1981 Daytona 500 Results
Richard Petty won the 1981 Daytona 500 at Daytona on February 15, 1981, leading 27 of 200 laps. Full Cup Series results: finish, start, laps led and status for all 42 drivers.
Results
| Finish | Car | Driver | Start | Laps | Laps led | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 43 | Richard Petty | 8 | 200 | 27 | Running |
| 2 | 28 | Bobby Allison | 1 | 200 | 117 | Running |
| 3 | 88 | Ricky Rudd | 5 | 200 | 8 | Running |
| 4 | 1 | Buddy Baker | 6 | 200 | 10 | Running |
| 5 | 2 | Dale Earnhardt | 7 | 200 | 4 | Running |
| 6 | 9 | Bill Elliott | 16 | 199 | 4 | Running |
| 7 | 90 | Jody Ridley | 27 | 198 | 0 | Running |
| 8 | 27 | Cale Yarborough | 29 | 197 | 0 | Running |
| 9 | 75 | Joe Millikan | 34 | 197 | 0 | Running |
| 10 | 98 | Johnny Rutherford | 35 | 195 | 0 | Running |
| 11 | 57 | Bill Elswick | 21 | 195 | 0 | Running |
| 12 | 12 | Donnie Allison | 33 | 195 | 0 | Running |
| 13 | 22 | Stan Barrett | 22 | 195 | 0 | Running |
| 14 | 93 | Don Whittington | 13 | 194 | 0 | Running |
| 15 | 71 | Dave Marcis | 15 | 194 | 0 | Running |
| 16 | 41 | Dick Brooks | 38 | 193 | 1 | Running |
| 17 | 64 | Tommy Gale | 28 | 192 | 0 | Running |
| 18 | 19 | Ronnie Sanders | 17 | 191 | 0 | Running |
| 19 | 17 | Glenn Jarrett | 23 | 186 | 0 | Running |
| 20 | 37 | Don Sprouse | 39 | 181 | 0 | Running |
| 21 | 52 | Jimmy Means | 26 | 179 | 0 | Running |
| 22 | 23 | Geoffrey Bodine | 14 | 178 | 0 | Running |
| 23 | 47 | Harry Gant | 31 | 175 | 0 | Running |
| 24 | 70 | J.D. McDuffie | 41 | 169 | 0 | Running |
| 25 | 86 | Elliott Forbes-Robinson | 37 | 167 | 0 | Axle |
| 26 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | 20 | 159 | 0 | Running |
| 27 | 68 | Lennie Pond | 32 | 155 | 0 | Oil pump |
| 28 | 25 | Ronnie Thomas | 19 | 151 | 0 | Clutch |
| 29 | 16 | David Pearson | 9 | 144 | 3 | Engine |
| 30 | 99 | Tim Richmond | 40 | 144 | 0 | Transmission |
| 31 | 15 | Benny Parsons | 4 | 135 | 0 | Overheating |
| 32 | 42 | Kyle Petty | 11 | 128 | 0 | Engine |
| 33 | 21 | Neil Bonnett | 3 | 123 | 26 | Clutch |
| 34 | 48 | James Hylton | 25 | 123 | 0 | Piston |
| 35 | 51 | A.J. Foyt | 10 | 120 | 0 | Valve |
| 36 | 11 | Darrell Waltrip | 2 | 117 | 0 | Engine |
| 37 | 24 | Cecil Gordon | 42 | 116 | 0 | Running |
| 38 | 3 | Richard Childress | 18 | 110 | 0 | Valve |
| 39 | 7 | Bruce Hill | 24 | 54 | 0 | Crash |
| 40 | 44 | Terry Labonte | 12 | 47 | 0 | Engine |
| 41 | 31 | Billie Harvey | 36 | 45 | 0 | Engine |
| 42 | 39 | Blackie Wangerin | 30 | 17 | 0 | Crash |
Race facts
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | February 15, 1981 |
| Track | Daytona |
| Laps | 200 |