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1986 Miller High Life 400

Second race of the 1986 NASCAR Winston Cup Series

Second race of the 1986 NASCAR Winston Cup Series

The 1986 Miller High Life 400 was the second stock car race of the 1986 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 32nd iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, February 23, 1986, before an audience of 30,000 in Richmond, Virginia, at Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway, a 0.542 mi D-shaped oval. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete.

In what is considered to be one of the most controversial finishes in NASCAR history, Junior Johnson & Associates' Darrell Waltrip and Richard Childress Racing's Dale Earnhardt engaged in a battle for the victory. With four laps left, Waltrip made a pass on Earnhardt in the second turn, passing him on the left. However, Waltrip did not fully clear Earnhardt by the third turn. In the third turn, Earnhardt spun out Waltrip, sending the two into a crash that included numerous other cars behind them. As a result, the next driver behind the two who managed to avoid the wreck, Wood Brothers Racing's Kyle Petty, was declared the winner in improbable fashion. The victory was Petty's first career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season. To fill out the top three, King Racing's Joe Ruttman and the aforementioned Earnhardt finished second and third, respectively.

Background

Richmond International Raceway (RIR) is a 3/4-mile (1.2 km), D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series. Known as "America's premier short track", it formerly hosted a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, an IndyCar Series race, and two USAC sprint car races.

Entry list

  • (R) denotes rookie driver.
#DriverTeamMakeSponsor
2Kirk BryantCliff Stewart RacingPontiacSpectrum Furniture
3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevroletWrangler
5Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevroletLevi Garrett
6Trevor BoysU.S. RacingChevroletU.S. Racing
7Kyle PettyWood Brothers RacingFord[7-Eleven](7-eleven)
8Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuickMiller American
9Bill ElliottMelling RacingFordCoors
10Greg SacksDiGard MotorsportsPontiacTRW Automotive
11Darrell WaltripJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevroletBudweiser
12Neil BonnettJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevroletBudweiser
15Ricky RuddBud Moore EngineeringFordMotorcraft Quality Parts
17Phil ParsonsHamby RacingChevroletSkoal
18Tommy EllisFreedlander MotorsportsChevroletFreedlander Financial
22Bobby AllisonStavola Brothers RacingBuickMiller American
23Michael Waltrip **(R)**Bahari RacingPontiacHawaiian Punch
25Tim RichmondHendrick MotorsportsChevroletFolgers
26Joe RuttmanKing RacingBuickQuaker State
27Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiacAlugard
32Alan Kulwicki **(R)**Terry RacingFordQuincy's Steakhouse
33Harry GantMach 1 RacingChevroletSkoal Bandit
41Ronnie ThomasRonnie Thomas RacingChevroletRonnie Thomas Racing
43Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiacSTP
44Terry LabonteHagan EnterprisesOldsmobilePiedmont Airlines
48Ron EsauHylton MotorsportsChevroletHylton Motorsports
52Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiacJimmy Means Racing
64Doug HeveronLangley RacingFordHesco Exhaust Systems
67Buddy ArringtonArrington RacingFordPannill Sweatshirts
70J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiacRumple Furniture
71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingPontiacHelen Rae Special
75Lake SpeedRahMoc EnterprisesPontiacNationwise Automotive
90Ken SchraderDonlavey RacingFordRed Baron Frozen Pizza
92Jonathan Lee EdwardsEdwards RacingBuickEdwards Racing
94Eddie BierschwaleEller RacingPontiacKodak Film
95Davey AllisonSadler Brothers RacingChevroletSadler Brothers Racing
98Ron BouchardCurb RacingPontiacValvoline

Qualifying

Qualifying was scheduled to be split into two rounds, with the first round scheduled to be held on Friday, February 21, at 3:00 PM EST, and the second round scheduled to be held on Saturday, February 22, at 11:30 AM EST. The first round would have set positions 1-20, while the second round would have set positions 21-30 for drivers who had not locked in during the first round. However, the first round was immediately cancelled due to mist. The second round was then attempted to be run, but was then also cancelled after 23 cars made runs due to rain.

As a result of qualifying being cancelled, the starting lineup was set by a rained-out procedure. Positions 1-18 were given based on the current 1986 owner's points, positions 19-20 were given to winners in the 1985 NASCAR Winston Cup Series who had not qualified by owner's points, and positions 21-30 were given to the teams who had both had their entry blanks received by NASCAR and had checked in at the NASCAR on-track check-in hauler the earliest. In addition, one provisional was given out of the maximum two allowable. As a result of this system, Hendrick Motorsports' Geoff Bodine won the pole. Four drivers failed to qualify.

Full starting lineup

Pos.#DriverTeamMake123456789101112131415161718Qualified via winning in the 1985 season1920Qualified via earliest entry blank and check in at the NASCAR hauler21222324252627282930Provisional31Failed to qualify32333435[Official starting lineup](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-journal-miller-400/136051659/)
5Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
44Terry LabonteHagan EnterprisesOldsmobile
11Darrell WaltripJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevrolet
8Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuick
98Ron BouchardCurb RacingPontiac
27Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiac
75Lake SpeedRahMoc EnterprisesPontiac
15Ricky RuddBud Moore EngineeringFord
9Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord
3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet
17Phil ParsonsHamby RacingOldsmobile
7Kyle PettyWood Brothers RacingFord
18Tommy EllisFreedlander MotorsportsChevrolet
6Trevor BoysU.S. RacingBuick
25Tim RichmondHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
67Buddy ArringtonArrington RacingFord
26Joe RuttmanKing RacingBuick
33Harry GantMach 1 RacingChevrolet
12Neil BonnettJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevrolet
10Greg SacksDiGard MotorsportsPontiac
23Michael Waltrip **(R)**Bahari RacingPontiac
64Doug HeveronLangley RacingFord
22Bobby AllisonStavola Brothers RacingBuick
71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet
2Kirk BryantCliff Stewart RacingPontiac
70J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiac
43Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac
95Davey AllisonSadler Brothers RacingChevrolet
90Ken SchraderDonlavey RacingFord
52Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac
48Ron EsauHylton MotorsportsChevrolet
32Alan Kulwicki **(R)**Terry RacingFord
41Ronnie ThomasRonnie Thomas RacingChevrolet
92Jonathan Lee EdwardsEdwards RacingBuick
94Eddie BierschwaleEller RacingPontiac

Race results

FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031Failed to qualify32333435[Official race results](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-observer-richmond-400-resu/136051230/)
127Kyle PettyWood Brothers RacingFord4004running180$37,880
1726Joe RuttmanKing RacingBuick40021running175$16,215
103Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet400299running175$19,310
2322Bobby AllisonStavola Brothers RacingBuick3990running160$6,275
311Darrell WaltripJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevrolet3981crash160$14,295
48Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuick3980running150$7,240
1912Neil BonnettJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevrolet3980running146$10,055
15Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet39759crash147$8,435
2471Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet39712running143$5,890
627Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiac3951running139$6,530
3052Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac3953running135$6,510
2895Davey AllisonSadler Brothers RacingChevrolet3950running127$1,860
2264Doug HeveronLangley RacingFord3910running0$4,760
1667Buddy ArringtonArrington RacingFord3890running121$4,580
244Terry LabonteHagan EnterprisesOldsmobile3890running118$7,550
2670J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiac3870running115$4,325
775Lake SpeedRahMoc EnterprisesPontiac3820running112$4,145
598Ron BouchardCurb RacingPontiac3800running109$3,915
2010Greg SacksDiGard MotorsportsPontiac3690running106$7,100
2743Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac3630running103$1,615
99Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord3530running100$9,730
1525Tim RichmondHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet3520running97$1,295
2990Ken SchraderDonlavey RacingFord3290running94$4,450
1318Tommy EllisFreedlander MotorsportsChevrolet3170running91$1,225
2123Michael Waltrip **(R)**Bahari RacingPontiac3130head gasket88$1,790
146Trevor BoysU.S. RacingBuick2790crash85$3,335
252Kirk BryantCliff Stewart RacingPontiac880crash82$3,300
1833Harry GantMach 1 RacingChevrolet290overheating79$8,385
1117Phil ParsonsHamby RacingOldsmobile170crash76$3,210
815Ricky RuddBud Moore EngineeringFord170crash73$7,715
3148Eddie BierschwaleHylton MotorsportsChevrolet20engine70$2,515
32Alan Kulwicki **(R)**Terry RacingFord
41Ronnie ThomasRonnie Thomas RacingChevrolet
92Jonathan Lee EdwardsEdwards RacingBuick
94Eddie BierschwaleEller RacingPontiac

Standings after the race

;Drivers' Championship standings

PosDriverPoints[Official driver's standings](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer-1986-nascar-gr/136053670/)
[[File:1rightarrow.png10px]]1Geoff Bodine332
[[File:1uparrow green.svg10px]] **1**2Darrell Waltrip330 (-2)
[[File:1uparrow green.svg10px]] **1**3Bobby Hillin Jr.315 (-17)
[[File:1uparrow green.svg10px]] **10**4Dale Earnhardt301 (–31)
[[File:1uparrow green.svg10px]] **11**5Kyle Petty295 (–37)
[[File:1downarrow red.svg10px]] **5**6Terry Labonte293 (–39)
[[File:1uparrow green.svg10px]] **2**7Rusty Wallace281 (–51)
[[File:1downarrow red.svg10px]] **2**8Ron Bouchard259 (–73)
[[File:1uparrow green.svg10px]] **20**9Joe Ruttman254 (–78)
[[File:1rightarrow.png10px]]10Lake Speed246 (–86)
  • Note: Only the first 10 positions are included for the driver standings.

Notes

References

References

  1. King, Randy. (February 24, 1986). "Kyle Petty surprise winner". [[News & Record]].
  2. Higgins, Tom. (February 24, 1986). "K. Petty Takes Wild Victory At Richmond". [[The Charlotte Observer]].
  3. Pearson, Harold. (February 24, 1986). "Late wreck gives K. Petty first victory". [[Richmond Times-Dispatch]].
  4. (February 21, 1986). "Auto Racing Data". [[Richmond Times-Dispatch]].
  5. Higgins, Tom. (February 22, 1986). "Time Trials Delayed At Richmond". [[The Charlotte Observer]].
  6. Pearson, Harold. (February 23, 1986). "Well, they tried". [[Richmond Times-Dispatch]].
  7. Higgins, Tom. (February 23, 1986). "Rainout Gives Bodine Pole At Richmond Today". [[The Charlotte Observer]].
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