15,125
413714 Jeff Green Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet 20crash40$8,125
Official race results

References

  1. Higgins, Tom (July 22, 1996). "Caution: Wallace rides hot streak". That's Racin'. The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on August 15, 2000. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  2. Harris, Mike (July 22, 1996). "Rusty Wallace works hard to win Pocono". Republican and Herald. p. 11. Retrieved October 19, 2022 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  3. "Rain trims NASCAR qualifying". Fort Worth Star-Telegram . July 20, 1996. p. 104. Retrieved October 19, 2022 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  4. "Miller 500". The Charlotte Observer . July 19, 1996. p. 28. Retrieved October 19, 2022 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  5. Harris, Mike (July 21, 1996). "Pole starts Martin's second-half switch". Tallahassee Democrat. p. 41. Retrieved October 19, 2022 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
Previous race:
1996 Jiffy Lube 300
NASCAR Winston Cup Series
1996 season
Next race:
1996 DieHard 500