| 1981 Mason-Dixon 500 NASCAR Cup Series Race 12 of 31 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race Information | Track Information | ||||
| Total Purse: | $156,750 | Race Date: | May 17, 1981 | Dover International Speedway | |
| Margin of Victory: | 22.000 Seconds | Race Duration: | 4Hr 17Min 18Sec. | Dover, Delaware | |
| Lead Changes: | 12 | Average Speed: | 116.595 MPH | 1 Mile Concrete Banked Oval | |
| No. of Cars: | 32 | No. of Cautions: | 2 For 24 Laps | doverspeedway.com | |
| Winner, Pole and Manufacturer Information | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner Information | Pole Information | Manufacturer Points | ||||||
| Driver: | Jody Ridley J. Ridley | Driver: | David Pearson D. Pearson | Ford: | 9 | |||
| Car No.: | #90 Ford | Car No.: | #12 Oldsmobile | Buick: | 0 | |||
| Team: | Team: | Kenny Childers Racing | Pontiac: | 0 | ||||
| Crew Chief: | Crew Chief: | Dodge: | 0 | |||||
| Laps Led: | 20 of 500 | Pole Speed: | 138.425 MPH | |||||
| Official 1981 Mason-Dixon 500 Results |
|---|
| Finish | Start | Num | Driver | Sponsor | Status | Mfg | Points | Laps | Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | 90 | Jody Ridley | Truxmore Industries / Sunny King Ford | Running |  | 180 | 500 | 20 |
| 2 | 8 | 28 | Bobby Allison | Five Racers | Running |  | 170 | 500 | 0 |
| 3 | 14 | 2 | Dale Earnhardt | Wrangler Jeans | Running |  | 165 | 499 | 0 |
| 4 | 18 | 99 | D.K. Ulrich | Uno | Running | | 160 | 491 | 0 |
| 5 | 4 | 88 | Ricky Rudd | Gatorade | Running | | 155 | 490 | 0 |
| 6 | 2 | 5 | Morgan Shepherd (R) | Performance Connection | Running | | 150 | 489 | 0 |
| 7 | 19 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Hills Racing | Running |  | 146 | 488 | 0 |
| 8 | 7 | 44 | Terry Labonte | Stratagraph Incorporated | Running | | 142 | 486 | 0 |
| 9 | 22 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Broadway Motors | Running | | 138 | 481 | 0 |
| 10 | 6 | 27 | Cale Yarborough | Valvoline | Engine | | 139 | 480 | 32 |
| 11 | 17 | 77 | Donnie Allison | Warren Fabricating | Running |  | 130 | 480 | 0 |
| 12 | 5 | 11 | Darrell Waltrip | Mountain Dew | Running | | 127 | 476 | 0 |
| 13 | 3 | 21 | Neil Bonnett | Purolator | Engine | | 134 | 459 | 404 |
| 14 | 30 | 40 | Tommy Gale | Ulrich Racing | Running | | 121 | 459 | 0 |
| 15 | 23 | 24 | Cecil Gordon | Buffalo Stampede | Running | | 118 | 458 | 0 |
| 16 | 10 | 33 | Harry Gant | Skoal Bandit | Engine |  | 115 | 448 | 0 |
| 17 | 24 | 3 | Richard Childress | Nichols | Engine | | 112 | 412 | 0 |
| 18 | 25 | 48 | James Hylton | Palatine Automotive | Wheel Stud | | 109 | 379 | 0 |
| 19 | 9 | 43 | Richard Petty | STP | Rear Gear | | 111 | 368 | 3 |
| 20 | 16 | 42 | Kyle Petty | STP | Engine | | 103 | 342 | 0 |
| 21 | 20 | 37 | Mike Alexander (R) | Rogers Auto Leasing | Engine | | 100 | 297 | 0 |
| 22 | 32 | 64 | Joe Fields | Richmond Printing | Overheating | | 97 | 254 | 0 |
| 23 | 28 | 70 | J.D. McDuffie | Golden Corral | Engine | | 94 | 161 | 0 |
| 24 | 27 | 25 | Ronnie Thomas | Drummond Racing Ltd. | | 91 | 90 | 0 | |
| 25 | 1 | 12 | David Pearson | Kencoal | Engine | | 0 | 57 | 41 |
| 26 | 31 | 79 | Junior Miller | Junior Miller Roofing | Oil Pressure | | 85 | 46 | 0 |
| 27 | 12 | 47 | Ron Bouchard (R) | Race Hill Farm | Accident | | 82 | 22 | 0 |
| 28 | 21 | 17 | Lowell Cowell | Kings Inn Daytona | Steering | | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 29 | 29 | 66 | Elmo Langley | Lake Speed Racing | Driveshaft | | 76 | 6 | 0 |
| 30 | 26 | 94 | Bob Riley | Atlantic Interstate Messengers | Steering | | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 31 | 13 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Hudson Chevrolet / Transmissions Unlimited | Accident | | 70 | 1 | 0 |
| 32 | 15 | 15 | Benny Parsons | Melling Tool Company | Accident | | 67 | 1 | 0 |
