Race: Busch 500
NASCAR Winston Cup Series: Race 22 of 31
Date: August 22, 1981
Track: Bristol International Raceway
← Champion Spark Plug 400 | 1981 Season Results | Southern 500 →
Busch 500 Race Information
| Winner | Darrell Waltrip | Car | No. 11 Buick |
| Team / Owner | Junior Johnson | Sponsor | Mountain Dew |
| Winner Start | 1st | Winner Laps Led | 251 |
| Started First | Darrell Waltrip | Most Laps Led | Darrell Waltrip (251) |
| Race Distance | 266.5 miles (500 laps) | Track Length | 0.533 miles |
| Track Type | Paved oval | Starters | 30 |
| Total Purse | $117,450 | Winner Earnings | $18,800 |
| Different Leaders | 5 | Lead-Lap Finishers | 1 |
| Points Leader After Race | Bobby Allison | Season Race | 22 of 31 |
Busch 500 Race Results
| Fin | Start | No. | Driver | Sponsor | Team / Owner | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Points | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 11 | Darrell Waltrip | Mountain Dew | Junior Johnson | Buick | 500 | 251 | running | 185 | $18,800 |
| 2 | 3 | 88 | Ricky Rudd | Gatorade | DiGard Racing | Chevrolet | 499 | 92 | running | 175 | $12,375 |
| 3 | 16 | 44 | Terry Labonte | Stratagraph | Billy Hagan | Buick | 498 | 0 | running | 165 | $8,800 |
| 4 | 6 | 28 | Bobby Allison | Hardee's | Harry Ranier | Buick | 497 | 4 | running | 165 | $7,075 |
| 5 | 7 | 47 | Ron Bouchard | J.D. Stacy | Jack Beebe | Buick | 497 | 0 | running | 155 | $5,650 |
| 6 | 8 | 15 | Benny Parsons | Melling Tool | Bud Moore | Ford | 497 | 0 | running | 150 | $6,250 |
| 7 | 15 | 66 | Lake Speed | Speed Racing | Lake Speed | Oldsmobile | 493 | 0 | running | 146 | $4,170 |
| 8 | 9 | 12 | Tim Richmond | UNO | Kennie Childers | Oldsmobile | 488 | 0 | crash | 142 | $1,315 |
| 9 | 5 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Bowlin Coal | Dave Marcis | Buick | 487 | 0 | running | 138 | $3,600 |
| 10 | 20 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Hills Racing | Buddy Arrington | Dodge | 486 | 0 | running | 134 | $3,780 |
| 11 | 2 | 33 | Harry Gant | Skoal Bandit | Hal Needham | Pontiac | 485 | 0 | running | 130 | $3,695 |
| 12 | 22 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Broadway Motors | Jimmy Means | Pontiac | 480 | 0 | running | 127 | $3,035 |
| 13 | 23 | 70 | J.D. McDuffie | Bailey Excavating | J.D. McDuffie | Pontiac | 479 | 0 | running | 124 | $2,875 |
| 14 | 26 | 68 | Lennie Pond | Bekaert | Lennie Pond | Buick | 478 | 0 | running | 121 | $1,000 |
| 15 | 25 | 64 | Tommy Gale | Sunny King Ford & Honda | Elmo Langley | Ford | 471 | 0 | running | 118 | $2,615 |
| 16 | 28 | 48 | James Hylton | Palatine Auto Parts | James Hylton | Pontiac | 464 | 0 | running | 115 | $2,475 |
| 17 | 18 | 5 | Joe Millikan | Performance Connection | Cliff Stewart | Pontiac | 434 | 0 | running | 112 | $4,965 |
| 18 | 21 | 25 | Ronnie Thomas | Thomas Racing | Ronnie Thomas | Pontiac | 392 | 0 | running | 109 | $2,255 |
| 19 | 13 | 24 | Morgan Shepherd | Gordon Racing | Cecil Gordon | Buick | 339 | 104 | rear end | 111 | $1,905 |
| 20 | 4 | 90 | Jody Ridley | Truxmore / Sunny King | Junie Donlavey | Ford | 317 | 0 | sway bar | 103 | $2,875 |
| 21 | 12 | 2 | Joe Ruttman | J.D. Stacy | Jim Stacy | Pontiac | 302 | 49 | oil pan | 105 | $5,100 |
| 22 | 29 | 20 | Rick Newsom | Newsom Racing | Rick Newsom | Chevrolet | 248 | 0 | handling | 97 | $635 |
| 23 | 24 | 99 | Elliott Forbes-Robinson | Ulrich Racing | D.K. Ulrich | Buick | 246 | 0 | brakes | 94 | $870 |
| 24 | 10 | 43 | Richard Petty | STP | Petty Enterprises | Buick | 73 | 0 | cylinder head | 91 | $5,060 |
| 25 | 17 | 37 | Mike Alexander | Rogers Auto Leasing | Bob Rogers | Buick | 49 | 0 | crash | 88 | $595 |
| 26 | 27 | 17 | Mike Potter | Kings Inn Daytona | Roger Hamby | Chevrolet | 32 | 0 | steering | 85 | $1,130 |
| 27 | 14 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Wrangler | Richard Childress | Pontiac | 31 | 0 | crash | 82 | $2,620 |
| 28 | 11 | 42 | Kyle Petty | STP | Petty Enterprises | Buick | 28 | 0 | transmission | 79 | $860 |
| 29 | 30 | 8 | Joel Stowe | — | Don Satterfield | Pontiac | 14 | 0 | flagged | 76 | $540 |
| 30 | 19 | 40 | Cecil Gordon | Dixie Engineering | D.K. Ulrich | Buick | 3 | 0 | quit | 73 | $530 |
Season Navigation
1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results
← Champion Spark Plug 400 | 1981 Season Results | Southern 500 →