1986 Winchester 400
The 1986 Winchester 400 motor race, the seventeenth annual (run yearly since 1970), was held under American Speed Association sanction on October 5, 1986, at the Winchester Speedway, in Indiana (USA).
For the second consecutive year, Mark Martin shined in the biggest event of the ASA season as he captured all the glory in the 1986 Winchester 400. Winning from the pole position for the like he did the previous year, Martin took the lead for the final time on lap 381 and lapped the entire field to score his fifth win of the 1986 season and the $11,465 first prize.
The race
Starting alongside Martin on the front row, Mike Eddy jumped into the early lead with Martin close behind. Eddy would lead the first 86 laps of the event before pitting with overheating problems. Martin then took the lead for the first time and would lead until lap 129. Eddy and Butch Miller would swap the lead several times over the next 250 laps before Martin showed his winning hand. Miller was leading on lap 330 when engine problems sent him to the pits and out of the race. Miller’s woes gave the lead back to Eddy, who would lead for a total of 267 of the 400 laps, but a bad tire late in the race cost him two laps and cost him a chance at a third win. As Eddy slowed, Martin flash by for the lead on lap 381 and sailed to an uncontested win. Bobby Dotter came home a career-best second as Eddy settled for third ahead of Bob Senneker, and Kenny Wallace.
Table of results
| Results of the 17th Annual Winchester 400 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Start | Car # | Driver/Hometown | Sponsor/Make | Laps | Winnings (in US$) |
Status | |
| 1 | 1 | 2 |  Mark Martin / Batesville, AR |
Miller American / Ford | 400 | $11,465 | running | |
| 2 | 12 | 79 |  Bobby Dotter / West Allis, WI |
Baker Enterprises of WI/Mathu / Chevrolet | 399 | $6,220 | running | |
| 3 | 2 | 88 |  Mike Eddy / Midland, MI |
Lea Diesel/Howe/Malcuit / Chevrolet | 398 | $5,415 | running | |
| 4 | 11 | 84 | Bob Senneker / Dorr, MI |
Elk Custom Vans / Ford | 396 | $3,680 | running | |
| 5 | 20 | 36 |  Kenny Wallace / St. Louis, MO |
Child’s Tire/Kirn Engines / Chevrolet | 396 | $3,420 | running | |
| 6 | 9 | 90 |  Kent Stauffer / Elyria, OH |
Flex Industries / Chevrolet | 396 | $2,770 | running | |
| 7 | 6 | 91 |  Russ Urlin / London, ONT, CAN |
Budget/Labatt’s/Quaker State / Chevrolet | 394 | $2,670 | running | |
| 8 | 10 | 22 | Ken Lund / Oregon, WI |
Jack’s Original Pizza/LSJ / Pontiac | 392 | $2,370 | running | |
| 9 | 15 | 78 | Ed Cooper / Clarks Lake, MI |
Habegger Racing / Chevrolet | 389 | $1,920 | running | |
| 10 | 23 | 14 |  Robbie Couch / Georgia, VT |
Sam Pierce Chev./Dillon Enterprises / Chevrolet | 382 | $1,330 | running | |
| 11 | 18 | 04 | Gene Harsch / Sharonville, OH |
Pepsi-Cola / Chevrolet | 382 | $1,620 | running | |
| 12 | 19 | 25 | Jerry Churchill / Dearborn, MI |
Churchill Transp./Winston Trir. / Chevrolet | 377 | $1,495 | running | |
| 13 | 27 | 89 | Roy Aitchison / Deerfield, WI |
Dairy Queen / Chevrolet | 368 | $1,050 | running | |
| 14 | 14 | 71 | John Wilson / Springfield, OH |
Wilson Racing / Chevrolet | 358 | $1,620 | running | |
| 15 | 4 | 99 | Dick Trickle / Wisconsin Rapids, WI |
Coors Light Silver Bullet / Chevrolet | 349 | $2,340 | accident | |
| 16 | 3 | 52 | Butch Miller / Coopersville, MI |
Big A Autopro/ Lane/MSW / Chevrolet | 333 | $2,115 | engine | |
| 17 | 21 | 18 | Chet Kosin / Inkster, MI |
Kosin Auto/Giles Auto Body / Chevrolet | 319 | $1,275 | rear end | |
| 18 | 22 | 28 |  Bob Strait / Flossmoor, IL |
Hardee’s / Ford | 306 | $1,235 | running | |
| 19 | 25 | 3 | Dave Heid / White Pigeon, MI |
Landon Engines/Gerley Leep / Chevrolet | 251 | $925 | accident | |
| 20 | 16 | 40 | Harold Fair / Livonia, MI |
Fair Racing / Chevrolet | 220 | $1,920 | engine | |
| 21 | 8 | 21 | Larry Conroy / South Holland, IL |
SRC Circle Track Equipment / Chevrolet | 141 | $1,130 | suspension | |
| 22 | 17 | 7 | Gary St. Amant / Columbus, OH |
A-1 Auto Service/Stuphen Fire Eng. / Chevrolet | 92 | $1,280 | accident | |
| 23 | 13 | 0 | Tom Jones / Northbrook, IL |
Circle D Ranch/FelPro/MSW / Chevrolet | 91 | $1,355 | accident | |
| 24 | 7 | 112 |  Gary Balough / Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Fredrikson/Dillon/Prototype / Chevrolet | 91 | $740 | accident | |
| 25 | 24 | 24 | Dave Jensen / Grain Valley, MO |
Intermodel Concepts/Jensen Inc. / Chevrolet | 86 | $805 | accident | |
| 26 | 5 | 35 | Buddy Schrock / Plain City, OH |
Schrock Performance Spec. / Chevrolet | 26 | $985 | handling | |
| 27 | 26 | 44 | Terry Senneker / Wayland, MI |
J-R Management/Prater / Chevrolet | 5 | $350 | engine | |
| 28 | 28 | 11 |  Larry Harris / Indianapolis, IN |
Van’s Carburetor/Action Auto / Chevrolet | 5 | $430 | engine | |
Race statistics
- Average Speed: 77.280 mph (124.370 km/h)
- Margin of Victory: 1 lap
- Time of Race: Two hours, 35 minutes and 16.82 seconds
- Lead Changes: 7 among 3 drivers
- Lap Leaders: Mike Eddy 1-86; Mark Martin 87-129; Eddy 130-233; Butch Miller 234-299; Eddy 300-327; Miller 328-331; Eddy 332-380; Martin 381-400.
- Cautions: 11 for 72 laps
- Entries: 28 Qualifiers: 28
External links
| Preceded by 1985 Winchester 400 |
1986 Winchester 400 Winner: Mark Martin |
Succeeded by 1987 Winchester 400 |
Coordinates: 40°10′31″N 85°1′37″W / 40.17528°N 85.02694°W