Valleydale 500
Bristol Motor Speedway — January 1, 1981
Darrell Waltrip
Winner
500
Laps
31
Entries
11
Leaders
Darrell Waltrip won the 1981 Valleydale 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on January 1, 1981, leading 323 of 500 laps. Ricky Rudd finished second; Bobby Allison 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 | 5 | +3 | Ricky Rudd |
| 3 | 11 | +8 | Bobby Allison |
| 4 | 7 | +3 | Morgan Shepherd |
| 5 | 8 | +3 | Benny Parsons |
| 6 | 6 | — | Jody Ridley |
| 7 | 4 | -3 | Terry Labonte |
| 8 | 14 | +6 | Harry Gant |
| 9 | 21 | +12 | Lake Speed |
| 10 | 13 | +3 | Tim Richmond |
| 11 | 23 | +12 | Kyle Petty |
| 12 | 12 | — | Mike Alexander |
| 13 | 19 | +6 | Buddy Arrington |
| 14 | 26 | +12 | Jimmy Means |
| 15 | 24 | +9 | Tommy Gale |
| 16 | 20 | +4 | Richard Childress |
| 17 | 18 | +1 | Joe Millikan |
| 18 | 10 | -8 | Ronnie Thomas |
| 19 | 17 | -2 | D.K. Ulrich |
| 20 | 31 | +11 | Steve Spencer |
| 21 | 25 | +4 | Cecil Gordon |
| 22 | 22 | — | J.D. McDuffie |
| 23 | 30 | +7 | Rick Newsom |
| 24 | 3 | -21 | Ron Bouchard |
| 25 | 15 | -10 | Butch Lindley |
| 26 | 27 | +1 | Bruce Hill |
| 27 | 28 | +1 | Elliott Forbes-Robinson |
| 28 | 2 | -26 | Dale Earnhardt |
| 29 | 9 | -20 | Richard Petty |
| 30 | 29 | -1 | Ernie Cline |
| 31 | 16 | -15 | Dave Marcis |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 1981 Valleydale 500?
Darrell Waltrip won the 1981 Valleydale 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway driving for Junior Johnson & Associates.
Where was the 1981 Valleydale 500 held?
The 1981 Valleydale 500 was held at Bristol Motor Speedway on January 1, 1981.