The race was held on Sunday, October 6, 1996, in Concord, North Carolina, at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent quad-oval.

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.

Bobby Labonte, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 29.337 and an average speed of 184.068 miles per hour (296.229 km/h).

[4] Five drivers would fail to qualify: Joe Nemechek, Gary Bradberry, Dave Marcis, Robbie Faggart, and Delma Cowart.