The 1976 Southern 500 was a Winston Cup (now Nextel Cup) event held at Darlington Speedway on September 5, 1976. David Pearson won his second straight race, leading 93 laps and holding off Richard Petty by 2.8 seconds. A poor 23rd place finish by points leader Cale Yarborough allowed Richard Petty to close within 29 markers. Stats