The 1996 Daytona 500, the 38th running of the event, was run on February 18 on the Daytona International Speedway. Dale Earnhardt won his first Daytona 500 pole, leading many to believe he would finally win the race. Ernie Irvan returned to full-time competition alongside Earnhardt (both drivers won their respective Gatorade 125-mile qualifying races).
Read more about 1996 Daytona 500: Opening Laps, Mid-race Developments, Run To The Finish, Results