1996 NASCAR Cup Series Head-to-Head Playoff Results

Originally published on Dec. 18, 2024

By Zane Miller

First round

(8) #25 Ken Schrader v. (1) #5 Terry Labonte

(7) #2 Rusty Wallace v. (2) #24 Jeff Gordon

(6) #10 Ricky Rudd v. (3) #88 Dale Jarrett

(5) #6 Mark Martin v. (4) #3 Dale Earnhardt

The opening round got underway at Darlington, which saw Jeff Gordon pass Hut Stricklin, who was having a surprisingly great run at NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway, with 16 laps to go to capture the race win. Meanwhile, Rusty Wallace was already out of the event after getting involved in a crash early on. Also suffering hardship in the race was the #1-seeded Terry Labonte, who was going up against teammate Ken Schrader. Labonte had a disappointing day for a 26^th-place finish, while Schrader claimed a solid fourth to take the early advantage. Dale Jarrett led 23 laps early, but dealt with minor damage sustained in the same accident as Wallace. Still, the 88 team rallied to a 14^th-place finish, as competitor Ricky Rudd could only muster a 16^th-place result after a trying afternoon in the Tide Ride. A pair of old rivals in Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt would also battle it out in the first round, with Martin getting of Earnhardt with a third-place finish to the Intimidator’s 12^th.

At Richmond, Gordon continued his torrid pace with a second-place finish while Wallace came up short in sixth. Also taking a first-round exit in the River City would be Rudd, as he finished a lap down in 12^th while Jarrett grabbed the fourth spot. Earnhardt was also out after Richmond, ending a tough night in 20^th with Martin scoring a ninth-place result. The only series up for grabs at Dover would be the one between Labonte and Schrader, as Labonte bounced back from his poor run at Darlington to finish fifth with Schrader trailing behind in 13^th. Labonte extinguished the first-round scare, though it wasn’t as both drivers finished several laps down outside the top 20. However, Labonte was able to capture a 21^st-place finish, while Schrader failed to capitalize, coming home 22^nd.

Semifinal

(5) #6 Mark Martin v. (1) #5 Terry Labonte

(3) #88 Dale Jarrett v. (2) #24 Jeff Gordon

The semifinal round kicked off at Martinsville, though it would see more of the same as Gordon scored the race victory once again after leading 133 laps, putting Jarrett on the ropes. Labonte nabbed the runner-up spot behind his teammate, while Martin finished a lap down in ninth. As it would turn out, the semifinals only lasted two races, as North Wilkesboro (in what was believed to be the final Cup Series race held at the speedway) saw Gordon again take the win in dominating fashion to eliminate Jarrett. Meanwhile, Labonte and Martin were locked in a tight battle for the remaining spot in the finals, but it would be Labonte coming out on top with a fifth-place run, while Martin lagged behind in ninth despite leading 29 laps. With the final field set, it would be teammate vs. teammate for the Cup Series championship trophy.

Final

(2) #24 Jeff Gordon v. (1) #5 Terry Labonte

The final round commenced at Rockingham and, although Labonte was unable to lead any laps, he still nabbed the third spot ahead of Gordon, who was the first car one lap down in 12th. Needing to recapture the speed he showed earlier in the playoffs to keep his championship hopes alive, Gordon put together another stout run at Phoenix, culminating in a fifth-place finish. However, it wouldn’t be enough, as Labonte zoomed to his second straight third-place finish to earn his first Cup Series championship in his 18^th full-time season.

Terry Labonte’s stats for 1996 included a pair of victories, 21 top-fives and 24 top-10s, claiming the real-life championship as well.