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1981 Winston 500


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NASCAR Winston Cup race number 10 of 31
Sunday, May 3, 1981 at Alabama International Motor Speedway, Talladega, AL
188 laps on a 2.660 mile paved track (500.080 miles)

Time of race: 3:20:52
Average speed: 149.376 mph
Pole speed: 195.864 mph
Cautions: 7 for 44 laps
Margin of victory: .1 sec
Attendance: 100000
Lead changes: 43

Glossary    1981 NASCAR Winston Cup results   /   1981 standings

PosSt#DriverCarLapsMoneyStatusLedPts
1 128   Bobby Allison The 5 Racers   (Harry Ranier)Buick18841500running69180
2 21   Buddy Baker UNO   (Hoss Ellington)Buick18834450running78180
31111   Darrell Waltrip Mountain Dew   (Junior Johnson)Buick18820325running11170
41088   Ricky Rudd Gatorade   (DiGard Racing)Oldsmobile18818750running8165
51477   Donnie Allison Warren Fabricating   (John Rebhan)Oldsmobile18710050running2160
62399   Tim Richmond UNO   (D.K. Ulrich)Buick18512105running0150
7 744   Terry Labonte Stratagraph   (Billy Hagan)Buick18513125running1151
8 42   Dale Earnhardt Wrangler   (Rod Osterlund)Pontiac18314775running5147
92725   Dick May Thomas Racing   (Ronnie Thomas)Dodge1838745running0138
102694   Bobby Wawak Louise Smith   (Bobby Wawak)Buick1835375running0134
113464   Tommy Gale Sunny King Ford & Honda   (Elmo Langley)Ford1817065running0130
123517   Tommy Houston Kings Inn Daytona   (Roger Hamby)Buick1816745running0127
13133   Richard Childress Ronnie Steele / Nichols   (Richard Childress)Pontiac1806625running4129
144071   Dave Marcis Hudson / Bowlin Coal   (Dave Marcis)Buick17811145running0121
153224   Cecil Gordon Gordon Racing   (Cecil Gordon)Buick1765725running0118
161286   Elliott Forbes-Robinson Cal-Tex   (Richard Howard)Buick1723340engine0115
171767   Buddy Arrington Hills Racing   (Buddy Arrington)Dodge1715145running0112
182866   Lake Speed Speed Racing   (Lake Speed)Buick1704825running0109
193348   James Hylton Palatine Auto Parts   (James Hylton)Pontiac1474755engine4111
202247   Ron Bouchard Race Hill Farm   (Jack Beebe)Buick1403925engine0103
21 337   Mike Alexander Rogers Auto Leasing   (Bob Rogers)Buick1352745engine0100
223770   J.D. McDuffie Bailey Excavating   (J.D. McDuffie)Pontiac1213705running097
23305   Morgan Shepherd Performance Connection   (Cliff Stewart)Pontiac1167260overheating094
24 827   Cale Yarborough Valvoline   (M.C. Anderson)Buick862860engine091
25 562   Rick Wilson Florida Equipment & Service   (Rick Wilson)Oldsmobile762500engine693
263840   Ronnie Thomas Price Racing   (Baxter Price)Buick751805oil line085
273652   Jimmy Means Broadway Motors   (Jimmy Means)Pontiac683005engine082
283150   Bruce Hill Hill Racing   (Bruce Hill)Buick511695overheating079
29156   Joe Ruttman The 5 Racers   (Jim Stacy)Buick461640engine076
302542   Kyle Petty STP   (Petty Enterprises)Buick381585ignition073
312990   Jody Ridley Truxmore / Sunny King   (Junie Donlavey)Ford253765steering070
32 621   Neil Bonnett Purolator   (Wood Brothers)Ford152000engine067
333920   Rick Newsom Superior Piping   (Rick Newsom)Chevrolet151470engine064
34 933   Harry Gant Skoal Bandit   (Hal Needham)Pontiac11560crash061
351622   Stan Barrett Skoal Bandit   (Hal Needham)Pontiac11405crash058
361815   Benny Parsons Melling Tool   (Bud Moore)Ford16825crash055
37194   Connie Saylor Mitco   (G.C. Spencer)Oldsmobile11345crash052
382075   Joe Millikan Rahmoc EnterprisesOldsmobile11815crash049
392143   Richard Petty STP   (Petty Enterprises)Buick16735crash046
40249   Bill Elliott Mell-Gear   (George Elliott)Ford11255crash043

Failed to qualify, withdrew, or driver changes:
PosNameNbrSponsorOwnerCar
Harry Dinwiddie49Dinwiddie RacingTerri DinwiddiePontiac
Henry Jones74Pro Sports RacingBobby WawakPontiac

Caution flag breakdown:
ConditionFrom
Lap
To
Lap
# Of
Laps
ReasonFree
Pass
122  
3119   #3,4,9,15,22,33,42,43,66,75,90,99 accident turn 3 
12176  
18236   #20 spun tri-oval 
24241  
253612   #2,5,27,28,62 spun turn 1 
37371  
38403   debris 
417838  
79835   #62 engine 
8413653  
1371404   debris 
14115515  
1561605   debris 
16118828  
  Percent of race run under caution: 23.4%             Average green flag run: 18.0 laps

Lap leader breakdown:
LeaderFrom
Lap
To
Lap
# Of
Laps
  Buddy Baker111
  Bobby Allison21110
  Buddy Baker12121
  Bobby Allison13175
  Rick Wilson18236
  Richard Childress24274
  Darrell Waltrip28314
  James Hylton32354
  Ricky Rudd36405
  Bobby Allison41455
  Dale Earnhardt46461
  Bobby Allison47471
  Darrell Waltrip48481
  Buddy Baker496820
  Darrell Waltrip69691
  Terry Labonte70701
  Bobby Allison71788
  Donnie Allison79791
  Dale Earnhardt80834
  Bobby Allison84907
  Buddy Baker9111323
  Darrell Waltrip1141152
  Bobby Allison1161161
  Donnie Allison1171171
  Bobby Allison11812811
  Buddy Baker1291368
  Ricky Rudd1371371
  Darrell Waltrip1381403
  Buddy Baker14116020
  Bobby Allison1611611
  Buddy Baker1621621
  Bobby Allison1631686
  Buddy Baker1691691
  Ricky Rudd1701701
  Bobby Allison1711755
  Ricky Rudd1761761
  Bobby Allison1771815
  Buddy Baker1821821
  Bobby Allison1831831
  Buddy Baker1841841
  Bobby Allison1851862
  Buddy Baker1871871
  Bobby Allison1881881

Points Standings after this race:
RankDriverPointsDiff
1   Bobby Allison 1566    
2   Ricky Rudd 1413   -153  
3   Darrell Waltrip 1392   -174  
4   Harry Gant 1364   -202  
5   Jody Ridley 1291   -275  
6   Dale Earnhardt 1286   -280  
7   Terry Labonte 1238   -328  
8   Richard Petty 1184   -382  
9   Dave Marcis 1160   -406  
10   Benny Parsons 1155   -411  
11   Joe Millikan 1135   -431  
12   Tim Richmond 1102   -464  
13   Buddy Arrington 1089   -477  
14   Richard Childress 1075   -491  
15   Jimmy Means 1051   -515  
16   Morgan Shepherd 1024   -542  
17   J.D. McDuffie 1010   -556  
18   Tommy Gale 1008   -558  
19   Kyle Petty 949   -617  
20   James Hylton 905   -661  
21   Ronnie Thomas 873   -693