Official NASCAR Race Results
Jody Ridley won the 1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Mason-Dixon 500 at Dover International Speedway.
05-17-1981 | Mason-Dixon 500 | Dover International Speedway
Table initially ordered on Finish Position. Click a column header to re-sort by that value.
| Fin | St | # | Driver | Make | Sponsor | Pts | Laps | Led | Status | Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | 90 | Jody Ridley | Ford | Truxmore / Sunny King | 180 | 500 | 20 | Running | 22,560 |
| 2 | 8 | 28 | Bobby Allison | Buick | The 5 Racers | 170 | 500 | 0 | Running | 16,725 |
| 3 | 14 | 2 | Dale Earnhardt | Pontiac | Wrangler | 165 | 499 | 0 | Running | 15,125 |
| 4 | 18 | 99 | D.K. Ulrich | Buick | UNO | 160 | 491 | 0 | Running | 7,160 |
| 5 | 4 | 88 | Ricky Rudd | Buick | Gatorade | 155 | 490 | 0 | Running | 9,450 |
| 6 | 2 | 5 | Morgan Shepherd | Pontiac | Performance Connection | 150 | 489 | 0 | Running | 8,625 |
| 7 | 19 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Dodge | Hills Racing | 146 | 488 | 0 | Running | 4,965 |
| 8 | 7 | 44 | Terry Labonte | Buick | Stratagraph | 142 | 486 | 0 | Running | 7,725 |
| 9 | 22 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Pontiac | Broadway Motors | 138 | 481 | 0 | Running | 4,280 |
| 10 | 6 | 27 | Cale Yarborough | Buick | Valvoline | 139 | 480 | 32 | Engine | 2,925 |
| 11 | 17 | 77 | Donnie Allison | Oldsmobile | Warren Fabricating | 130 | 480 | 0 | Running | 1,900 |
| 12 | 5 | 11 | Darrell Waltrip | Buick | Mountain Dew | 127 | 476 | 0 | Running | 7,240 |
| 13 | 3 | 21 | Neil Bonnett | Ford | Purolator | 134 | 459 | 404 | Engine | 2,560 |
| 14 | 30 | 40 | Tommy Gale | Buick | Ulrich Racing | 121 | 459 | 0 | Running | 1,620 |
| 15 | 23 | 24 | Cecil Gordon | Buick | Buffalo Stampede | 118 | 458 | 0 | Running | 3,605 |
| 16 | 10 | 33 | Harry Gant | Chevrolet | Skoal Bandit | 115 | 448 | 0 | Engine | 1,350 |
| 17 | 24 | 3 | Richard Childress | Pontiac | Nichols | 112 | 412 | 0 | Engine | 3,215 |
| 18 | 25 | 48 | James Hylton | Pontiac | Palatine Auto Parts | 109 | 379 | 0 | Wheel | 3,020 |
| 19 | 9 | 43 | Richard Petty | Buick | STP | 111 | 368 | 3 | Rear end | 6,570 |
| 20 | 16 | 42 | Kyle Petty | Buick | STP | 103 | 342 | 0 | Engine | 2,240 |
| 21 | 20 | 37 | Mike Alexander | Oldsmobile | Rogers Auto Leasing | 100 | 297 | 0 | Engine | 900 |
| 22 | 32 | 64 | Joe Fields | Buick | Richmond Printing | 97 | 254 | 0 | Overheating | 2,470 |
| 23 | 28 | 70 | J.D. McDuffie | Pontiac | Golden Corral | 94 | 161 | 0 | Engine | 2,235 |
| 24 | 27 | 25 | Ronnie Thomas | Pontiac | Drummond Racing | 91 | 90 | 0 | Oil leak | 1,940 |
| 25 | 1 | 12 | David Pearson | Oldsmobile | Kencoal Mining | 93 | 57 | 41 | Engine | 2,675 |
| 26 | 31 | 79 | Junior Miller | Oldsmobile | Miller Roofing | 85 | 46 | 0 | Oil pressure | 1,880 |
| 27 | 12 | 47 | Ron Bouchard | Buick | Race Hill Farm | 82 | 22 | 0 | Crash | 1,845 |
| 28 | 21 | 17 | Lowell Cowell | Chevrolet | Kings Inn Daytona | 79 | 11 | 0 | Steering | 1,800 |
| 29 | 29 | 66 | Elmo Langley | Oldsmobile | Speed Racing | 76 | 6 | 0 | Driveshaft | 575 |
| 30 | 26 | 94 | Bob Riley | Buick | Atlanta Int. Messenger | 73 | 6 | 0 | Steering | 550 |
| 31 | 13 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Chevrolet | Hudson / Transmissions Unlimited | 70 | 1 | 0 | Crash | 1,040 |
| 32 | 15 | 15 | Benny Parsons | Ford | Melling Tool | 67 | 1 | 0 | Crash | 5,980 |
Race Recap
- Date: 05-17-1981
- Track: Dover International Speedway
- Race: Mason-Dixon 500
- Race #: 12
- Cars: 32
- Winner: Jody Ridley
- Start Position: 11th
- Car Make: Ford
- Avg Speed: 116.595 mph
- Distance: 500 miles
- Purse: $156,750
- Cautions: 2
- Caution Laps: 24
- Lead Changes: 12
- Pole: 138.425 mph
