The 1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the thirty-third season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 10th modern-era Cup Season. It was the first year of the Gen 3 car. Because of the energy crisis, manufacturers were downsizing their cars to be more fuel-efficient, which NASCAR reflected by mandating a 110-inch wheelbase that still exists today. The season began at Riverside International Raceway with the first Winston Western 500 on January 11, 1981 and ended with the same event on November 22. Darrell Waltrip won his first championship with point margin of fifty-three points over Bobby Allison. Ron Bouchard was named Rookie of the Year.
Teams and drivers TeamMakeDriverCar OwnerCrew Chief Arrington Racing Dodge Mirada 67 Buddy Arrington Buddy Arrington Benfield Racing Pontiac Grand Prix Buick Regal 98 Johnny Rutherford (R) Ron Benfield Buddy Parrott Bud Moore Engineering Ford Thunderbird 15 Benny ParsonsBud MooreBud Moore Cliff Stewart Racing Pontiac Grand Prix 5 Joe Millikan Cliff Stewart Darrell Bryant DiGard Motorsports Chevrolet Monte Carlo 88 Ricky Rudd Bill Gardner Gary Nelson Donlavey Racing Ford Thunderbird 90 Jody Ridley Junie Donlavey Ellington Racing Oldsmobile Cutlass Buick Regal 1 Buddy Baker Hoss Ellington Runt Pittman Gordon Racing Buick Regal 24 Cecil Gordon Cecil GordonMorgan Shepherd (R) Hagan Racing Buick Regal 44 Terry Labonte Billy Hagan Jake Elder Howard & Egerton Racing Buick Regal 86 Elliott Forbes-Robinson (R) Richard Howard Hylton Racing Pontiac Grand Prix 48 James Hylton James Hylton Osterlund Racing Pontiac Grand Prix2Dale Earnhardt Rod OsterlundDoug RichertJim Stacy Racing Buick RegalJim StacyJoe Ruttman (R) Dale InmanJunior Johnson & AssociatesBuick Regal 11 Darrell WaltripJunior Johnson Tim Brewer 41Richard Childress Langley Racing Ford Thunderbird 64 Tommy Gale Elmo Langley Lennie Pond Racing Buick Regal 68 Lennie Pond Lennie Pond M. C. Anderson Racing Buick Regal 27 Cale Yarborough M. C. Anderson David Anderson Mach 1 Racing Pontiac Grand Prix 22 Stan Barrett (R) Hal Needham 33 Harry Gant Travis Carter Marcis Auto Racing Buick Regal 71 Dave Marcis Dave Marcis Claude Queen McDuffie Racing Pontiac Grand Prix 70 J. D. McDuffie J. D. McDuffie Means Racing Pontiac Grand Prix 52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Elliott Racing Ford Thunderbird 9 Bill Elliott George Elliott Ernie Elliott Petty Enterprises Buick Regal 42 Richard Petty Richard Petty Mike Beam Kyle Petty 43 Kyle Petty Steve Hmiel Richard Petty Race Hill Farm Team Buick Regal 47 Ron Bouchard Jack Beebe Bob Johnson RahMoc Enterprises Buick Regal 75 Gary Balough (R) Bob Rahilly Bob Rahilly Ranier-Lundy Racing Pontiac LeMansBuick Regal 28 Bobby Allison Harry Ranier Waddell WilsonRichard Childress RacingPontiac Grand Prix 3 Richard Childress Richard ChildressKirk ShelmerdineDale Earnhardt 8Kirk Shelmerdine Rogers Racing Buick Regal 37 Mike Alexander (R) Bob Rogers Raymond KellyTim Richmond (R) Speed Racing Oldsmobile Cutlass 66 Lake Speed Lake Speed Thomas Racing Pontiac Grand Prix 25 Ronnie Thomas Ronnie Thomas Ulrich Racing Buick Regal 99 D. K. Ulrich D. K. Ulrich Wawak Racing Buick Regal 94 Bobby Wawak Bobby Wawak Wood Brothers Racing Ford Thunderbird 21 Neil Bonnett Glen Wood Leonard Wood
Season schedule and recap
RoundDateEventTrackWinner 1 January 11 Winston Western 500 Riverside International Raceway Bobby Allison February 8 Busch Clash Daytona International Speedway Darrell WaltripFebruary 12 UNO Twin 125 Qualifier Bobby Allison Darrell Waltrip February 13 Daytona 500 Consolation Race Lake Speed 2 February 15 Daytona 500 Richard Petty 3 February 22 Richmond 400 Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway Darrell Waltrip 4 March 1 Carolina 500 North Carolina Motor Speedway Darrell Waltrip 5 March 15 Coca-Cola 500 Atlanta International Raceway Cale Yarborough 6 March 29 Valleydale 500 Bristol International Raceway Darrell Waltrip 7 April 5 Northwestern Bank 400 North Wilkesboro Speedway Richard Petty 8 April 12 CRC Rebel 500 Darlington International Raceway Darrell Waltrip 9 April 26 Virginia 500 Martinsville Speedway Morgan Shepherd 10 May 3 Winston 500 Alabama International Motor Speedway Bobby Allison 11 May 9 Melling Tool 420 Nashville Speedway Benny Parsons 12 May 17 Mason-Dixon 500 Dover Downs International Speedway Jody Ridley 13 May 24 World 600 Charlotte Motor Speedway Bobby Allison 14 June 7 Budweiser 400 Texas World Speedway Benny Parsons 15 June 14 Hodgdon 400 Riverside International Raceway Darrell Waltrip 16 June 21 Gabriel 400 Michigan International Speedway Bobby Allison 17 July 4 Firecracker 400 Daytona International Speedway Cale Yarborough 18 July 11 Busch Nashville 420 Nashville Speedway Darrell Waltrip 19 July 26 Mt. Dew 500 Pocono Raceway Darrell Waltrip 20 August 2 Talladega 500 Alabama International Motor Speedway Ron Bouchard 21 August 16 Champion Spark Plug 400 Michigan International Speedway Richard Petty 22 August 22 Busch 500 Bristol International Raceway Darrell Waltrip 23 September 7 Southern 500 Darlington International Raceway Neil Bonnett 24 September 13 Wrangler SanforSet 400 Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway Benny Parsons 25 September 20 CRC Chemicals 500 Dover Downs International Speedway Neil Bonnett 26 September 27 Old Dominion 500 Martinsville Speedway Darrell Waltrip 27 October 4 Holly Farms 400 North Wilkesboro Speedway Darrell Waltrip 28 October 11 National 500 Charlotte Motor Speedway Darrell Waltrip 29 November 1 American 500 North Carolina Motor Speedway Darrell Waltrip 30 November 8 Atlanta Journal 500 Atlanta International Raceway Neil Bonnett 31 November 22 Winston Western 500 Riverside International Raceway Bobby Allison
Season summary
Race reports Western 500 – The final race where 115-inch wheelbase cars (Gen 2) were eligible to run, the field was a mix of 1977 racecars and 1981 models. Dale Earnhardt drove a 1981 Pontiac while race winner Bobby Allison drove a 1977 Monte Carlo. This race was also the first of what would be 788 consecutive Cup series starts for Ricky Rudd.
#28 - Bobby Allison #44 - Terry Labonte #2 - Dale Earnhardt #3 - Richard Childress #42 - Richard Petty #78 - Jim Robinson #90 - Jody Ridley #86 - Elliott Forbes-Robinson #67 - Buddy Arrington #38 - Don Waterman
Busch Clash - Seven drivers were invited to the 3rd annual Busch Clash for pole winners from 1980. Darrell Waltrip led 13 of 20 laps to win the event, pocketing $71,500 for his 15-minute, 52 second run.
#11 - Darrell Waltrip #15 - Benny Parsons #1 - Buddy Baker #16 - David Pearson #27 - Cale Yarborough #28 - Bobby Allison #12 - Donnie Allison
UNO Twin 125's– The new cars proved to be disturbingly ill-handling and there were several airborne crashes in testing and preliminary events. In the first 125 John Anderson and Connie Saylor flew off the ground and tumbled. Bobby Allison drove a Pontiac LeMans, which unlike the other makes sported a sloped tear glass and was notably more stable. He won the pole and his 125 under yellow for the Saylor crash. Darrell Waltrip in a notch backed Buick engaged in a very spirited duel. Following rookie Tim Richmond’s crash the race ended in a one lap sprint; Benny Parsons stormed from third to the lead but Waltrip re-passed him on the tri-oval apron for the win.
Race 1: #28 - Bobby Allison #21 - Neil Bonnett #88 - Ricky Rudd #2 - Dale Earnhardt #16 - David Pearson #42 - Kyle Petty #93 - Don Whittington #71 - Dave Marcis #19 - Ronnie Sanders #25 - Ronnie Thomas
Race 2: #11 - Darrell Waltrip #15 - Benny Parsons #1 - Buddy Baker #43 - Richard Petty #51 - A.J. Foyt #44 - Terry Labonte #23 - Geoff Bodine #9 - Bill Elliott #3 - Richard Childress #67 - Buddy Arrington
1981 Daytona 500 Consolation Race - The 12 cars that failed to qualify for the Daytona 500 were allowed to run in a consolation race for 30 laps (). This was the first time there was a consolation race since 1962. Lake Speed led all 30 laps to win and take home $5,000.
#66 - Lake Speed #8 - Dick May #73 - Steve Moore #45 - Baxter Price #59 - A.C. York #08 - Alan Rogers #17 - Jerry Lovell #61 - Tommy Hilbert #94 - Bobby Wawak #01 - Dickie Boswell
Daytona 500- NASCAR increased spoiler size twice during the week to keep the cars on the ground. The ensuing 500 saw only four minor cautions and 49 lead changes. Bobby Allison’s 1981 Pontiac LeMans was as expected from Thursday more stable and faster, but Richard Petty got out to the lead after his last pitstop by not changing tires; once in the lead he was uncatchable by Allison as he took his seventh and final Daytona 500 win.
#43 - Richard Petty #28 - Bobby Allison #88 - Ricky Rudd #1 - Buddy Baker #2 - Dale Earnhardt #9 - Bill Elliott #90 - Jody Ridley #27 - Cale Yarborough #75 - Joe Millikan #98 - Johnny Rutherford
Richmond 400– Darrell Waltrip drove Junior Johnson's Buick to his first win of the season, edging Ricky Rudd, driving Waltrip's former car, the DiGard Oldsmobile. Bobby Allison wrecked his Pontiac LeMans and drove Butch Lindley's car rather than run a backup Oldsmobile in the team's shop for fear NASCAR would use the existence of the backup to justify banning the LeMans altogether.
#11 - Darrell Waltrip #88 - Ricky Rudd #43 - Richard Petty #5 - Morgan Shepherd #15 - Benny Parsons #47 - Harry Gant #2 - Dale Earnhardt #90 - Jody Ridley #75 - Joe Millikan #70 - J.D. McDuffie
Carolina 500 - Cale Yarborough won the pole and led 320 laps but ran dry in the final 25 laps. Richard Petty led until three laps to go as Darrell Waltrip outlasted the field to win. The lead changed a track-record 36 times. This was the last race that Richard Petty would lead the Winston Cup points standings in his career. ESPN made their NASCAR broadcasting debut.
#11 - Darrell Waltrip #27 - Cale Yarborough #43 - Richard Petty #21 - Neil Bonnett #1 - Buddy Baker #28 - Bobby Allison #75 - Joe Millikan #42 - Kyle Petty #66 - Lake Speed #86 - Elliott Forbes-Robinson
Atlanta 500 – Team owner Harry Ranier protested NASCAR-mandated spoiler reduction to the Pontiac LeMans the team was running but got no support from rival teams. Cale Yarborough edged Harry Gant for the win while Dave Marcis flipped his car after sliding hard into a giant truck tire shielding the pit wall abutment.
#27 - Cale Yarborough #47 - Harry Gant #2 - Dale Earnhardt #28 - Bobby Allison #15 - Benny Parsons #90 - Jody Ridley #51 - A.J. Foyt #5 - Morgan Shepherd #9 - Bill Elliott #6 - Joe Ruttman
Southeastern 500 - Waltrip led 323 laps and edged Ricky Rudd for the win, his third of the season. There were eight caution flags, one of them involving a hard set-to between Benny Parsons and Joe Millikan. "I admit I lost my cool," Millikan said, to which team owner Bud Moore replied, "I'll straighten out Millikan's cool."
#11 - Darrell Waltrip #88 - Ricky Rudd #28 - Bobby Allison #5 - Morgan Shepherd #15 - Benny Parsons #90 - Jody Ridley #44 - Terry Labonte #48 - Harry Gant #66 - Lake Speed #99 - Tim Richmond
Northwestern Bank 400 -
#43 - Richard Petty #28 - Bobby Allison #11 - Darrell Waltrip #71 - Dave Marcis #12 - Harry Gant #88 - Ricky Rudd #44 - Terry Labonte #47 - Ron Bouchard #5 - Morgan Shepherd #2 - Dale Earnhardt
Rebel 500 – Waltrip edged Gant, who was making his debut in a Pontiac Grand Prix owned by Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham. Bobby Allison debuted a new Buick as the team gave up on the LeMans because of NASCAR spoiler reduction on the car.
#11 - Darrell Waltrip #33 - Harry Gant #71 - Dave Marcis #9 - Bill Elliott #15 - Benny Parsons #1 - Buddy Baker #90 - Jody Ridley #16 - David Pearson #28 - Bobby Allison #75 - Joe Millikan
Virginia 500– Rookie Morgan Shepherd dominated en route to his first career Grand National win.
#5 - Morgan Shepherd #21 - Neil Bonnett #88 - Ricky Rudd #12 - Harry Gant #44 - Terry Labonte #90 - Jody Ridley #66 - Lake Speed #67 - Buddy Arrington #47 - Ron Bouchard