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The1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the thirty-third season ofprofessionalstock car racing in theUnited 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 atRiverside International Raceway with the firstWinston Western 500 on January 11, 1981 and ended with the sameevent on November 22.Darrell Waltrip won his first championship with point margin of fifty-three points overBobby Allison.Ron Bouchard was namedRookie of the Year.

• 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 winnerBobby Allison drove a 1977 Monte Carlo. This race was also the first of what would be 788 consecutive Cup series starts forRicky Rudd.

1. #28 -Bobby Allison
2. #44 -Terry Labonte
3. #2 -Dale Earnhardt
4. #3 -Richard Childress
5. #42 -Richard Petty
6. #78 -Jim Robinson
7. #90 -Jody Ridley
8. #86 -Elliott Forbes-Robinson
9. #67 -Buddy Arrington
10. #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.

1. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
2. #15 -Benny Parsons
3. #1 -Buddy Baker
4. #16 -David Pearson
5. #27 -Cale Yarborough
6. #28 -Bobby Allison
7. #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 rookieTim 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:

1. #28 -Bobby Allison
2. #21 -Neil Bonnett
3. #88 -Ricky Rudd
4. #2 -Dale Earnhardt
5. #16 -David Pearson
6. #42 -Kyle Petty
7. #93 -Don Whittington
8. #71 -Dave Marcis
9. #19 -Ronnie Sanders
10. #25 -Ronnie Thomas

Race 2:

1. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
2. #15 -Benny Parsons
3. #1 -Buddy Baker
4. #43 -Richard Petty
5. #51 -A.J. Foyt
6. #44 -Terry Labonte
7. #23 -Geoff Bodine
8. #9 -Bill Elliott
9. #3 -Richard Childress
10. #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 (75 mi (121 km)). This was the first time there was a consolation race since1962.Lake Speed led all 30 laps to win and take home $5,000.

1. #66 -Lake Speed
2. #8 -Dick May
3. #73 -Steve Moore
4. #45 -Baxter Price
5. #59 -A.C. York
6. #08 -Alan Rogers
7. #17 -Jerry Lovell
8. #61 -Tommy Hilbert
9. #94 -Bobby Wawak
10. #01 -Dickie Boswell

• Daytona500- 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, butRichard 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.

1. #43 -Richard Petty
2. #28 -Bobby Allison
3. #88 -Ricky Rudd
4. #1 -Buddy Baker
5. #2 -Dale Earnhardt
6. #9 -Bill Elliott
7. #90 -Jody Ridley
8. #27 -Cale Yarborough
9. #75 -Joe Millikan
10. #98 -Johnny Rutherford

• Richmond 400–Darrell Waltrip droveJunior Johnson's Buick to his first win of the season, edgingRicky Rudd, driving Waltrip's former car, the DiGard Oldsmobile.Bobby Allison wrecked his Pontiac LeMans and droveButch 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.

1. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
2. #88 -Ricky Rudd
3. #43 -Richard Petty
4. #5 -Morgan Shepherd
5. #15 -Benny Parsons
6. #47 -Harry Gant
7. #2 -Dale Earnhardt
8. #90 -Jody Ridley
9. #75 -Joe Millikan
10. #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 asDarrell 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 theirNASCAR broadcasting debut.

1. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
2. #27 -Cale Yarborough
3. #43 -Richard Petty
4. #21 -Neil Bonnett
5. #1 -Buddy Baker
6. #28 -Bobby Allison
7. #75 -Joe Millikan
8. #42 -Kyle Petty
9. #66 -Lake Speed
10. #86 -Elliott Forbes-Robinson

• Atlanta 500 – Team ownerHarry Ranier protested NASCAR-mandated spoiler reduction to the Pontiac LeMans the team was running but got no support from rival teams.Cale Yarborough edgedHarry Gant for the win whileDave Marcis flipped his car after sliding hard into a giant truck tire shielding the pit wall abutment.

1. #27 -Cale Yarborough
2. #47 -Harry Gant
3. #2 -Dale Earnhardt
4. #28 -Bobby Allison
5. #15 -Benny Parsons
6. #90 -Jody Ridley
7. #51 -A.J. Foyt
8. #5 -Morgan Shepherd
9. #9 -Bill Elliott
10. #6 -Joe Ruttman

• Southeastern 500 - Waltrip led 323 laps and edgedRicky Rudd for the win, his third of the season. There were eight caution flags, one of them involving a hard set-to betweenBenny Parsons andJoe Millikan. "I admit I lost my cool," Millikan said, to which team ownerBud Moore replied, "I'll straighten out Millikan's cool."

1. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
2. #88 -Ricky Rudd
3. #28 -Bobby Allison
4. #5 -Morgan Shepherd
5. #15 -Benny Parsons
6. #90 -Jody Ridley
7. #44 -Terry Labonte
8. #48 -Harry Gant
9. #66 -Lake Speed
10. #99 -Tim Richmond

• Northwestern Bank 400 -

1. #43 -Richard Petty
2. #28 -Bobby Allison
3. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
4. #71 -Dave Marcis
5. #12 -Harry Gant
6. #88 -Ricky Rudd
7. #44 -Terry Labonte
8. #47 -Ron Bouchard
9. #5 -Morgan Shepherd
10. #2 -Dale Earnhardt

• Rebel 500 – Waltrip edged Gant, who was making his debut in a Pontiac Grand Prix owned byBurt Reynolds andHal Needham.Bobby Allison debuted a new Buick as the team gave up on the LeMans because of NASCAR spoiler reduction on the car.

1. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
2. #33 -Harry Gant
3. #71 -Dave Marcis
4. #9 -Bill Elliott
5. #15 -Benny Parsons
6. #1 -Buddy Baker
7. #90 -Jody Ridley
8. #16 -David Pearson
9. #28 -Bobby Allison
10. #75 -Joe Millikan

• Virginia 500– RookieMorgan Shepherd dominated en route to his first career Grand National win.

1. #5 -Morgan Shepherd
2. #21 -Neil Bonnett
3. #88 -Ricky Rudd
4. #12 -Harry Gant
5. #44 -Terry Labonte
6. #90 -Jody Ridley
7. #66 -Lake Speed
8. #67 -Buddy Arrington
9. #47 -Ron Bouchard
10. #37 -Mike Alexander

• Winston 500 – Allison slugged it out with Waltrip, Rudd, andBuddy Baker en route to a wild last-lap win.

1. #28 -Bobby Allison
2. #1 -Buddy Baker
3. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
4. #88 -Ricky Rudd
5. #77 -Donnie Allison
6. #99 -Tim Richmond
7. #44 -Terry Labonte
8. #2 -Dale Earnhardt
9. #25 -Dick May
10. #94 -Bobby Wawak

• Melling Tool 420 -Ricky Rudd in the DiGard No. 88 andBenny Parsons in the Bud Moore No. 15 bearing the race sponsor's colors led 419 of 420 laps; onlyDarrell Waltrip broke this duopoly. Waltrip futilely chased Parsons over the final 84 laps as Parsons grabbed his first win with Bud Moore.

1. #15 -Benny Parsons
2. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
3. #28 -Bobby Allison
4. #43 -Richard Petty
5. #88 -Ricky Rudd
6. #44 -Terry Labonte
7. #42 -Kyle Petty
8. #5 -Morgan Shepherd
9. #67 -Buddy Arrington
10. #71 -Dave Marcis

• Mason-Dixon 500 -David Pearson won the pole in the Kenny Childers No. 12 and led the first 41 laps before falling out with engine failure. Neil Bonnett in theWood Brothers No. 21 led 404 laps but blew up with 41 laps to go; twenty laps laterCale Yarborough blew his engine and this leftJody Ridley effectively alone to the checkered. It was Ridley's only Winston Cup win, coming in his 55th start, and it was the only Cup win for team ownerJunie Donlavey.

1. #90 -Jody Ridley
2. #28 -Bobby Allison
3. #2 -Dale Earnhardt
4. #99 -D.K. Ulrich
5. #88 -Ricky Rudd
6. #5 -Morgan Shepherd
7. #67 -Buddy Arrington
8. #44 -Terry Labonte
9. #52 -Jimmy Means
10. #27 -Cale Yarborough

• World 600 – Allison won in a crash-torn race in which his brotherDonnie suffered a serious leg injury.

1. #28 -Bobby Allison
2. #33 -Harry Gant
3. #27 -Cale Yarborough
4. #88 -Ricky Rudd
5. #42 -Kyle Petty
6. #5 -Morgan Shepherd
7. #6 -Joe Ruttman
8. #75 -Joe Millikan
9. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
10. #86 -Elliott Forbes-Robinson

• Budweiser 400 -Benny Parsons andDale Earnhardt squared off in a hard-fought race as the lead changed 35 official times, the most inTexas World Speedway's history. Parsons edged Earnhardt after five lead changes between them in the final eleven laps. The 1981 race proved to be the final major stock car race at the troubled Texas superspeedway untilIshin Speed Sport took it over ten years later.

1. #15 -Benny Parsons
2. #2 -Dale Earnhardt
3. #28 -Bobby Allison
4. #43 -Richard Petty
5. #71 -Dave Marcis
6. #90 -Jody Ridley
7. #99 -Tim Richmond
8. #66 -Lake Speed
9. #6 -Joe Ruttman
10. #33 -Harry Gant

• Warner W. Hodgdon 400 - Waltrip got back to victory in a four-car scramble with Earnhardt, Petty, and Bonnett. Crashes eliminatedBobby Allison, rookiesTim Richmond andMorgan Shepherd, andJames Hylton.

1. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
2. #2 -Dale Earnhardt
3. #43 -Richard Petty
4. #21 -Neil Bonnett
5. #88 -Ricky Rudd
6. #42 -Kyle Petty
7. #90 -Jody Ridley
8. #0 -Roy Smith
9. #71 -Dave Marcis
10. #78 -Jim Robinson

• Gabriel 400 – After 50 lead changesBobby Allison was running seventh whenKyle Petty's blown engine sent four of the top six in the field into the Turn Two guardrail, while race leadersDale Earnhardt andDarrell Waltrip crashed before Turn Three. The win put Allison nearly 300 points ahead of Waltrip in the standings. Following the race Earnhardt's team ownerRod Osterlund sold the team toJ. D. Stacy.

1. #28 -Bobby Allison
2. #33 -Harry Gant
3. #15 -Benny Parsons
4. #90 -Jody Ridley
5. #2 -Dale Earnhardt
6. #43 -Richard Petty
7. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
8. #27 -Cale Yarborough
9. #21 -Neil Bonnett
10. #47 -Ron Bouchard

• Firecracker 400 -Bobby Allison has taken a 256-point lead overDarrell Waltrip but after burning a valve and finishing 28th his point lead fell to 206.Cale Yarborough won the pole and led 78 laps whileHarry Gant led 43 laps; Gant took the lead on Lap 138 but Cale stormed past for the win on the final lap.Dale Earnhardt led the opening lap in the first race with J. D. Stacy as new owner of the former Rod Osterlund Pontiac, but fell out with a vibration after 71 laps.

1. #27 -Cale Yarborough
2. #33 -Harry Gant
3. #43 -Richard Petty
4. #1 -Buddy Baker
5. #98 -Johnny Rutherford
6. #42 -Kyle Petty
7. #37 -Mike Alexander
8. #44 -Terry Labonte
9. #47 -Ron Bouchard
10. #11 -Darrell Waltrip

• Busch Nashville 420 - Waltrip led 303 laps and edged Allison for the win, with May winnerBenny Parsons third. RookieMark Martin, a star inAmerican Speed Association stockers, won the pole and led the opening 36 laps.

1. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
2. #28 -Bobby Allison
3. #15 -Benny Parsons
4. #88 -Ricky Rudd
5. #44 -Terry Labonte
6. #42 -Kyle Petty
7. #2 -Dale Earnhardt
8. #33 -Harry Gant
9. #43 -Richard Petty
10. #90 -Jody Ridley

• Mountain Dew 500 - Six years after the 1975 Purolator 500 and the controversial win by a Purolator-sponsored car,Darrell Waltrip's Buick with the race's sponsor took the win amid controversy.Cale Yarborough fell a lap down but got it back, but he pitted too early on a late yellow and lost the lap again. He stormed pastRichard Petty on a last-lap restart thinking he was the leader, and Waltrip took the lead from Petty for the win. Yarborough initially protested the outcome thinking he was on the lead lap, but NASCAR score cards showed Waltrip indeed was the leader.

1. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
2. #43 -Richard Petty
3. #15 -Benny Parsons
4. #33 -Harry Gant
5. #27 -Cale Yarborough
6. #88 -Ricky Rudd
7. #1 -Buddy Baker
8. #42 -Kyle Petty
9. #12 -Tim Richmond
10. #47 -Ron Bouchard

• Talladega 500 –Bobby Allison led the most laps but slipped back in the final laps, leavingDarrell Waltrip,Terry Labonte, and rookieRon Bouchard in contention for the win. On the final lap in Talladega's trioval, Labonte swung high on Waltrip and as the two jostled, Bouchard dove to the bottom and beat them to the line by inches. Bouchard's victory is considered by many to be one of the biggest upsets in NASCAR history. Dale Earnhardt finished 29th in his final race in the J. D. Stacy car after a falling out with the new owner. He would finish out the season driving Richard Childress's car.

1. #47 -Ron Bouchard
2. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
3. #44 -Terry Labonte
4. #33 -Harry Gant
5. #28 -Bobby Allison
6. #66 -Lake Speed
7. #42 -Kyle Petty
8. #90 -Jody Ridley
9. #22 -Stan Barrett
10. #71 -Dave Marcis

• Champion Spark Plug 400 –Richard Petty stormed past five cars with five laps to go and held off Waltrip andRicky Rudd in the most competitive race of the season (65 lead changes, a still-standing record forMichigan International Speedway, among 14 drivers). Dale Earnhardt, in his first start for new owner retired driver Richard Childress, finished 9th.

1. #43 -Richard Petty
2. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
3. #88 -Ricky Rudd
4. #33 -Harry Gant
5. #1 -Buddy Baker
6. #2 -Joe Ruttman
7. #28 -Bobby Allison
8. #9 -Bill Elliott
9. #3 -Dale Earnhardt
10. #37 -Mike Alexander

• Busch 500 -

1. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
2. #88 -Ricky Rudd
3. #44 -Terry Labonte
4. #28 -Bobby Allison
5. #47 -Ron Bouchard
6. #15 -Benny Parsons
7. #66 -Lake Speed
8. #12 -Tim Richmond
9. #71 -Dave Marcis
10. #67 -Buddy Arrington

• Southern 500 -Neil Bonnett led 216 laps and edgedDarrell Waltrip by one car length; Waltrip's runner-up finish pulled him to within 18 points ofBobby Allison.

1. #21 -Neil Bonnett
2. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
3. #71 -Dave Marcis
4. #44 -Terry Labonte
5. #1 -Buddy Baker
6. #3 -Dale Earnhardt
7. #9 -Bill Elliott
8. #01 -David Pearson
9. #28 -Bobby Allison
10. #27 -Cale Yarborough

• Wrangler Sanfor-Set 400 -Benny Parsons scores his 20th and penultimate victory in the Cup Series.Bobby Allison finishes fifth leading 95 laps butDarrell Waltrip finishes third leading the most laps at 149 which cuts Allison's lead down to 3 points.

1. #15 -Benny Parsons
2. #33 -Harry Gant
3. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
4. #44 -Terry Labonte
5. #28 -Bobby Allison
6. #3 -Dale Earnhardt
7. #02 -Mark Martin
8. #5 -Joe Millikan
9. #90 -Jody Ridley
10. #75 -Gary Balough

• CRC Chemicals 500 -Neil Bonnett put the entire field a lap down as he led 185 laps en route to his second win in three races.Darrell Waltrip beatBobby Allison for second and thus took the point lead by 2 points over Allison.

1. #21 -Neil Bonnett
2. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
3. #28 -Bobby Allison
4. #47 -Ron Bouchard
5. #88 -Ricky Rudd
6. #2 -Joe Ruttman
7. #42 -Kyle Petty
8. #71 -Dave Marcis
9. #37 -Tim Richmond
10. #43 -Richard Petty

• Old Dominion 500 -Harry Gant led the most laps at 253 but faltered asDarrell Waltrip grabbed the lead with 36 laps to go; Waltrip's win was the first of four straight. Waltrip padded his lead by 41 points to lead Allison by 43 points.

1. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
2. #33 -Harry Gant
3. #02 -Mark Martin
4. #21 -Neil Bonnett
5. #5 -Joe Millikan
6. #47 -Ron Bouchard
7. #24 -Jimmy Hensley
8. #88 -Ricky Rudd
9. #44 -Terry Labonte
10. #28 -Bobby Allison

• Holly Farms 400 -Darrell Waltrip wins his second straight race while leading the most laps at 318.Bobby Allison finished second leading seventy six laps. Waltrip padded his lead by 10 points to lead Allison by 53 points.

1. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
2. #28 -Bobby Allison
3. #5 -Joe Millikan
4. #3 -Dale Earnhardt
5. #47 -Ron Bouchard
6. #24 -Morgan Shepherd
7. #90 -Jody Ridley
8. #99 -Bob McElwee
9. #52 -Jimmy Means
10. #67 -Buddy Arrington

• National 500 -Neil Bonnett dominates leading 135 of the races first 190 laps but then before he can complete lap 191 his engine expires, leavingDarrell Waltrip to battle withBobby Allison for the rest of the race in which Waltrip prevails, winning his third straight race while padding his points lead by 5 to lead over Allison by 58 points.

1. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
2. #28 -Bobby Allison
3. #88 -Ricky Rudd
4. #55 -Tommy Ellis
5. #47 -Ron Bouchard
6. #72 -Rusty Wallace
7. #01 -Geoff Bodine
8. #24 -Morgan Shepherd
9. #13 -Jack Ingram
10. #67 -Buddy Arrington

• American 500 - Waltrip and Allison fought for the win as the lead changed between them during the final 19 laps; with his fourth straight win Waltrip increased his point lead by 10 points to lead Allison by 68 points.

1. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
2. #28 -Bobby Allison
3. #33 -Harry Gant
4. #43 -Richard Petty
5. #2 -Joe Ruttman
6. #15 -Benny Parsons
7. #44 -Terry Labonte
8. #9 -Bill Elliott
9. #3 -Dale Earnhardt
10. #90 -Jody Ridley

• Atlanta Journal 500 -ESPN broadcast the race live, the first such NASCAR broadcast for the third-year cable network, withMike Joy,Larry Nuber, andNed Jarrett handling the broadcast duty. The race was a hard-fought affair asNeil Bonnett battledRichard Petty,Joe Ruttman, andHarry Gant; Waltrip cut a tire in mid-race but battled and got his lap back; he rallied and took the lead at the white flag, but Bonnett stormed to the win while Waltrip padded his points lead by 15 points to lead Allison headed to the season finale at Riverside by 83 points.

1. #21 -Neil Bonnett
2. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
3. #27 -Cale Yarborough
4. #28 -Bobby Allison
5. #90 -Jody Ridley
6. #9 -Bill Elliott
7. #44 -Terry Labonte
8. #42 -Kyle Petty
9. #1 -Buddy Baker
10. #5 -Joe Millikan

• Winston Western 500 - For the first time in the modern era the series visited the same track three times in a season. This would not happen again until 2020, when theCOVID-19 pandemic forced NASCAR to make schedule changes due to a combination of local, state, and federal travel restrictions and limits on social gatherings. This race featured a great battle for the win between Allison and Ruttman for the last 20 laps. Bobby passed Joe with 9 laps to go and Ruttman got back alongside Allison several times but was never able to complete the pass. Allison did what he needed to do by winning the race and leading the most laps at 49. It was however not enough asDarrell Waltrip won his first championship by leading 1 lap & finishing in 6th place to beat Allison by 53 points.

1. #28 -Bobby Allison
2. #2 -Joe Ruttman
3. #44 -Terry Labonte
4. #3 -Dale Earnhardt
5. #5 -Joe Millikan
6. #11 -Darrell Waltrip
7. #43 -Richard Petty
8. #33 -Harry Gant
9. #90 -Jody Ridley
10. #47 -Ron Bouchard

(key) Bold – Pole position awarded by time.Italics – Pole position set by owner's points. * – Most laps led.

Source:^[1]

• Earnhardt drove races 1–20 in the No. 2 Rod OsterlundWrangler JeansPontiac Grand Prix but left the team when Osterlund sold it to J. D. Stacy. He finished the season driving forRichard Childress in the No. 3 Wrangler Pontiac Grand Prix.

• 1981 NASCAR Winston West Series

• Winston Cup Standings and Statistics for 1981

• 1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
• 1981 in NASCAR
• NASCAR Cup Series seasons

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