Standings After Race #1 at Riverside International Raceway - Sunday, January 11th, 1981
| RNK | RNK +/- | STS | DRIVER | # | MAKE | PNTS | BHND | PO PTS | POLE | WIN | T5 | T10 | STG W | DNF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | 1 | Bobby Allison | 28 | Buick | 185 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | - | 1 | Terry Labonte | 44 | Buick | 175 | -10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | - | 1 | Dale Earnhardt | 2 | Pontiac | 165 | -20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | - | 1 | Richard Childress | 3 | Pontiac | 165 | -20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | - | 1 | Richard Petty | 43 | Buick | 160 | -25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | - | 1 | Jim Robinson | 78 | Oldsmobile | 150 | -35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | - | 1 | Jody Ridley | 90 | Ford | 146 | -39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | - | 1 | Elliott Forbes-Robinson | 86 | Buick | 142 | -43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | - | 1 | Buddy Arrington | 67 | Dodge | 138 | -47 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | - | 1 | Don Waterman | 38 | Buick | 134 | -51 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | - | 1 | James Hylton | 48 | Pontiac | 130 | -55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | - | 1 | Joe Millikan | 5 | Pontiac | 129 | -56 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | - | 1 | John Borneman | 81 | Chevrolet | 127 | -58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | - | 1 | Don Whittington | 93 | Chevrolet | 121 | -64 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | - | 1 | Harry Gant | 33 | Pontiac | 118 | -67 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | - | 1 | Darrell Waltrip | 11 | Buick | 117 | -68 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | - | 1 | Benny Parsons | 15 | Ford | 115 | -70 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | - | 1 | Ricky Rudd | 88 | Chevrolet | 111 | -74 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | - | 1 | Jimmy Means | 52 | Pontiac | 109 | -76 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | - | 1 | Kyle Petty | 42 | Buick | 103 | -82 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | - | 1 | Bob Bondurant | 03 | Oldsmobile | 100 | -85 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | - | 1 | Bill Schmitt | 73 | Buick | 97 | -88 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | - | 1 | JD McDuffie | 70 | Pontiac | 94 | -91 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | - | 1 | Steve Pfeifer | 94 | Chevrolet | 91 | -94 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | - | 1 | John Gunn | 64 | Chevrolet | 88 | -97 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | - | 1 | Neil Bonnett | 21 | Ford | 87 | -98 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | - | 1 | Rick McCray | 08 | Chevrolet | 85 | -100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | - | 1 | Dave Marcis | 71 | Chevrolet | 84 | -101 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | - | 1 | Tim Richmond | 99 | Buick | 76 | -109 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | - | 1 | Jimmy Insolo | 9 | Buick | 73 | -112 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | - | 1 | Roy Smith | 0 | Buick | 70 | -115 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | - | 1 | Don Puskarich | 13 | Oldsmobile | 67 | -118 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | - | 1 | Hershel McGriff | 01 | Dodge | 64 | -121 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | - | 1 | Lake Speed | 66 | Oldsmobile | 61 | -124 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | - | 1 | Robert Tartaglia | 2W | Chevrolet | 58 | -127 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | - | 1 | Cecil Gordon | 24 | Buick | 55 | -130 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |