Winston Cup Series: Richmond International Speedway

The 1996 Winston Cup Series season kicked off at the Richmond International Speedway, with Jeff Gordon taking the top spot on the leaderboard. The event saw a competitive field of 43 drivers, with Gordon emerging victorious after a thrilling race.

Key Takeaways:

• Jeff Gordon took the checkered flag, securing his first win of the season and earning $205,400 in prize money.
• Mark Martin finished second, followed by John Andretti in third place.
• Dale Jarrett had a strong run, finishing fourth and earning $78,875 in prize money.
• The top five finishers were separated by a margin of less than 2 seconds, showcasing the intense competition on the track.
• Bobby Labonte led the pack for two laps, with Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace also taking turns at the front of the field.
• The Winston Cup Series point standings saw Gordon take the top spot with 3,597 points, followed closely by Mark Martin with 3,530 points.

Statistics:

• Time of race: 2 hours, 49 minutes, 55 seconds.
• Margin of victory: 0.664 seconds.
• Winner's average speed: 112.078 mph.
• Caution flags: 4 for 25 laps.
• Lead changes: 11 among 9 drivers.
• Lap leaders: Gordon 1, B. Labonte 2, Schrader 3, K. Wallace 4-33, Martin 34-76, Marcis 77-78, Martin 79-167, T. Labonte 168-169, Little 170, Martin 171-231, Jarrett 232-233, Gordon 234-300.

Sources:

• NASCAR.com (no specific date mentioned)
• Official 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series statistics
• Article by The New York Times at the Richmond International Speedway, March 1996
• ESPN's Auto Racing coverage of the 1996 Winston Cup Series season