| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 3 of 29 in the 1986 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 The 1986 GM Goodwrench 500 program cover, featuring Dale Earnhardt. | |||
| Date | March 2, 1986 | ||
| Official name | 21st Annual Goodwrench 500 | ||
| Location | Rockingham, North Carolina, North Carolina Motor Speedway | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 1.017 mi (1.637 km) | ||
| Distance | 492 laps, 500.364 mi (805.257 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 492 laps, 500.364 mi (805.257 km) | ||
| Average speed | 120.488 miles per hour (193.907 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 47,500 | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Hagan Enterprises | ||
| Time | 25.017 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Terry Labonte | Hagan Enterprises | |
| Laps | 306 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 44 | Terry Labonte | Hagan Enterprises | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | SETN | ||
| Announcers | Mike Joy, Benny Parsons | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
The 1986 Goodwrench 500 was the third stock car race of the 1986 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 21st iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, March 2, 1986, before an audience of 47,500 in Rockingham, North Carolina, at North Carolina Motor Speedway, a 1.017 miles (1.637 km) permanent high-banked racetrack. The race took the scheduled 492 laps to complete.
By race's end, Hagan Enterprises' Terry Labonte managed to dominate a majority of the race, leading 306 laps and defending a late race charge by Mach 1 Racing's Harry Gant to take his fifth career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season.[1][2] To fill out the top three, the aforementioned Harry Gant and owner-driver Richard Petty finished second and third, respectively.
- ^ Higgins, Tom (March 3, 1986). "Labonte Hangs On At Rockingham". The Charlotte Observer. pp. 1C, 3C. Retrieved December 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Mulhurn, Mike (March 3, 1986). "Labonte Captures Carolina 500". Winston-Salem Journal. pp. 11, 15. Retrieved December 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
