American 500
Rockingham Speedway — January 1, 1981
Darrell Waltrip
Winner
492
Laps
37
Entries
11
Leaders
Darrell Waltrip won the 1981 American 500 at Rockingham Speedway on January 1, 1981, leading 163 of 492 laps. Bobby Allison finished second; Harry Gant rounded out the podium. The race featured 11 different leaders.
Race Details
Date
Thursday, January 1, 1981
Track
Season
1981
Winner
Leaders
11 drivers
| Pos | Start | +/- | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | — | Darrell Waltrip |
| 2 | 14 | +12 | Bobby Allison |
| 3 | 2 | -1 | Harry Gant |
| 4 | 12 | +8 | Richard Petty |
| 5 | 16 | +11 | Joe Ruttman |
| 6 | 24 | +18 | Benny Parsons |
| 7 | 10 | +3 | Terry Labonte |
| 8 | 22 | +14 | Bill Elliott |
| 9 | 5 | -4 | Dale Earnhardt |
| 10 | 19 | +9 | Jody Ridley |
| 11 | 37 | +26 | Ron Bouchard |
| 12 | 26 | +14 | Dave Marcis |
| 13 | 27 | +14 | Tommy Gale |
| 14 | 31 | +17 | Buddy Arrington |
| 15 | 34 | +19 | Cecil Gordon |
| 16 | 4 | -12 | Buddy Baker |
| 17 | 32 | +15 | D.K. Ulrich |
| 18 | 3 | -15 | Ricky Rudd |
| 19 | 17 | -2 | Joe Millikan |
| 20 | 36 | +16 | Jimmy Means |
| 21 | 23 | +2 | Dick Brooks |
| 22 | 13 | -9 | Tim Richmond |
| 23 | 35 | +12 | Joe Fields |
| 24 | 29 | +5 | John Anderson |
| 25 | 8 | -17 | Cale Yarborough |
| 26 | 25 | -1 | James Hylton |
| 27 | 15 | -12 | Morgan Shepherd |
| 28 | 28 | — | Chuck Bown |
| 29 | 11 | -18 | Johnny Rutherford |
| 30 | 30 | — | J.D. McDuffie |
| 31 | 18 | -13 | Lake Speed |
| 32 | 21 | -11 | Gary Balough |
| 33 | 33 | — | Don Hume |
| 34 | 7 | -27 | Dean Combs |
| 35 | 9 | -26 | Neil Bonnett |
| 36 | 20 | -16 | Lennie Pond |
| 37 | 6 | -31 | Kyle Petty |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 1981 American 500?
Darrell Waltrip won the 1981 American 500 at Rockingham Speedway driving for Junior Johnson & Associates.
Where was the 1981 American 500 held?
The 1981 American 500 was held at Rockingham Speedway on January 1, 1981.