The 1996 The Bud at The Glen was the 20th stock car race of the 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 11th iteration of the event.

It was long known around the world as the home of the Formula One United States Grand Prix, which it hosted for twenty consecutive years (1961–1980), but the site has been home to road racing of nearly every class, including the World Sportscar Championship, Trans-Am, Can-Am, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the International Motor Sports Association and the IndyCar Series.

The circuit's current layout has more or less been the same since 1971, although a chicane was installed at the uphill Esses in 1975 to slow cars through these corners, where there was a fatality during practice at the 1973 United States Grand Prix.

The circuit is known as the Mecca of North American road racing and is a very popular venue among fans and drivers.

Dale Earnhardt, driving for Richard Childress Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 1:13.054 and an average speed of 120.733 miles per hour (194.301 km/h).