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American 500
NASCAR Winston Cup race
North Carolina Motor Speedway, Rockingham, NC
November 1, 1981
492 laps on 1.017 mile paved oval; 500.364 miles
| Fin
| St
| Driver
| #
| Owner
| Car
| Laps
| Money
| Status
| Laps Led
|
| 1
| 1
| Darrell Waltrip
| 11
| Junior Johnson
| Buick
| 492
| 23,410
| running
| 163 |
| 2
| 14
| Bobby Allison
| 28
| Harry Ranier
| Buick
| 492
| 17,100
| running
| 31 |
| 3
| 2
| Harry Gant
| 33
| Hal Needham
| Pontiac
| 492
| 10,150
| running
| 125 |
| 4
| 12
| Richard Petty
| 43
| Petty Enterprises
| Buick
| 492
| 10,400
| running
| 92 |
| 5
| 16
| Joe Ruttman
| 2
| Jim Stacy
| Pontiac
| 492
| 9,700
| running
| 3 |
| 6
| 24
| Benny Parsons
| 15
| Bud Moore
| Ford
| 491
| 8,750
| running
| 0 |
| 7
| 10
| Terry Labonte
| 44
| Billy Hagan
| Buick
| 490
| 8,350
| running
| 0 |
| 8
| 22
| Bill Elliott
| 9
| George Elliott
| Ford
| 490
| 3,000
| running
| 17 |
| 9
| 5
| Dale Earnhardt
| 3
| Richard Childress
| Pontiac
| 489
| 7,360
| running
| 16 |
| 10
| 19
| Jody Ridley
| 90
| Junie Donlavey
| Ford
| 487
| 6,190
| running
| 0 |
| 11
| 37
| Ron Bouchard
| 47
| Jack Beebe
| Buick
| 485
| 4,730
| running
| 0 |
| 12
| 26
| Dave Marcis
| 71
| Dave Marcis
| Chevrolet
| 483
| 4,270
| running
| 2 |
| 13
| 27
| Tom Gale
| 64
| Elmo Langley
| Ford
| 475
| 3,980
| running
| 0 |
| 14
| 31
| Buddy Arrington
| 67
| Buddy Arrington
| Dodge
| 470
| 3,740
| running
| 0 |
| 15
| 34
| Cecil Gordon
| 24
| Cecil Gordon
| Buick
| 457
| 3,530
| running
| 0 |
| 16
| 4
| Buddy Baker
| 1
| Hoss Ellington
| Buick
| 445
| 1,425
| rear end
| 2 |
| 17
| 32
| D.K. Ulrich
| 99
| D.K. Ulrich
| Buick
| 435
| 3,220
| engine
| 0 |
| 18
| 3
| Ricky Rudd
| 88
| DiGard
| Chevrolet
| 434
| 7,000
| running
| 16 |
| 19
| 17
| Joe Millikan
| 5
| Cliff Stewart
| Pontiac
| 425
| 6,100
| running
| 0 |
| 20
| 36
| Jimmy Means
| 52
| Jimmy Means
| Pontiac
| 404
| 2,760
| running
| 0 |
| 21
| 23
| Dick Brooks
| 13
| Bobby Hawkins
| Ford
| 379
| 825
| valve
| 0 |
| 22
| 13
| Tim Richmond
| 37
| Bob Rogers
| Buick
| 334
| 800
| accident
| 0 |
| 23
| 35
| Joe Fields
| 92
| Joe Fields
| Buick
| 262
| 775
| accident
| 0 |
| 24
| 29
| John Anderson
| 17
| Roger Hamby
| Buick
| 226
| 2,290
| suspension
| 0 |
| 25
| 8
| Cale Yarborough
| 27
| M.C. Anderson
| Buick
| 214
| 1,225
| accident
| 0 |
| 26
| 25
| James Hylton
| 48
| James Hylton
| Pontiac
| 214
| 2,230
| push rod
| 0 |
| 27
| 15
| Morgan Shepherd
| 96
| Ron Benfield
| Buick
| 205
| 675
| accident
| 25 |
| 28
| 28
| Chuck Bown
| 16
| Dick Bown
| Buick
| 193
| 650
| engine
| 0 |
| 29
| 11
| Johnny Rutherford
| 98
| Ron Benfield
| Buick
| 172
| 625
| accident
| 0 |
| 30
| 30
| J.D. McDuffie
| 70
| J.D. McDuffie
| Pontiac
| 165
| 2,130
| engine
| 0 |
| 31
| 18
| Lake Speed
| 66
| Lake Speed
| Oldsmobile
| 162
| 2,125
| engine
| 0 |
| 32
| 21
| Gary Balough
| 75
| RahMoc Enterprises
| Buick
| 117
| 1,395
| accident
| 0 |
| 33
| 33
| Don Hume
| 40
| D.K. Ulrich
| Buick
| 101
| 590
| accident
| 0 |
| 34
| 7
| Dean Combs
| 77
| Irv Sanderson
| Buick
| 89
| 585
| accident
| 0 |
| 35
| 9
| Neil Bonnett
| 21
| Wood Brothers
| Ford
| 55
| 1,080
| accident
| 0 |
| 36
| 20
| Lennie Pond
| 68
| Lennie Pond
| Buick
| 54
| 575
| accident
| 0 |
| 37
| 6
| Kyle Petty
| 42
| Petty Enterprises
| Buick
| 19
| 870
| engine
| 0 |
Notes: Scheduled for October 25; postponed because of rain.
Time of race: 04:39:32
Average Speed: 107.399 MPH
Pole Speed: 26.499 seconds
12 cautions for 97 laps
Attendance: 35,000