1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Series

Last updated
Waltrip, the Winston Cup Series champion in 1981 Darrell Waltrip 1979.jpg
Waltrip, the Winston Cup Series champion in 1981

The 1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the thirty-third season of professional stock car racing in the United 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 at Riverside International Raceway with the first Winston Western 500 on January 11, 1981 and ended with the same event on November 22. Darrell Waltrip won his first championship with point margin of fifty-three points over Bobby Allison. Ron Bouchard was named Rookie of the Year.

Contents

Teams and drivers

TeamMakeNo.DriverCar OwnerCrew Chief
Arrington Racing Dodge Mirada 67 Buddy Arrington Buddy Arrington
Benfield Racing Pontiac Grand Prix
Buick Regal
98 Johnny Rutherford (R) Ron Benfield Buddy Parrott
Bud Moore Engineering Ford Thunderbird 15 Benny Parsons Bud Moore Bud Moore
Cliff Stewart Racing Pontiac Grand Prix 5 Joe Millikan Cliff Stewart Darrell Bryant
DiGard Motorsports Chevrolet Monte Carlo 88 Ricky Rudd Bill Gardner Gary Nelson
Donlavey Racing Ford Thunderbird 90 Jody Ridley Junie Donlavey
Ellington Racing Oldsmobile Cutlass
Buick Regal
1 Buddy Baker Hoss Ellington Runt Pittman
Gordon Racing Buick Regal 24 Cecil Gordon Cecil Gordon
Morgan Shepherd (R)
Hagan Racing Buick Regal 44 Terry Labonte Billy Hagan Jake Elder
Howard & Egerton Racing Buick Regal 86 Elliott Forbes-Robinson (R) Richard Howard
Hylton Racing Pontiac Grand Prix 48 James Hylton James Hylton
Osterlund Racing 16 Pontiac Grand Prix 2 Dale Earnhardt 20 Rod Osterlund Doug Richert
Jim Stacy Racing 15 Buick Regal Jim Stacy
Joe Ruttman (R)11 Dale Inman
Junior Johnson & Associates Buick Regal 11 Darrell Waltrip Junior Johnson Tim Brewer
41 Richard Childress 1
Langley Racing Ford Thunderbird 64 Tommy Gale Elmo Langley
Lennie Pond Racing Buick Regal 68 Lennie Pond Lennie Pond
M. C. Anderson Racing Buick Regal 27 Cale Yarborough M. C. Anderson David Anderson
Mach 1 Racing Pontiac Grand Prix 22 Stan Barrett (R) Hal Needham
33 Harry Gant Travis Carter
Marcis Auto Racing Buick Regal 71 Dave Marcis Dave Marcis Claude Queen
McDuffie Racing Pontiac Grand Prix 70 J. D. McDuffie J. D. McDuffie
Means Racing Pontiac Grand Prix 52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means
Elliott Racing Ford Thunderbird 9 Bill Elliott 13 George Elliott Ernie Elliott
Petty Enterprises Buick Regal 42 Richard Petty 1 Richard Petty Mike Beam
Kyle Petty 30
43 Kyle Petty 1 Steve Hmiel
Richard Petty 30
Race Hill Farm Team Buick Regal 47 Ron Bouchard Jack Beebe Bob Johnson
RahMoc Enterprises Buick Regal 75 Gary Balough (R) Bob Rahilly Bob Rahilly
Ranier-Lundy Racing Pontiac LeMans
Buick Regal
28 Bobby Allison Harry Ranier Waddell Wilson
Richard Childress Racing Pontiac Grand Prix 3 Richard Childress 20 Richard Childress Kirk Shelmerdine
Dale Earnhardt 11
8 Kirk Shelmerdine 1
Rogers Racing Buick Regal 37 Mike Alexander (R) Bob Rogers Raymond Kelly
Tim Richmond (R)
Speed Racing Oldsmobile Cutlass 66 Lake Speed Lake Speed
Thomas Racing Pontiac Grand Prix 25 Ronnie Thomas Ronnie Thomas
Ulrich Racing Buick Regal 99 D. K. Ulrich D. K. Ulrich
Wawak Racing Buick Regal 94 Bobby Wawak Bobby Wawak
Wood Brothers Racing Ford Thunderbird 21 Neil Bonnett Glen Wood Leonard Wood

Season schedule and recap

RoundDateEventTrackWinner
1January 11 Winston Western 500 Riverside International Raceway Bobby Allison
February 8 Busch Clash Daytona International Speedway Darrell Waltrip
February 12 UNO Twin 125 Qualifier Bobby Allison
Darrell Waltrip
February 13Daytona 500 Consolation Race Lake Speed
2February 15 Daytona 500 Richard Petty
3February 22 Richmond 400 Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway Darrell Waltrip
4March 1 Carolina 500 North Carolina Motor Speedway Darrell Waltrip
5March 15 Coca-Cola 500 Atlanta International Raceway Cale Yarborough
6March 29 Valleydale 500 Bristol International Raceway Darrell Waltrip
7April 5 Northwestern Bank 400 North Wilkesboro Speedway Richard Petty
8April 12 CRC Rebel 500 Darlington International Raceway Darrell Waltrip
9April 26 Virginia 500 Martinsville Speedway Morgan Shepherd
10May 3 Winston 500 Alabama International Motor Speedway Bobby Allison
11May 9 Melling Tool 420 Nashville Speedway Benny Parsons
12May 17 Mason-Dixon 500 Dover Downs International Speedway Jody Ridley
13May 24 World 600 Charlotte Motor Speedway Bobby Allison
14June 7 Budweiser 400 Texas World Speedway Benny Parsons
15June 14 Hodgdon 400 Riverside International Raceway Darrell Waltrip
16June 21 Gabriel 400 Michigan International Speedway Bobby Allison
17July 4 Firecracker 400 Daytona International Speedway Cale Yarborough
18July 11 Busch Nashville 420 Nashville Speedway Darrell Waltrip
19July 26 Mt. Dew 500 Pocono Raceway Darrell Waltrip
20August 2 Talladega 500 Alabama International Motor Speedway Ron Bouchard
21August 16 Champion Spark Plug 400 Michigan International Speedway Richard Petty
22August 22 Busch 500 Bristol International Raceway Darrell Waltrip
23September 7 Southern 500 Darlington International Raceway Neil Bonnett
24September 13 Wrangler SanforSet 400 Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway Benny Parsons
25September 20 CRC Chemicals 500 Dover Downs International Speedway Neil Bonnett
26September 27 Old Dominion 500 Martinsville Speedway Darrell Waltrip
27October 4 Holly Farms 400 North Wilkesboro Speedway Darrell Waltrip
28October 11 National 500 Charlotte Motor Speedway Darrell Waltrip
29November 1 American 500 North Carolina Motor Speedway Darrell Waltrip
30November 8 Atlanta Journal 500 Atlanta International Raceway Neil Bonnett
31November 22 Winston Western 500 Riverside International Raceway Bobby Allison

Season summary

Race reports

Final point standings

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

Pos.Driver RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT TWS RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL RSD Pts
1 Darrell Waltrip 17361*1361*31*2632129301*7*101*1*221*23*211*1*1*264880
2 Bobby Allison 1*2*236432*9131321*3291282255*749531022241*4827
3 Harry Gant 15236182*8524*3422162103122844411142232*244132084210
4 Terry Labonte 2402621197714576814232211851331434429930237734052
5 Jody Ridley 77817662876312512067438101581220129112171510594002
6 Ricky Rudd 193231222611345*5424530404623322312582531838403988
7 Dale Earnhardt 357263281017258203182*25357112992766152642592443975
8 Richard Petty 51333829133283941924436392401*2430111018213042673880
9 Dave Marcis 28152215273143111410313559291325331011931981416401228253507
10 Benny Parsons 163152455215233613237120339331326639134242938636273449
11 Buddy Arrington 92616371413291381797151326121728164135103713141110101417243381
12 Kyle Petty 20322484111222515307205296216687192834227191820378373335
13 Morgan Shepherd (R)4288493412386631211520132936341916291228682731133261
14 Jimmy Means 18211429211414231227149231928281815191625123816191591220353142
15 Tommy Gale 1718191815191818111714171230361921311821152917241314221322263140
16 Tim Richmond (R)293017162610181214612733141512934308221492013182221203091
17 J. D. McDuffie 232410331122161630221623131112221220181613212128121723112996
18 Lake Speed 34DNQ12935923718242881633222761571320272227343114162817
19 James Hylton 113429202515191719211816251923221622392716261832152619172753
20 Joe Millikan 139971517261029388312317188215335191052682
21 Ron Bouchard (R)248279202726109101295112546551139102594
22 Neil Bonnett 27334282923213*2949303437281*1429351*332449
23 Cecil Gordon 363719233721312124151915181327252921172430232619152320
24 Cale Yarborough 82*126212410381*528171013312532201
25 Richard Childress 438132217161731221313171914181921172326392144
26 Ronnie Thomas 28211131181220312624222034251435182724202717322138
27 Buddy Baker 454062*331347325529371691904
28 Joe Ruttman (R)10297929226211530617261952521851
29 Mike Alexander (R)1333121136102111212732727173510252032DNQ1784
30 Bill Elliott 69440403534118733861442
31 Bobby Wawak DNQ1442302419101831263319312436DNQ1212
32 D. K. Ulrich 191322234322720233121181417271191
33 Johnny Rutherford 101212281751333312729371140
34 Lennie Pond 2711111124141727162523361100
35 Elliott Forbes-Robinson (R)8251039271610352312231020
36 Stan Barrett (R)1336163532111826149842
37 Rick Newsom 2732202333DNQ28262222768
38 Dick May DNQ24925163115361925DNQ754
39 Connie Saylor (R)DNQ37121433401112664
40 Gary Balough (R)122518Wth251017Wth24323419656
41 Rick Wilson DNQ3525423742201311639
42 Mark Martin 27271173615
43 Bruce Hill 3923262841163033DNQ596
44 Donnie Allison 12342951138527
45 Geoff Bodine 223023730420
46 Joe Fields 2825162215DNQ23418
47 Jack Ingram 3437383213377
48 Randy Ogden DNQ22153424367
49 Don Waterman 102315351
50 Jim Robinson 61032351
51 Rusty Wallace 3021629323
52 Tommy Houston 202012DNQ27191211315
53 Bill Schmitt 222414314
54 Don Whittington 141435300
55 Dick Brooks 1615362113294
56 H. B. Bailey DNQ15361640288
57 Lowell Cowell 28172822288
58 Roy Smith 31830285
59 Don Puskarich 321721279
60 Glenn Jarrett 192527276
61 A. J. Foyt 35732271
62 Butch Lindley 252427271
63 Tommy Ellis 2630433224
64 Don Sprouse DNQ2015221
65 Slick Johnson 25343235216
66 Hershel McGriff 332538206
67 Chuck Bown 392815197
68 Junior Miller 26DNQ20188
69 David Pearson 2930328258154
70 Bob Schacht 3230DNQ140
71 Bob Riley 303233131
72 John Borneman 12127
73 Gary Kershaw 12127
74 Jim Bown DNQ3236122
75 Rick O'Dell 16115
76 Ronnie Sanders 19DNQ109
77 Delma Cowart 18106
78 Steve Spencer 302018103
79 Henry Jones DNQDNQ20DNQ103
80 Bob Bondurant 2118100
81 Bill Dennis 21100
82 Joe Booher 2420422297
83 Gene Thonesen 2297
84 Mark Stahl 2394
85 Bill Elswick 11132491
86 Steve Pfeifer 241491
87 John Gunn 2588
88 Charlie Glotzbach 2685
89 Rick McCray 2685
90 Roger Hamby 2782
91 Billie Harvey 4141WthDNQ80
92 Mike Potter 35152627262879
93 Sterling Marlin 262879
94 Dave Dion 2879
95 Scott Miller 2976
96 Elmo Langley 2976
97 Baxter Price DNQ303473
98 Jimmy Insolo 303673
99 Ernie Cline 3073
100 Jocko Maggiacomo 3170
101 Sandy Satullo II 3170
102 Travis Tiller DNQ3264
103 Pat Mintey 3461
104 Robert Tartaglia 3558
105 Kevin Housby 3655
106 Blackie Wangerin 42DNQ37
107 John Anderson DNQ392416
108 Bob McElwee 168
109 Terry Herman 1431
110 Dean Combs 2834
111 Jimmy Hensley 7
112 Rick Knoop 20
113 Rick Baldwin 21
114 Bob Senneker 21
115 Al Loquasto 24
116 Charlie Chamblee 26
117 Chuck Pittenger 28
118 Joel Stowe 29
119 Bruce Jacobi 30
120 Don Satterfield 30
121 Don Hume 33
122 Kirk Shelmerdine 33
123 Harry Dinwiddie DNQDNQDNQ
124 Dickie Boswell DNQ
125 Tom Sneva DNQ
126 Alan Rogers DNQ
127 Jerry Lovall DNQ
128 A. C. York DNQ
129 Sal Tovella DNQ
130 Tommy Hilbert DNQ
131 Steve Moore DNQDNQ
132 Hurley Haywood DNQ
133 Eddie Falk DNQ
134 Wayne Morgan DNQ
135 Don Stanley DNQ
136 Ferrel Harris DNQ
Pos.Driver RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT TWS RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL RSD Pts

Source: [1]

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References

  1. "Standings".