The 1976 NASCAR Grand National Winston Cup Series season began on Sunday, January 18 and ended on Sunday, November 21. Cale Yarborough, driving the #11 Junior Johnson Holly Farms Chevrolet scored his first of three consecutive NASCAR Grand National Series Winston Cup Championships. Skip Manning was named NASCAR Rookie of the Year.
Daytona 500 – From disallowance of qualifying times for A.J. Foyt, Dave Marcis, and Darrell Waltrip to the crashing of race leaders Richard Petty and David Pearson a half-mile from the checkered flag, the 1976 500 became one of the most celebrated races in history.
Carolina 500 – Richard Petty won going away in a race marred by a huge melee on the backstretch where Bobby Allison tumbled.
Atlanta 500 – David Pearson spent 225 laps to get back onto the lead lap and took his third win of the season.
Virginia 500 – Darrell Waltrip took the win, his first with Gatorade sponsorship.
Winston 500 – Buddy Baker became the first driver to win a 500-miler in less than three hours.
World 600 – Pearson edged Petty and Cale Yarborough as Bruton Smith made his official return to Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Purolator 500 – The lead changed 47 times as Pearson's blown tire coming to the white flag gave Petty only his second win of the season.
Talladega 500 – Dave Marcis took his only Talladega win and the first for crew chief Harry Hyde. The lead changed a season-high 57 times.
Yankee 400 – David Pearson took his eighth win of the season, but first since the June event at Michigan International Speedway.
Southern 500 – Pearson took the one race he had sought his entire career. A big wreck occurred after Buddy Baker blew up and spun; behind him Skip Manning spun and was hit in the left side door by Joe Frasson.
Delaware 500Cale Yarborough made up two laps on two separate occasions and won his second straight race.
National 500Donnie Allison surprised the field in a backup Hoss Ellington Monte Carlo; the engine measured a tick over the legal displacement in immediate post race inspection but after cooling down the engine was within limits.
American 500Richard Petty took the win, only his third of the season. Lennie Pond finished second. Green flag pitstops became frequent as Petty spent a total of 125 seconds in the pits to Pond's 54 seconds.
Dixie 500 – Dave Marcis took his final superspeedway win. Dale Earnhardt made his third career start in this race and survived a vicious tumble after hitting the spinning Ford of Dick Brooks.
LA Times 500 – Pearson posted his eighth superspeedway win and tenth overall of the season.
