Race: Southern 500
NASCAR Winston Cup Series: Race 20 of 28
Date: September 1, 1985
Track: Darlington Raceway
← Busch 500 | 1985 Season Results | Wrangler Sanfor-Set 400 →
Southern 500 Race Information
| Winner | Bill Elliott | Car | No. 9 Ford |
| Team / Owner | Harry Melling | Sponsor | Coors |
| Winner Start | 1st | Winner Laps Led | 100 |
| Started First | Bill Elliott | Most Laps Led | Dale Earnhardt (147) |
| Race Distance | 501.322 miles (367 laps) | Track Length | 1.366 miles |
| Track Type | Paved oval | Starters | 40 |
| Total Purse | $1,336,755 | Winner Earnings | $1,053,725 |
| Different Leaders | 9 | Lead-Lap Finishers | 3 |
| Points Leader After Race | Bill Elliott | Season Race | 20 of 28 |
Southern 500 Race Results
| Fin | Start | No. | Driver | Sponsor | Team / Owner | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Points | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Coors | Harry Melling | Ford | 367 | 100 | running | 180 | $1,053,725 |
| 2 | 22 | 28 | Cale Yarborough | Hardee's | Harry Ranier | Ford | 367 | 25 | running | 175 | $22,050 |
| 3 | 17 | 5 | Geoffrey Bodine | Levi Garrett | Rick Hendrick | Chevrolet | 367 | 5 | running | 170 | $21,975 |
| 4 | 21 | 12 | Neil Bonnett | Budweiser | Junior Johnson | Chevrolet | 366 | 0 | running | 160 | $17,425 |
| 5 | 19 | 47 | Ron Bouchard | Valvoline | Jack Beebe | Buick | 366 | 1 | running | 160 | $13,330 |
| 6 | 11 | 15 | Ricky Rudd | Motorcraft | Bud Moore | Ford | 366 | 0 | running | 150 | $13,450 |
| 7 | 9 | 44 | Terry Labonte | Piedmont Airlines | Billy Hagan | Chevrolet | 365 | 0 | running | 146 | $15,500 |
| 8 | 3 | 55 | Benny Parsons | Copenhagen | Leo Jackson / Richard Jackson | Chevrolet | 365 | 0 | running | 142 | $5,800 |
| 9 | 4 | 4 | Joe Ruttman | Folger's Coffee | Larry McClure | Chevrolet | 364 | 0 | running | 138 | $5,350 |
| 10 | 25 | 7 | Kyle Petty | 7-Eleven | Wood Brothers | Ford | 364 | 0 | running | 134 | $9,995 |
| 11 | 8 | 27 | Tim Richmond | Old Milwaukee | Raymond Beadle | Pontiac | 364 | 0 | running | 130 | $8,505 |
| 12 | 24 | 43 | Richard Petty | STP | Mike Curb | Pontiac | 364 | 0 | running | 127 | $10,860 |
| 13 | 20 | 8 | Bobby Hillin, Jr. | Trap Rock Industries | Stavola Brothers | Chevrolet | 362 | 1 | running | 129 | $6,255 |
| 14 | 32 | 90 | Ken Schrader | Ultra Seal | Junie Donlavey | Ford | 362 | 0 | running | 121 | $8,475 |
| 15 | 16 | 88 | Buddy Baker | Bull Frog Knits | Buddy Baker / Danny Schiff | Oldsmobile | 358 | 2 | engine | 123 | $8,085 |
| 16 | 18 | 75 | Lake Speed | Nationwise Auto Parts | Rahmoc Enterprises | Pontiac | 358 | 0 | running | 115 | $6,865 |
| 17 | 7 | 11 | Darrell Waltrip | Budweiser | Junior Johnson | Chevrolet | 355 | 0 | running | 112 | $12,205 |
| 18 | 33 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Vinton Motors | Buddy Arrington | Ford | 353 | 0 | running | 109 | $6,290 |
| 19 | 5 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Wrangler Jeans / 1-800-FARMAID | Richard Childress | Chevrolet | 349 | 147 | engine | 116 | $12,835 |
| 20 | 39 | 17 | Ken Ragan | McCord Gaskets | Roger Hamby | Chevrolet | 349 | 0 | running | 103 | $6,080 |
| 21 | 6 | 33 | Harry Gant | Skoal Bandit | Hal Needham | Chevrolet | 336 | 84 | engine | 105 | $12,340 |
| 22 | 29 | 1 | Pancho Carter | Lancaster Tobacco | Hoss Ellington | Chevrolet | 336 | 0 | running | 97 | $2,755 |
| 23 | 27 | 71 | Dave Marcis | AEL Rentals | Dave Marcis | Chevrolet | 271 | 2 | vibration | 99 | $5,240 |
| 24 | 35 | 23 | Michael Waltrip | Jim Testa | Dick Bahre | Chevrolet | 266 | 0 | engine | 91 | $2,535 |
| 25 | 26 | 14 | A.J. Foyt | Copenhagen | A.J. Foyt | Oldsmobile | 248 | 0 | brakes | 88 | $2,675 |
| 26 | 37 | 64 | Clark Dwyer | Sunny King Ford & Honda | Elmo Langley | Ford | 237 | 0 | crash | 85 | $4,595 |
| 27 | 36 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Broadway Motors | Jimmy Means | Chevrolet | 236 | 0 | camshaft | 82 | $4,480 |
| 28 | 40 | 68 | Mike Potter | Eagle Snacks | Jimmy Walker | Ford | 186 | 0 | engine | 79 | $2,110 |
| 29 | 38 | 51 | Slick Johnson | Rozier War Eagle | Doug Spohn | Ford | 184 | 0 | oil pressure | 76 | $2,005 |
| 30 | 23 | 22 | Bobby Allison | Miller American | Bobby Allison | Ford | 162 | 0 | engine | 73 | $1,950 |
| 31 | 30 | 49 | Trevor Boys | Fleet Service / R.L. Monroe | James Hylton | Chevrolet | 134 | 0 | crash | 70 | $4,100 |
| 32 | 34 | 6 | Eddie Bierschwale | U.S. Racing | D.K. Ulrich | Chevrolet | 108 | 0 | engine | 67 | $4,025 |
| 33 | 12 | 18 | Tommy Ellis | — | Eric Freedlander | Chevrolet | 101 | 0 | transmission | 64 | $1,735 |
| 34 | 31 | 36 | H.B. Bailey | Almeda Auto Parts / Naitonal Motors | H.B. Bailey | Pontiac | 94 | 0 | crash | 61 | $1,680 |
| 35 | 10 | 77 | Greg Sacks | Miller American | DiGard Racing | Buick | 60 | 0 | crash | 58 | $8,400 |
| 36 | 28 | 32 | Tommy Houston | Houston Racing | Paul Ingle | Chevrolet | 47 | 0 | engine | 55 | $1,645 |
| 37 | 15 | 16 | Morgan Shepherd | Carolina Tool | Bobby Hawkins | Chevrolet | 22 | 0 | engine | 52 | $1,490 |
| 38 | 14 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Alugard | Cliff Stewart | Pontiac | 21 | 0 | crash | 49 | $3,880 |
| 39 | 13 | 66 | Phil Parsons | Skoal Bandit | Leo Jackson / Richard Jackson | Chevrolet | 21 | 0 | crash | 46 | $1,435 |
| 40 | 2 | 21 | David Pearson | Chattanooga Chew | David Pearson | Ford | 17 | 0 | engine | 43 | $2,625 |
Season Navigation
1985 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results
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