The race was held on Sunday, May 25, 1986, before an audience of 158,000 in Concord, North Carolina, at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent quad-oval.

[1] After a poor start, Richard Childress Racing's Dale Earnhardt, crediting crew chief Kirk Shelmerdine, made several changes to the car afterward, making an improvement.

The complex features a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, as well as the UAW-GM Quality 500.

The speedway was built in 1959 by Bruton Smith and is considered the home track for NASCAR with many race teams located in the Charlotte area.

Geoff Bodine, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, won the pole, setting a time of 32.824 and an average speed of 164.511 miles per hour (264.755 km/h) in the first round.