| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 1 of 29 in the 1986 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 The 1986 Daytona 500 program cover, featuring Bill Elliott. | |||
| Date | February 16, 1986 | ||
| Official name | 28th Annual Daytona 500 | ||
| Location | Daytona Beach, Florida, Daytona International Speedway | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.5 mi (4.0 km) | ||
| Distance | 200 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 200 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km) | ||
| Average speed | 148.124 miles per hour (238.382 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 125,000 | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Melling Racing | ||
| Time | 43.894 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Laps | 101 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 5 | Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | CBS | ||
| Announcers | Ken Squier, David Hobbs, Ned Jarrett | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
The 1986 Daytona 500 was the first stock car race of the 1986 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 28th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, February 16, 1986, before an audience of 125,000 in Daytona Beach, Florida at Daytona International Speedway.
In the final laps of the race, Richard Childress Racing's Dale Earnhardt and Hendrick Motorsports' Geoff Bodine engaged in a battle for the victory. However, by the final lap, Earnhardt ran out of fuel, leading Bodine to cruise to an easy victory, having dominated for a majority of the race. The victory was Bodine's third career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory, his first victory of the season, and his only Daytona 500 victory.[1][2] Hagan Enterprises' Terry Labonte and Junior Johnson & Associates' Darrell Waltrip finished second and third, respectively.
- ^ Higgins, Tom (February 17, 1986). "Bodine Breezes At Daytona". The Charlotte Observer. pp. 1C, 6C. Retrieved November 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Coble, Don (February 17, 1986). "Bodine wins Daytona duel". Florida Today. pp. 1C, 2C. Retrieved November 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
