Race: Coca-Cola 500
NASCAR Winston Cup Series: Race 5 of 31
Date: March 15, 1981
Track: Atlanta International Raceway
← Carolina 500 | 1981 Season Results | Valleydale 500 →
Coca-Cola 500 Race Information
| Winner | Cale Yarborough | Car | No. 27 Buick |
| Team / Owner | M.C. Anderson | Sponsor | Valvoline |
| Winner Start | 17th | Winner Laps Led | 71 |
| Started First | Terry Labonte | Most Laps Led | Harry Gant (94) |
| Race Distance | 499.216 miles (328 laps) | Track Length | 1.522 miles |
| Track Type | Paved oval | Starters | 42 |
| Total Purse | $226,875 | Winner Earnings | $28,950 |
| Different Leaders | 9 | Lead-Lap Finishers | 2 |
| Points Leader After Race | Bobby Allison | Season Race | 5 of 31 |
Coca-Cola 500 Race Results
| Fin | Start | No. | Driver | Sponsor | Team / Owner | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Points | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | 27 | Cale Yarborough | Valvoline | M.C. Anderson | Buick | 328 | 71 | running | 180 | $28,950 |
| 2 | 2 | 47 | Harry Gant | Race Hill Farm | Jack Beebe | Buick | 328 | 94 | running | 180 | $32,705 |
| 3 | 5 | 2 | Dale Earnhardt | Wrangler | Rod Osterlund | Pontiac | 327 | 0 | running | 165 | $19,400 |
| 4 | 30 | 28 | Bobby Allison | Tuf-Lon | Harry Ranier | Pontiac | 327 | 4 | running | 165 | $14,415 |
| 5 | 13 | 15 | Benny Parsons | Melling Tool | Bud Moore | Ford | 326 | 4 | running | 160 | $11,975 |
| 6 | 7 | 90 | Jody Ridley | Truxmore / Sunny King | Junie Donlavey | Ford | 326 | 0 | running | 150 | $9,680 |
| 7 | 15 | 51 | A.J. Foyt | Gilmore / Valvoline | A.J. Foyt | Oldsmobile | 325 | 0 | running | 146 | $4,425 |
| 8 | 20 | 5 | Morgan Shepherd | Performance Connection | Cliff Stewart | Pontiac | 325 | 0 | running | 142 | $4,765 |
| 9 | 10 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Mell-Gear | George Elliott | Ford | 323 | 0 | running | 138 | $3,705 |
| 10 | 25 | 6 | Joe Ruttman | The 5 Racers | Jim Stacy | Buick | 322 | 0 | running | 134 | $3,485 |
| 11 | 31 | 70 | J.D. McDuffie | Bailey Excavating | J.D. McDuffie | Pontiac | 321 | 0 | running | 130 | $5,380 |
| 12 | 33 | 98 | Johnny Rutherford | Levi Garrett | Ron Benfield | Pontiac | 321 | 0 | running | 127 | $2,575 |
| 13 | 35 | 57 | Bill Elswick | Performance Boat | Rahmoc Enterprises | Buick | 317 | 0 | running | 124 | $2,445 |
| 14 | 26 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Hills Racing | Buddy Arrington | Dodge | 316 | 0 | running | 121 | $4,880 |
| 15 | 12 | 75 | Joe Millikan | — | Rahmoc Enterprises | Buick | 315 | 0 | fuel pump | 118 | $4,630 |
| 16 | 27 | 22 | Stan Barrett | Skoal Bandit | Hal Needham | Pontiac | 315 | 0 | running | 115 | $1,885 |
| 17 | 8 | 3 | Richard Childress | Downey's Auto Parts | Richard Childress | Pontiac | 311 | 1 | running | 117 | $4,160 |
| 18 | 32 | 64 | Tommy Gale | Sunny King Ford & Honda | Elmo Langley | Ford | 310 | 0 | running | 109 | $3,940 |
| 19 | 1 | 44 | Terry Labonte | Stratagraph | Billy Hagan | Buick | 308 | 0 | running | 106 | $9,155 |
| 20 | 39 | 20 | Rick Newsom | City | Rick Newsom | Chevrolet | 294 | 0 | running | 103 | $1,725 |
| 21 | 41 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Broadway Motors | Jimmy Means | Pontiac | 282 | 0 | running | 100 | $3,250 |
| 22 | 16 | 88 | Ricky Rudd | Gatorade | DiGard Racing | Buick | 280 | 0 | running | 97 | $7,760 |
| 23 | 36 | 7 | Bruce Hill | Hill Racing | Bruce Hill | Buick | 275 | 0 | running | 94 | $2,990 |
| 24 | 34 | 79 | Dick May | Miller Roofing | Junior Miller | Oldsmobile | 267 | 0 | oil pump | 91 | $2,805 |
| 25 | 22 | 48 | James Hylton | Palatine Auto Parts | James Hylton | Pontiac | 254 | 0 | engine | 88 | $2,510 |
| 26 | 19 | 99 | Tim Richmond | UNO | D.K. Ulrich | Buick | 241 | 0 | crash | 85 | $2,420 |
| 27 | 28 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Bowlin Coal | Dave Marcis | Oldsmobile | 238 | 0 | crash | 82 | $2,635 |
| 28 | 4 | 21 | Neil Bonnett | Purolator | Wood Brothers | Ford | 234 | 84 | water pump | 84 | $1,605 |
| 29 | 23 | 12 | Donnie Allison | The 5 Racers | Kennie Childers | Oldsmobile | 189 | 0 | engine | 76 | $1,080 |
| 30 | 40 | 17 | Steve Spencer | Kings Inn Daytona | Roger Hamby | Buick | 170 | 0 | oil pump | 73 | $2,290 |
| 31 | 42 | 25 | Ronnie Thomas | Thomas Racing | Ronnie Thomas | Pontiac | 159 | 0 | clutch | 70 | $1,510 |
| 32 | 6 | 16 | David Pearson | Halpern Enterprises | Joel Halpern | Chevrolet | 153 | 4 | engine | 72 | $1,000 |
| 33 | 18 | 37 | Mike Alexander | Rogers Auto Leasing | Bob Rogers | Buick | 139 | 0 | engine | 64 | $990 |
| 34 | 29 | 53 | Slick Johnson | Johnson Racing | J.D. Johnson | Chevrolet | 138 | 0 | cam | 61 | $980 |
| 35 | 21 | 66 | Lake Speed | Speed Racing | Lake Speed | Buick | 133 | 0 | oil pump | 58 | $970 |
| 36 | 11 | 11 | Darrell Waltrip | Mountain Dew | Junior Johnson | Buick | 131 | 32 | engine | 60 | $6,390 |
| 37 | 37 | 24 | Cecil Gordon | Gordon Racing | Cecil Gordon | Buick | 124 | 0 | engine | 52 | $1,430 |
| 38 | 14 | 43 | Richard Petty | STP | Petty Enterprises | Buick | 113 | 34 | engine | 54 | $6,370 |
| 39 | 24 | 86 | Elliott Forbes-Robinson | Howard & Egerton | Richard Howard | Buick | 97 | 0 | crash | 46 | $910 |
| 40 | 3 | 1 | Buddy Baker | UNO | Hoss Ellington | Oldsmobile | 86 | 0 | engine | 43 | $900 |
| 41 | 9 | 42 | Kyle Petty | STP | Petty Enterprises | Buick | 17 | 0 | engine | 40 | $900 |
| 42 | 38 | 94 | Bobby Wawak | Louise Smith | Bobby Wawak | Pontiac | 10 | 0 | piston | 37 | $900 |
Season Navigation
1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results