Race Results

NASCAR Cup Series

Southern 500

Darlington Raceway

September 7th, 1981

Race #23 of the 1981 NASCAR Cup Series Season

  • Laps: 367
  • Miles: 501.3
  • Average Speed: 126.410 mph
  • Cautions: 8
  • Caution Laps: 45
  • Lead Changes: 23
#5 NASCAR Next Gen car
Concord, North Carolina - October 11th, 2021: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 Next Gen car drives during the NASCAR Cup Series test at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Photo by Bob Leverone | Getty Images
FIN ST Car # Driver Make TOT PTS F PTS B PTS Laps Led STUS
1 3 21 Neil Bonnett Ford 185 175 10 367 216 Running
2 11 11 Darrell Waltrip Buick 175 170 5 367 2 Running
3 4 71 Dave Marcis Buick 170 165 5 367 9 Running
4 6 44 Terry Labonte Buick 165 160 5 367 3 Running
5 9 1 Buddy Baker Buick 160 155 5 367 3 Running
6 10 3 Dale Earnhardt Pontiac 150 150 0 366 0 Running
7 14 9 Bill Elliott Ford 146 146 0 366 0 Running
8 13 01 David Pearson Buick 142 142 0 365 0 Running
9 17 28 Bobby Allison Chevrolet 143 138 5 365 1 Running
10 2 27 Cale Yarborough Buick 139 134 5 363 24 Running
11 5 47 Ron Bouchard Buick 130 130 0 363 0 Running
12 23 90 Jody Ridley Ford 127 127 0 362 0 Running
13 22 66 Lake Speed Buick 124 124 0 362 0 Running
14 1 33 Harry Gant Pontiac 126 121 5 360 78 Running
15 16 2 Joe Ruttman Pontiac 118 118 0 358 0 Running
16 12 24 Morgan Shepherd Buick 115 115 0 358 0 Running
17 21 68 Lennie Pond Buick 112 112 0 356 0 Running
18 19 5 Joe Millikan Pontiac 109 109 0 353 0 Running
19 33 8 Dick May Dodge 106 106 0 353 0 Running
20 29 37 Mike Alexander Oldsmobile 103 103 0 352 0 Running
21 34 70 JD McDuffie Pontiac 100 100 0 351 0 Running
22 27 12 Tim Richmond Buick 97 97 0 349 0 Running
23 7 88 Ricky Rudd Chevrolet 94 94 0 343 0 Crash
24 40 94 Bobby Wawak Buick 91 91 0 334 0 Running
25 20 75 Gary Balough Buick 88 88 0 333 0 Engine
26 38 48 James Hylton Pontiac 85 85 0 331 0 Running
27 37 25 Ronnie Thomas Pontiac 82 82 0 311 0 Running
28 36 17 Mike Potter Buick 79 79 0 309 0 Running
29 30 64 Tommy Gale Ford 76 76 0 294 0 Running
30 8 43 Richard Petty Buick 78 73 5 278 31 Engine
31 26 99 DK Ulrich Buick 70 70 0 269 0 Engine
32 32 13 Jack Ingram Ford 67 67 0 253 0 Engine
33 25 98 Johnny Rutherford Pontiac 64 64 0 190 0 Water pump
34 18 42 Kyle Petty Buick 61 61 0 130 0 Engine
35 24 40 Slick Johnson Buick 58 58 0 110 0 Engine
36 39 36 HB Bailey Pontiac 55 55 0 93 0 Crash
37 28 67 Buddy Arrington Dodge 52 52 0 85 0 Lug bolt
38 35 52 Jimmy Means Pontiac 49 49 0 64 0 Engine
39 15 15 Benny Parsons Ford 46 46 0 62 0 Valve
40 31 4 Connie Saylor Oldsmobile 43 43 0 6 0 Engine