Standings After Race #1 at Riverside International Raceway - Sunday, January 18th, 1976
| RNK | RNK +/- | STS | DRIVER | # | MAKE | PNTS | BHND | PO PTS | POLE | WIN | T5 | T10 | STG W | DNF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | 1 | David Pearson | 21 | Mercury | 185 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | - | 1 | Cale Yarborough | 11 | Chevrolet | 175 | -10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | - | 1 | Jimmy Insolo | 38 | Chevrolet | 165 | -20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | - | 1 | Ray Elder | 96 | Dodge | 160 | -25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | - | 1 | Benny Parsons | 72 | Chevrolet | 160 | -25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | - | 1 | Lennie Pond | 54 | Chevrolet | 150 | -35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | - | 1 | Dave Marcis | 71 | Dodge | 147 | -38 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | - | 1 | Richard Childress | 3 | Chevrolet | 146 | -39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | - | 1 | James Hylton | 48 | Chevrolet | 138 | -47 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | - | 1 | Bill Schmitt | 73 | Chevrolet | 134 | -51 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | - | 1 | Frank Warren | 79 | Dodge | 130 | -55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | - | 1 | DK Ulrich | 40 | Chevrolet | 127 | -58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | - | 1 | Larry Esau | 7 | Chevrolet | 124 | -61 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | - | 1 | Bobby Allison | 2 | Mercury | 123 | -62 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | - | 1 | Ron Esau | 20 | Chevrolet | 121 | -64 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | - | 1 | Chuck Bown | 01 | Chevrolet | 120 | -65 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | - | 1 | Gary Matthews | 8 | Dodge | 112 | -73 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | - | 1 | Eddie Bradshaw | 04 | Chevrolet | 109 | -76 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | - | 1 | JD McDuffie | 70 | Chevrolet | 106 | -79 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | - | 1 | Carl Joiner | 26 | Chevrolet | 103 | -82 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | - | 1 | Chuck Wahl | 37 | Chevrolet | 102 | -83 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | - | 1 | Darrell Waltrip | 88 | Chevrolet | 100 | -85 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | - | 1 | Cecil Gordon | 24 | Chevrolet | 99 | -86 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | - | 1 | Richard Petty | 43 | Dodge | 93 | -92 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | - | 1 | Hugh Pearson | 76 | Chevrolet | 91 | -94 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | - | 1 | Bill Polich | 12 | Chevrolet | 85 | -100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | - | 1 | Don Puskarich | 13 | Chevrolet | 82 | -103 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | - | 1 | Buddy Baker | 15 | Ford | 79 | -106 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | - | 1 | Gary Johnson | 44 | Dodge | 76 | -109 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | - | 1 | Hershel McGriff | 50 | Chevrolet | 73 | -112 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | - | 1 | Johnny Ray | 10 | Ford | 70 | -115 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | - | 1 | Sonny Easley | 55 | Ford | 67 | -118 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | - | 1 | Dick Brooks | 90 | Ford | 64 | -121 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | - | 1 | Sam Beler | 55 | Ford | 61 | -124 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | - | 1 | Harry Jefferson | 90 | Ford | 58 | -127 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |