1981 Daytona 500
{{short description|Auto race held at Daytona International Speedway in 1981}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox Daytona 500
| Type = CUST
| Description = Race 2 of 31 in the 1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
| Fulldate = {{Start date|1981|2|15}}
| Year = 1981
| Race_No = 2
| Season_No = 31
| Image = 1981_Daytona_500_program_cover_and_logo.jpg
| Caption = 1981 Daytona 500 program cover
| Location = Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida
| Course_mi = 2.5
| Course_km = 4.02336
| Distance_laps = 200
| Distance_mi = 500
| Distance_km = 804.672
| Weather = Temperatures of {{convert|69.1|F|C}}; wind speeds of {{convert|15.9|mph|km/h}}
| Avg = {{convert|169.651|mi/h}}
| Pole_Driver = Bobby Allison
| Pole_Team = Harry Ranier
| Pole_Time =
| Most_Driver = Bobby Allison
| Most_Team = Harry Ranier
| Most_laps = 117
| Car = 43
| First_Driver = Richard Petty
| First_Team = Petty Enterprises
| Network = CBS
| Announcers = Ken Squier
David Hobbs
Ned Jarrett
Brock Yates
}}
The 1981 Daytona 500, the 23rd running of the event, was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race held at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It was held on Sunday, February 15, 1981.
Race report
Contested over 200 laps and over the course of 2 hours and 56 minutes, the race was won by Richard Petty for his record seventh at the Daytona 500, beating Bobby Allison to the line by 3.5 seconds and bringing about Buick's first win in NASCAR since 1956. Ricky Rudd, Buddy Baker, and Dale Earnhardt rounded out the Top 5.[http://www.racing-reference.info/race?id=1981-02&series=W Official results of 1981 Daytona 500] on Racing-Reference.info A new generation of smaller cars, with a wheelbase of {{convert|110|in|cm}}, down from the previously used {{convert|115|in|cm}}, made their debut in this race.
David Pearson had the only Chevrolet in the field. He started 9th in his new Monte Carlo after finishing 5th in the Twin 125 before retiring with engine failure. Steve Moore attempted to qualify in a Chevrolet Malibu but his #73 didn't make the race.
Bobby Allison dominated Speedweeks from the beginning, winning the pole position, his 125-mile qualifying race, and was considered the prohibitive favorite for the 500. He was driving a 1981 Pontiac Le Mans, which was the only car in the race with a "fastback" sloped rear window, greatly improving aerodynamics and downforce on the rear spoiler over the "notchback" profiles of the Buick Regals, Pontiac Grand Prixs, Oldsmobile Cutlasses, and Ford Thunderbirds. The Le Mans was on the NASCAR approved-model list, but no other team thought to build one.
Allison led the most laps and was the car to beat. But Allison lost considerable time when he ran out of fuel and had to coast through most of a lap to make his final pit stop. Meanwhile, on Richard Petty's final planned pit stop, Petty's crew chief Dale Inman, who was working his final race with the team before leaving to become Dale Earnhardt's crew chief, opted not to change tires and only took on fuel. Petty then re-entered the track with a considerable lead that Allison rapidly closed, but could not overcome before the finish.
The race was contested in front of 130,000 spectators and featured 49 lead changes. 18 laps were run under the caution flag. It was one of the few Daytona 500s where the final caution flag occurred before the halfway point of the race.
Petty earned $90,575 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|90575|1981|r=0}}}} when adjusted for inflation) for winning, the largest purse of his entire career. Blackie Wangerin finished last after an accident on lap 17.
First Daytona 500 starts for Ronnie Sanders, Tim Richmond, Kyle Petty, and Billie Harvey. Only Daytona 500 starts for Glenn Jarrett and Don Sprouse. Last Daytona 500 starts for Johnny Rutherford, Bill Elswick, Don Whittington, James Hylton, Cecil Gordon, Bruce Hill, and Blackie Wangerin.
Dickie Boswell would make his only Cup Series attempt at this race.[https://www.racing-reference.info/rquery?id=boswedi01&trk=t0&series=B Driver Dickie Boswell's NASCAR Xfinity Series races]
Race results
class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!{{Tooltip|Pos|Finishing Position}} !Grid !{{Tooltip|No.|Car Number}} !Driver !Team !Manufacturer !{{Tooltip|Laps|Laps completed}} !Time/Retired !{{Tooltip|Led|Laps led}} !{{Tooltip|Points|Points include 5 bonus points for leading a lap and an additional 5 bonus points for leading the most laps.}} |
1
| 8 | 43 | Buick | 200 | 2:56:50 | 27 | 180 |
---|
2
| 1 | 28 | Pontiac | 200 | +3.5 seconds | 117 | 180 |
3
| 5 | 88 | 200 | Lead lap, under green flag | 8 | 170 |
4
| 6 | 1 | 200 | Lead lap, under green flag | 10 | 165 |
5
| 7 | 2 | Pontiac | 200 | Lead lap, under green flag | 4 | 160 |
6
| 16 | 9 | Ford | 199 | +1 Lap | 4 | 155 |
7
| 27 | 90 | Ford | 198 | +2 Laps | 0 | 146 |
8
| 29 | 27 | M. C. Anderson Racing | 197 | +3 Laps | 0 | 142 |
9
| 34 | 75 | Buick | 197 | +3 Laps | 0 | 138 |
10
| 35 | 98 | Benfield Racing | Pontiac | 195 | +5 Laps | 0 | 134 |
11
| 21 | 57 | 195 | +5 Laps | 0 | 130 |
12
| 33 | 12 | 195 | +5 Laps | 0 | 127 |
13
| 22 | 22 | Pontiac | 195 | +5 Laps | 0 | 124 |
14
| 13 | 93 | Smith Racing | 194 | +6 Laps | 0 | 121 |
15
| 15 | 71 | 194 | +6 Laps | 0 | 118 |
16
| 38 | 41 | Billy Matthews Racing | Buick | 193 | +7 Laps | 1 | 120 |
17
| 28 | 64 | Ford | 192 | +8 Laps | 0 | 112 |
18
| 17 | 19 | Buick | 191 | +9 Laps | 0 | 109 |
19
| 23 | 17 | Buick | 186 | +14 Laps | 0 | 106 |
20
| 39 | 37 | Rogers Racing | 181 | +19 Laps | 0 | 103 |
21
| 26 | 52 | Pontiac | 179 | +21 Laps | 0 | 100 |
22
| 14 | 23 | Pontiac | 178 | +22 Laps | 0 | 97 |
23
| 31 | 47 | Buick | 175 | +25 Laps | 0 | 94 |
24
| 41 | 70 | Pontiac | 169 | +31 Laps | 0 | 91 |
25
| 37 | 86 | Howard & Egerton Racing | Buick | 167 | Axle | 0 | 88 |
26
| 20 | 67 | Dodge | 159 | +41 Laps | 0 | 85 |
27
| 32 | 68 | Testa Racing | Buick | 155 | Oil pump | 0 | 82 |
28
| 19 | 25 | Pontiac | 151 | Clutch | 0 | 79 |
29
| 9 | 16 | Halpern Enterprises | 144 | Engine | 3 | 81 |
30
| 40 | 99 | Buick | 144 | Transmission | 0 | 73 |
31
| 4 | 15 | Ford | 135 | Overheating | 0 | 70 |
32
| 11 | 42 | Buick | 128 | Engine | 0 | 67 |
33
| 3 | 21 | Ford | 123 | Clutch | 26 | 69 |
34
| 25 | 48 | Pontiac | 123 | Piston | 0 | 61 |
35
| 10 | 51 | 120 | Valve | 0 | 58 |
36
| 2 | 11 | Buick | 117 | Engine | 0 | 55 |
37
| 42 | 24 | Buick | 116 | +84 Laps | 0 | 52 |
38
| 18 | 3 | Pontiac | 110 | Valve | 0 | 49 |
39
| 24 | 7 | Nelson Malloch | Buick | 54 | Crash | 0 | 46 |
40
| 12 | 44 | Buick | 47 | Engine | 0 | 43 |
41
| 36 | 31 | Pontiac | 45 | Engine | 0 | 40 |
42
| 30 | 39 | Ford | 17 | Crash | 0 | 37 |
colspan=10| Source:[https://www.racing-reference.info/race/1981-02/W 1981 Daytona 500] |
Post-race standings
class="wikitable" |
Pos
! Driver ! Differential |
---|
1
| style="text-align:center;"| 365 | 0 |
2
| style="text-align:center;"| 340 | -25 |
3
| style="text-align:center;"| 325 | -40 |
4
| style="text-align:center;"| 292 | -73 |
5
| style="text-align:center;"| 281 | -84 |
6
| style="text-align:center;"| 267 | -98 |
7
| style="text-align:center;"| 242 | -123 |
8
| style="text-align:center;"| 230 | -135 |
9
| style="text-align:center;"| 223 | -142 |
10
| style="text-align:center;"| 218 | -147 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.nascar.com/2005/kyn/01/26/daytona.1981/ NASCAR.COM - Daytona Countdown: '81 - Jan 26, 2005]
{{s-start}}
{{succession box |
before = 1981 Winston Western 500 |
after = 1981 Richmond 400|
title = NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season|
years = 1981 |
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Daytona 500}}