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Labonte’s Second Title
The 1996 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season featured a rare scenario where two drivers from the same team battled for the championship, as the success of Hendrick Motorsports helped stock car racing enjoy one of its most exciting seasons.
NASCAR’s premier series schedule consisted of 31 races that began in Daytona Beach, Florida, and ended in Hampton, Georgia. The sport’s popularity was strong, prompting a non-points special event to be run at season’s end on the road course in Suzuka, Japan. It was the first of four annual visits to Japan, two of which were held on the oval at Twin Ring Motegi.
Chevrolet drivers led the win column with 17, followed by Ford with 13. Pon- tiac’s lone 1996 victory came in November at Phoenix International Raceway with Bobby Hamilton driving the Petty Enterprises entry.
Terry Labonte, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt and Sterling Marlin were best in the Chevrolet camp, while Dale Jarrett, Rusty Wallace, Geoff Bodine and Ernie Irvan enjoyed victories for Ford Motor Co.
Labonte, a native of Corpus Christi, Texas, won the series championship in 1984 while driving for car owner Billy Hagan, and he suffered a long dry spell before a second championship came his way. Consistency was the key to his second title as Labonte only won two races but logged 24 top-10 finishes.
The championship came down to Labonte and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Gordon. Labonte took the point lead with a third-place finish at North Carolina’s Rockingham Speedway in late October. Then, top-five finishes in the final two events were enough for Labonte to secure the crown by 37 points over Gordon.
Gordon won 10 races, while Labonte only won twice. Both collected 21 top- five finishes and 24 top-10 efforts, but Labonte had an average finish of 8.2 to Gordon’s 9.5.
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JEFF GORDON, DRIVER OF THE NO. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, won 10 races under the direction of crew chief Ray Evernham. There were six superspeedway victories and four on short tracks, including the final NASCAR Cup Series race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Sept. 29, 1996. That victory marked the end of 47 years of NASCAR racing at the storied North Carolina track. Mechanical issues and crashes at Daytona, Rockingham, Talladega, New Hampshire and Indianapolis doomed Gordon’s title hopes.
DALE JARRETT, DRIVING THE NO. 88 Robert Yates Racing Ford, collected his first of two Brickyard 400 victories at Indianapolis Motor Speedway over teammate Ernie Irvan. Jarrett took the race lead seven laps from the finish after a hard-fought battle with Irvan.
The 160-lap race ultimately ended under the caution flag, giving Jarrett his seventh of 32-career victories. Jarrett retired from driving after five races in the 2008 season.
TERRY LABONTE, DRIVING THE NO. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, earned the series championship. He won two races, had 21 top-five finishes and earned four poles during the season.
Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, finished second in the standings with 10 wins, 21 top-five finishes and five pole positions.
DATE | LOCATION | WINNER
Feb. 18 | Daytona International Speedway | Dale Jarrett
Feb. 25 | Rockingham Speedway | Dale Earnhardt
March 3 | Richmond International Raceway | Jeff Gordon
March 10 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | Dale Earnhardt
March 24 | Darlington Raceway | Jeff Gordon
March 31 | Bristol Motor Speedway | Jeff Gordon
April 14 | North Wilkesboro Speedway | Terry Labonte
April 21 | Martinsville Speedway | Rusty Wallace
April 28 | Talladega Superspeedway | Sterling Marlin
May 5 | Sonoma Raceway | Rusty Wallace
May 26 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | Dale Jarrett
June 2 | Dover International Speedway | Jeff Gordon
June 16 | Pocono Raceway | Jeff Gordon
Jun 23 | Michigan International Speedway | Rusty Wallace
July 6 | Daytona International Speedway | Sterling Marlin
July 14 | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | Ernie Irvan
July 21 | Pocono Raceway | Rusty Wallace
July 28 | Talladega Superspeedway | Jeff Gordon
Aug. 3 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Dale Jarrett
Aug. 11 | Watkins Glen International | Geoffrey Bodine
Aug. 18 | Michigan International Speedway | Dale Jarrett
Aug. 24 | Bristol Motor Speedway | Rusty Wallace
Sept. 1 | Darlington Raceway | Jeff Gordon
Sept. 7 | Richmond International Raceway | Ernie Irvan
Sept. 15 | Dover International Speedway | Jeff Gordon
Sept. 22 | Martinsville Speedway | Jeff Gordon
Sept. 29 | North Wilkesboro Speedway | Jeff Gordon
Oct. 6 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | Terry Labonte
Oct. 20 | Rockingham Speedway | Ricky Rudd
Oct. 27 | Phoenix International Raceway | Bobby Hamilton
Nov. 10 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | Bobby Labonte
