Race: Mountain Dew 500
NASCAR Winston Cup Series: Race 19 of 31
Date: July 26, 1981
Track: Pocono International Raceway
← Busch Nashville 420 | 1981 Season Results | Talladega 500 →
Mountain Dew 500 Race Information
| Winner | Darrell Waltrip | Car | No. 11 Buick |
| Team / Owner | Junior Johnson | Sponsor | Mountain Dew |
| Winner Start | 1st | Winner Laps Led | 120 |
| Started First | Darrell Waltrip | Most Laps Led | Darrell Waltrip (120) |
| Race Distance | 500 miles (200 laps) | Track Length | 2.5 miles |
| Track Type | Paved oval | Starters | 35 |
| Total Purse | $166,100 | Winner Earnings | $23,640 |
| Different Leaders | 10 | Lead-Lap Finishers | 5 |
| Points Leader After Race | Bobby Allison | Season Race | 19 of 31 |
Mountain Dew 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 | 200 | 120 | running | 185 | $23,640 |
| 2 | 4 | 43 | Richard Petty | STP | Petty Enterprises | Buick | 200 | 36 | running | 175 | $18,915 |
| 3 | 3 | 15 | Benny Parsons | Melling Tool | Bud Moore | Ford | 200 | 23 | running | 170 | $13,515 |
| 4 | 6 | 33 | Harry Gant | Skoal Bandit | Hal Needham | Pontiac | 200 | 1 | running | 165 | $4,990 |
| 5 | 10 | 27 | Cale Yarborough | Valvoline | M.C. Anderson | Buick | 200 | 2 | running | 160 | $4,290 |
| 6 | 7 | 88 | Ricky Rudd | Gatorade | DiGard Racing | Chevrolet | 199 | 0 | running | 150 | $8,665 |
| 7 | 12 | 1 | Buddy Baker | UNO / Caesars Pocono Resorts | Hoss Ellington | Buick | 199 | 2 | running | 151 | $2,690 |
| 8 | 9 | 42 | Kyle Petty | STP | Petty Enterprises | Buick | 198 | 0 | running | 142 | $4,750 |
| 9 | 22 | 12 | Tim Richmond | UNO / Caesars Pocono Resorts | Kennie Childers | Oldsmobile | 198 | 0 | running | 138 | $3,090 |
| 10 | 14 | 47 | Ron Bouchard | Race Hill Farm | Jack Beebe | Buick | 198 | 0 | running | 134 | $5,325 |
| 11 | 8 | 2 | Dale Earnhardt | Wrangler | Jim Stacy | Pontiac | 198 | 4 | running | 135 | $9,190 |
| 12 | 15 | 75 | Gary Balough | Ferrailuolo & Sons Excavating | Rahmoc Enterprises | Chevrolet | 196 | 0 | running | 127 | $4,330 |
| 13 | 5 | 44 | Terry Labonte | Stratagraph | Billy Hagan | Buick | 196 | 0 | running | 124 | $7,240 |
| 14 | 19 | 22 | Stan Barrett | Skoal Bandit | Hal Needham | Pontiac | 196 | 1 | running | 126 | $1,615 |
| 15 | 16 | 90 | Jody Ridley | Truxmore / Sunny King | Junie Donlavey | Ford | 195 | 0 | running | 118 | $4,745 |
| 16 | 23 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Hills Racing | Buddy Arrington | Dodge | 195 | 0 | running | 115 | $3,485 |
| 17 | 17 | 37 | Mike Alexander | Rogers Auto Leasing | Bob Rogers | Buick | 195 | 0 | running | 112 | $1,295 |
| 18 | 25 | 70 | J.D. McDuffie | Bailey Excavating | J.D. McDuffie | Pontiac | 193 | 0 | running | 109 | $3,220 |
| 19 | 27 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Broadway Motors | Jimmy Means | Pontiac | 192 | 0 | running | 106 | $3,085 |
| 20 | 30 | 40 | Joe Booher | Booher Farms | D.K. Ulrich | Buick | 189 | 0 | running | 103 | $1,220 |
| 21 | 31 | 24 | Cecil Gordon | Gordon Racing | Cecil Gordon | Buick | 187 | 0 | running | 100 | $2,910 |
| 22 | 26 | 48 | James Hylton | Palatine Auto Parts | James Hylton | Pontiac | 185 | 0 | crash | 97 | $2,775 |
| 23 | 21 | 3 | Richard Childress | Nichols | Richard Childress | Pontiac | 185 | 0 | running | 94 | $2,590 |
| 24 | 32 | 99 | Al Loquasto | Schaefer Beer / Z95 | D.K. Ulrich | Buick | 184 | 0 | running | 91 | $2,345 |
| 25 | 13 | 28 | Bobby Allison | Hardee's | Harry Ranier | Buick | 179 | 4 | running | 93 | $6,655 |
| 26 | 34 | 20 | Rick Newsom | Camelot Lodge | Rick Newsom | Chevrolet | 175 | 0 | running | 85 | $1,055 |
| 27 | 24 | 66 | Lake Speed | Speed Racing | Lake Speed | Oldsmobile | 170 | 0 | running | 82 | $2,260 |
| 28 | 33 | 17 | Lowell Cowell | Kings Inn Daytona | Roger Hamby | Chevrolet | 149 | 0 | running | 79 | $2,225 |
| 29 | 11 | 5 | Morgan Shepherd | Performance Connection | Cliff Stewart | Pontiac | 139 | 0 | valve | 76 | $5,930 |
| 30 | 35 | 8 | Bruce Jacobi | Satterfield Air Conditioning | Don Satterfield | Buick | 117 | 0 | ignition | 73 | $955 |
| 31 | 20 | 64 | Tommy Gale | Sunny King Ford & Honda | Elmo Langley | Ford | 94 | 0 | engine | 70 | $2,130 |
| 32 | 29 | 60 | Bob Riley | AIM | Joe May | Pontiac | 84 | 0 | transmission | 67 | $905 |
| 33 | 18 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Norton Company | Dave Marcis | Buick | 83 | 0 | engine | 64 | $1,380 |
| 34 | 2 | 21 | Neil Bonnett | Purolator | Wood Brothers | Ford | 80 | 7 | wheel | 66 | $1,350 |
| 35 | 28 | 25 | Ronnie Thomas | Shelton Construction | Ronnie Thomas | Pontiac | 62 | 0 | cylinder head | 58 | $1,340 |
Season Navigation
1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results
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