Race: Daytona 500
NASCAR Winston Cup Series: Race 2 of 31
Date: February 15, 1981
Track: Daytona International Speedway
← Winston Western 500 | 1981 Season Results | Richmond 400 →
Daytona 500 Race Information
| Winner | Richard Petty | Car | No. 43 Buick |
| Team / Owner | Petty Enterprises | Sponsor | STP |
| Winner Start | 8th | Winner Laps Led | 27 |
| Started First | Bobby Allison | Most Laps Led | Bobby Allison (117) |
| Race Distance | 500 miles (200 laps) | Track Length | 2.5 miles |
| Track Type | Paved oval | Starters | 42 |
| Total Purse | $669,135 | Winner Earnings | $90,575 |
| Different Leaders | 9 | Lead-Lap Finishers | 5 |
| Points Leader After Race | Bobby Allison | Season Race | 2 of 31 |
Daytona 500 Race Results
| Fin | Start | No. | Driver | Sponsor | Team / Owner | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Points | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | 43 | Richard Petty | STP | Petty Enterprises | Buick | 200 | 27 | running | 180 | $90,575 |
| 2 | 1 | 28 | Bobby Allison | Tuf-Lon | Harry Ranier | Pontiac | 200 | 117 | running | 180 | $84,050 |
| 3 | 5 | 88 | Ricky Rudd | Gatorade | DiGard Racing | Oldsmobile | 200 | 8 | running | 170 | $53,115 |
| 4 | 6 | 1 | Buddy Baker | UNO | Hoss Ellington | Oldsmobile | 200 | 10 | running | 165 | $35,740 |
| 5 | 7 | 2 | Dale Earnhardt | Wrangler | Rod Osterlund | Pontiac | 200 | 4 | running | 160 | $37,365 |
| 6 | 16 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Mell-Gear | George Elliott | Ford | 199 | 4 | running | 155 | $30,615 |
| 7 | 27 | 90 | Jody Ridley | Truxmore / Sunny King | Junie Donlavey | Ford | 198 | 0 | running | 146 | $29,665 |
| 8 | 29 | 27 | Cale Yarborough | Valvoline | M.C. Anderson | Oldsmobile | 197 | 0 | running | 142 | $20,325 |
| 9 | 34 | 75 | Joe Millikan | Rahilly & Grady Racing Engines | Rahmoc Enterprises | Buick | 197 | 0 | running | 138 | $21,500 |
| 10 | 35 | 98 | Johnny Rutherford | Levi Garrett | Ron Benfield | Pontiac | 195 | 0 | running | 134 | $17,285 |
| 11 | 21 | 57 | Bill Elswick | Performance Boat | Rahmoc Enterprises | Oldsmobile | 195 | 0 | running | 130 | $14,365 |
| 12 | 33 | 12 | Donnie Allison | The 5 Racers | Kennie Childers | Oldsmobile | 195 | 0 | running | 127 | $12,660 |
| 13 | 22 | 22 | Stan Barrett | Skoal Bandit | Hal Needham | Pontiac | 195 | 0 | running | 124 | $12,870 |
| 14 | 13 | 93 | Don Whittington | Smith Racing | Scott Smith | Oldsmobile | 194 | 0 | running | 121 | $11,585 |
| 15 | 15 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Buck Stove / Hudson Transmission | Dave Marcis | Oldsmobile | 194 | 0 | running | 118 | $13,225 |
| 16 | 38 | 41 | Dick Brooks | Matthews Racing | Billy Matthews | Buick | 193 | 1 | running | 120 | $7,920 |
| 17 | 28 | 64 | Tommy Gale | Sunny King Ford & Honda | Elmo Langley | Ford | 192 | 0 | running | 112 | $11,835 |
| 18 | 17 | 19 | Ronnie Sanders | Home Trend Realty | Henley Gray | Buick | 191 | 0 | running | 109 | $7,635 |
| 19 | 23 | 17 | Glenn Jarrett | Tuf-Lon of Florida | Roger Hamby | Buick | 186 | 0 | running | 106 | $9,830 |
| 20 | 39 | 37 | Don Sprouse | Rogers Auto Leasing | Bob Rogers | Oldsmobile | 181 | 0 | running | 103 | $5,900 |
| 21 | 26 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Broadway Motors | Jimmy Means | Pontiac | 179 | 0 | running | 100 | $7,425 |
| 22 | 14 | 23 | Geoffrey Bodine | Oxford 250 | Dick Bahre | Pontiac | 178 | 0 | running | 97 | $5,260 |
| 23 | 31 | 47 | Harry Gant | Race Hill Farm | Jack Beebe | Buick | 175 | 0 | running | 94 | $6,375 |
| 24 | 41 | 70 | J.D. McDuffie | Bailey Excavating | J.D. McDuffie | Pontiac | 169 | 0 | running | 91 | $6,205 |
| 25 | 37 | 86 | Elliott Forbes-Robinson | Howard & Egerton | Richard Howard | Buick | 167 | 0 | axle | 88 | $3,835 |
| 26 | 20 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Hills Racing | Buddy Arrington | Dodge | 159 | 0 | running | 85 | $10,655 |
| 27 | 32 | 68 | Lennie Pond | Burger King | Jim Testa | Buick | 155 | 0 | oil pump | 82 | $4,600 |
| 28 | 19 | 25 | Ronnie Thomas | Thomas Racing | Ronnie Thomas | Pontiac | 151 | 0 | clutch | 79 | $5,125 |
| 29 | 9 | 16 | David Pearson | Halpern Enterprises | Joel Halpern | Chevrolet | 144 | 3 | engine | 81 | $4,350 |
| 30 | 40 | 99 | Tim Richmond | UNO | D.K. Ulrich | Buick | 144 | 0 | transmission | 73 | $4,690 |
| 31 | 4 | 15 | Benny Parsons | Melling Tool | Bud Moore | Ford | 135 | 0 | overheating | 70 | $13,750 |
| 32 | 11 | 42 | Kyle Petty | STP | Petty Enterprises | Buick | 128 | 0 | engine | 67 | $3,755 |
| 33 | 3 | 21 | Neil Bonnett | Purolator | Wood Brothers | Ford | 123 | 26 | clutch | 69 | $10,625 |
| 34 | 25 | 48 | James Hylton | Palatine Auto Parts | James Hylton | Pontiac | 123 | 0 | piston | 61 | $4,530 |
| 35 | 10 | 51 | A.J. Foyt | Gilmore / Valvoline | A.J. Foyt | Oldsmobile | 120 | 0 | valve | 58 | $3,750 |
| 36 | 2 | 11 | Darrell Waltrip | Mountain Dew | Junior Johnson | Buick | 117 | 0 | engine | 55 | $20,475 |
| 37 | 42 | 24 | Cecil Gordon | Home Craft Homes | Cecil Gordon | Buick | 116 | 0 | running | 52 | $3,955 |
| 38 | 18 | 3 | Richard Childress | Wachovia Carpet | Richard Childress | Pontiac | 110 | 0 | valve | 49 | $3,825 |
| 39 | 24 | 7 | Bruce Hill | Native Tan | Nelson Malloch | Buick | 54 | 0 | crash | 46 | $3,450 |
| 40 | 12 | 44 | Terry Labonte | Stratagraph / Apache Stove | Billy Hagan | Buick | 47 | 0 | engine | 43 | $8,775 |
| 41 | 36 | 31 | Billie Harvey | Graf Lear Jets | Billie Harvey | Pontiac | 45 | 0 | engine | 40 | $2,915 |
| 42 | 30 | 39 | Blackie Wangerin | Wangerin / Clements | Blackie Wangerin | Ford | 17 | 0 | crash | 37 | $2,750 |
Season Navigation
1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results
← Winston Western 500 | 1981 Season Results | Richmond 400 →