| # | Driver | Pts | Behind | W |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brett Bodine | 4598 | 2 | |
| 2 | Larry Pearson | 4551 | −47 | 1 |
| 3 | Dale Jarrett | 4313 | −285 | 1 |
| 4 | Jack Ingram | 4301 | −297 | 5 |
| 5 | L.D. Ottinger | 4220 | −378 | 1 |
| 6 | Tommy Houston | 4200 | −398 | 4 |
| 7 | Ronnie Silver | 3967 | −631 | 1 |
| 8 | Jimmy Hensley | 3950 | −648 | |
| 9 | Rick Mast | 3758 | −840 | |
| 10 | Charlie Luck | 3738 | −860 | |
| 11 | Larry Pollard | 3708 | −890 | |
| 12 | Joe Thurman | 3589 | −1,009 | |
| 13 | Bosco Lowe | 3324 | −1,274 | |
| 14 | Kenny Burks | 3148 | −1,450 | |
| 15 | Elton Sawyer | 3046 | −1,552 | |
| 16 | Robert Ingram | 2726 | −1,872 | |
| 17 | John Linville | 2704 | −1,894 | |
| 18 | Jimmy Lawson | 2649 | −1,949 | |
| 19 | Brad Teague | 2502 | −2,096 | |
| 20 | Ed Berrier | 2439 | −2,159 |
Brett Bodine led on points, but the 1986 title went to Larry Pearson. Championships in this era were not decided by the points table alone (playoff/chase formats, dropped scores, or a different points system), so the standings order below is not the championship order.