Race: Firecracker 400
NASCAR Winston Cup Series: Race 17 of 31
Date: July 4, 1981
Track: Daytona International Speedway
← Gabriel 400 | 1981 Season Results | Busch Nashville 420 →
Firecracker 400 Race Information
| Winner | Cale Yarborough | Car | No. 27 Buick |
| Team / Owner | M.C. Anderson | Sponsor | Valvoline |
| Winner Start | 1st | Winner Laps Led | 78 |
| Started First | Cale Yarborough | Most Laps Led | Cale Yarborough (78) |
| Race Distance | 400 miles (160 laps) | Track Length | 2.5 miles |
| Track Type | Paved oval | Starters | 42 |
| Total Purse | $225,825 | Winner Earnings | $24,625 |
| Different Leaders | 10 | Lead-Lap Finishers | 7 |
| Points Leader After Race | Bobby Allison | Season Race | 17 of 31 |
Firecracker 400 Race Results
| Fin | Start | No. | Driver | Sponsor | Team / Owner | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Points | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 27 | Cale Yarborough | Valvoline | M.C. Anderson | Buick | 160 | 78 | running | 185 | $24,625 |
| 2 | 2 | 33 | Harry Gant | Skoal Bandit | Hal Needham | Buick | 160 | 43 | running | 175 | $15,350 |
| 3 | 14 | 43 | Richard Petty | STP | Petty Enterprises | Buick | 160 | 7 | running | 170 | $17,200 |
| 4 | 21 | 1 | Buddy Baker | UNO | Hoss Ellington | Oldsmobile | 160 | 4 | running | 165 | $8,765 |
| 5 | 9 | 98 | Johnny Rutherford | Levi Garrett | Ron Benfield | Pontiac | 160 | 0 | running | 155 | $7,075 |
| 6 | 10 | 42 | Kyle Petty | STP | Petty Enterprises | Buick | 160 | 0 | running | 150 | $8,915 |
| 7 | 15 | 37 | Mike Alexander | Rogers Auto Leasing | Bob Rogers | Buick | 160 | 4 | running | 151 | $6,200 |
| 8 | 5 | 44 | Terry Labonte | Stratagraph | Billy Hagan | Buick | 159 | 0 | running | 142 | $10,040 |
| 9 | 7 | 47 | Ron Bouchard | Race Hill Farm | Jack Beebe | Buick | 159 | 0 | running | 138 | $7,775 |
| 10 | 19 | 11 | Darrell Waltrip | Mountain Dew | Junior Johnson | Buick | 159 | 0 | running | 134 | $9,610 |
| 11 | 16 | 68 | Lennie Pond | The 5 Racers | Lennie Pond | Buick | 159 | 0 | running | 130 | $3,550 |
| 12 | 40 | 70 | J.D. McDuffie | Bailey Excavating | J.D. McDuffie | Pontiac | 159 | 7 | running | 132 | $6,495 |
| 13 | 37 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Hudson Transmission | Dave Marcis | Buick | 157 | 0 | running | 124 | $6,155 |
| 14 | 35 | 4 | Connie Saylor | Spencer Racing | G.C. Spencer | Oldsmobile | 157 | 0 | running | 121 | $3,160 |
| 15 | 18 | 12 | Tim Richmond | UNO | Kennie Childers | Buick | 156 | 0 | engine | 118 | $2,920 |
| 16 | 32 | 50 | Bruce Hill | Native Tan | Bruce Hill | Buick | 155 | 0 | running | 115 | $2,530 |
| 17 | 33 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Jim Peacock | Buddy Arrington | Dodge | 155 | 0 | running | 112 | $5,175 |
| 18 | 30 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Broadway Motors | Jimmy Means | Pontiac | 155 | 0 | running | 109 | $4,870 |
| 19 | 34 | 64 | Tommy Gale | Sunny King Ford & Honda | Elmo Langley | Ford | 155 | 0 | running | 106 | $4,475 |
| 20 | 39 | 5 | Morgan Shepherd | Performance Connection | Cliff Stewart | Pontiac | 155 | 0 | running | 103 | $6,870 |
| 21 | 6 | 3 | Richard Childress | Ronnie Steele | Richard Childress | Pontiac | 154 | 0 | running | 100 | $3,785 |
| 22 | 41 | 48 | James Hylton | Palatine Auto Parts | James Hylton | Pontiac | 154 | 0 | running | 97 | $3,225 |
| 23 | 24 | 86 | Elliott Forbes-Robinson | Cal-Tex | Richard Howard | Buick | 153 | 0 | running | 94 | $1,470 |
| 24 | 17 | 75 | Bill Elswick | — | Rahmoc Enterprises | Buick | 150 | 0 | running | 91 | $3,290 |
| 25 | 29 | 24 | Cecil Gordon | Daytona Inn | Cecil Gordon | Buick | 146 | 0 | engine | 88 | $2,995 |
| 26 | 27 | 22 | Stan Barrett | Skoal Bandit | Hal Needham | Pontiac | 138 | 3 | engine | 90 | $1,470 |
| 27 | 42 | 17 | Tommy Houston | Kings Inn Daytona | Roger Hamby | Oldsmobile | 127 | 0 | running | 82 | $2,610 |
| 28 | 4 | 28 | Bobby Allison | Hardee's | Harry Ranier | Buick | 111 | 10 | valve | 84 | $7,020 |
| 29 | 22 | 6 | Joe Ruttman | The 5 Racers | Jim Stacy | Buick | 99 | 0 | ignition | 76 | $1,295 |
| 30 | 11 | 21 | Neil Bonnett | Purolator | Wood Brothers | Ford | 93 | 3 | engine | 78 | $1,820 |
| 31 | 38 | 19 | Dick May | Gray Racing | Henley Gray | Buick | 89 | 0 | engine | 70 | $1,060 |
| 32 | 13 | 51 | A.J. Foyt | Gilmore / Valvoline | A.J. Foyt | Oldsmobile | 85 | 0 | rear end | 67 | $1,035 |
| 33 | 20 | 66 | Lake Speed | Native Tan | Lake Speed | Buick | 76 | 0 | engine | 64 | $2,565 |
| 34 | 25 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Mell-Gear | George Elliott | Ford | 72 | 0 | engine | 61 | $985 |
| 35 | 3 | 2 | Dale Earnhardt | Wrangler | Jim Stacy | Pontiac | 71 | 1 | vibration | 63 | $8,360 |
| 36 | 36 | 99 | Kevin Housby | Taylor & Martin | D.K. Ulrich | Oldsmobile | 53 | 0 | crash | 55 | $2,480 |
| 37 | 28 | 13 | Jack Ingram | Carolina Tool | Bobby Hawkins | Ford | 52 | 0 | clutch | 52 | $940 |
| 38 | 31 | 90 | Jody Ridley | Truxmore / Sunny King | Junie Donlavey | Ford | 34 | 0 | engine | 49 | $2,735 |
| 39 | 26 | 15 | Benny Parsons | Melling Tool | Bud Moore | Ford | 16 | 0 | crash | 46 | $6,380 |
| 40 | 12 | 88 | Ricky Rudd | Gatorade | DiGard Racing | Oldsmobile | 16 | 0 | crash | 43 | $6,625 |
| 41 | 23 | 31 | Billie Harvey | Johnson / Pistone | Billie Harvey | Pontiac | 15 | 0 | crash | 40 | $1,000 |
| 42 | 8 | 62 | Rick Wilson | Florida Equipment & Service | Rick Wilson | Oldsmobile | 8 | 0 | engine | 37 | $925 |
Season Navigation
1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results