| Official Race Results | |||||||||
| Daytona 500 | Daytona International Speedway | |||||||||
| February 18, 1996 | Race 1 of 31 | |||||||||
| Average Speed: 154.308 mph | |||||||||
| Margin of Victory: | Time of Race: | ||||||||
| Lead Changes: | |||||||||
| Cautions: | |||||||||
| Fin | St | Car | Driver | Make | Sponsor | Pts / Bonus | Laps | Status | Winnings |
| 1 | 7 | #88 | Dale Jarrett | Ford | Quality Care/ Ford Credit | 180/5 | 200 | Running | $360,775 |
| 2 | 1 | #3 | Dale Earnhardt | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench Service | 175/5 | 200 | Running | $215,065 |
| 3 | 4 | #25 | Ken Schrader | Pontiac | Budweiser | 170/5 | 200 | Running | $169,547 |
| 4 | 15 | #6 | Mark Martin | Ford | Valvoline | 160/0 | 200 | Running | $118,840 |
| 5 | 16 | #99 | Jeff Burton | Ford | Exide Batteries | 155/0 | 200 | Running | $91,702 |
| 6 | 9 | #15 | Wally Dallenbach | Ford | Hayes Modems | 150/0 | 200 | Running | $96,720 |
| 7 | 20 | #16 | Ted Musgrave | Ford | The Family Channel/PRIMESTAR | 146/0 | 200 | Running | $82,712 |
| 8 | 21 | #94 | Bill Elliott | Ford | McDonald's | 147/5 | 200 | Running | $78,155 |
| 9 | 10 | #10 | Ricky Rudd | Ford | Tide | 138/0 | 200 | Running | $79,987 |
| 10 | 11 | #21 | Michael Waltrip | Chevrolet | CITGO | 139/5 | 200 | Running | $74,255 |
| 11 | 19 | #23 | Jimmy Spencer | Ford | Camel Cigarettes | 135/5 | 200 | Running | $66,105 |
| 12 | 34 | #44 | Jeff Purvis | Chevrolet | MCA Records | 127/0 | 200 | Running | $52,262 |
| 13 | 36 | #14 | Ricky Craven | Chevrolet | Kodiak | 129/5 | 200 | Running | $63,167 |
| 14 | 32 | #9 | Lake Speed | Ford | Spam | 121/0 | 200 | Running | $60,445 |
| 15 | 23 | #71 | Dave Marcis | Chevrolet | Prodigy | 118/0 | 200 | Running | $52,230 |
| 16 | 43 | #2 | Rusty Wallace | Ford | Miller Genuine Draft | 115/0 | 200 | Running | $60,142 |
| 17 | 35 | #18 | Bobby Labonte | Chevrolet | Interstate Batteries | 112/0 | 200 | Running | $59,715 |
| 18 | 29 | #42 | Kyle Petty | Pontiac | Coors Light | 109/0 | 199 | Running | $53,870 |
| 19 | 14 | #98 | Jeremy Mayfield | Ford | RCA | 111/5 | 199 | Running | $46,482 |
| 20 | 39 | #43 | Bobby Hamilton | Chevrolet | STP | 103/0 | 199 | Running | $53,740 |
| 21 | 33 | #81 | Kenny Wallace | Chevrolet | Square D/T.I.C. | 100/0 | 199 | Running | $40,685 |
| 22 | 42 | #8 | Hut Stricklin | Ford | Circuit City | 102/5 | 199 | Running | $43,675 |
| 23 | 27 | #30 | Johnny Benson * | Pontiac | Pennzoil | 94/0 | 197 | Running | $51,775 |
| 24 | 5 | #5 | Terry Labonte | Chevrolet | Kellogg's Corn Flakes | 101/10 | 196 | Running | $68,570 |
| 25 | 18 | #27 | Elton Sawyer | Ford | Blair Motorsports | 88/0 | 196 | Running | $40,572 |
| 26 | 13 | #22 | Ward Burton | Pontiac | MBNA America | 85/0 | 195 | Running | $54,860 |
| 27 | 26 | #27 | Steve Grissom | Chevrolet | Cartoon Network | 82/0 | 191 | Running | $49,437 |
| 28 | 31 | #1 | Rick Mast | Pontiac | Hooters | 79/0 | 190 | Running | $48,782 |
| 29 | 40 | #17 | Darrell Waltrip | Ford | Parts America | 76/0 | 180 | Handling | $48,220 |
| 30 | 25 | #33 | Robert Pressley | Chevrolet | Skoal Bandit | 78/5 | 171 | Handling | $48,255 |
| 31 | 12 | #75 | Morgan Shepherd | Ford | Remington Arms | 70/0 | 164 | Handling | $43,192 |
| 32 | 41 | #11 | Brett Bodine | Ford | Lowe's | 72/5 | 162 | Handling | $44,405 |
| 33 | 30 | #97 | Chad Little | Ford | Sterling Cowboy | 64/0 | 158 | Accident | $37,687 |
| 34 | 38 | #7 | Geoffrey Bodine | Chevrolet | QVC | 61/0 | 157 | Accident | $44,120 |
| 35 | 2 | #28 | Ernie Irvan | Ford | Texaco/Havoline | 63/5 | 145 | Running | $85,847 |
| 36 | 24 | #19 | Loy Allen | Ford | HealthSource | 55/0 | 135 | Accident | $37,192 |
| 37 | 17 | #90 | Mike Wallace | Ford | Heilig-Meyers | 52/0 | 135 | Accident | $37,237 |
| 38 | 6 | #37 | John Andretti | Pontiac | Kmart/Little Caesars | 54/5 | 128 | Accident | $57,152 |
| 39 | 37 | #87 | Joe Nemechek | Chevrolet | Burger King | 46/0 | 86 | Handling | $43,302 |
| 40 | 3 | #4 | Sterling Marlin | Chevrolet | Kodak Films | 48/5 | 81 | Engine | $70,120 |
| 41 | 22 | #12 | Derrike Cope | Ford | Mane 'N Tail | 40/0 | 53 | Accident | $43,752 |
| 42 | 8 | #24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | DuPont | 37/0 | 13 | Handling | $59,052 |
| 43 | 28 | #63 | Dick Trickle | Chevrolet | Purina Hi Pro | 34/0 | 9 | Engine | $36,552 |
| * Denotes Rookie | |||||||||