|| *Comments on the 1981 Daytona 500:* View the most recent comment <#58> | Post a comment <#post> Tweet 1. HomeDepotKid posted: 12.06.2004 - 4:58 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) This was the first race in which the new, smaller "Downsized" cars raced exclusively in a NASCAR race. They raced alongside the old "Taxicabs" in the season opener in Riverside. 2. Anonymous posted: 06.09.2005 - 12:53 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) This was Richard Petty's final Daytona 500 win. He won the race on fuel mileage, beating Bobby Allison, who had run out of gas before the final pit stop. 3. MOST posted: 05.06.2006 - 4:55 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Nasty crashes for Jon Anderson and Connie Sailor in the Twins. 4. Darrell posted: 06.25.2006 - 3:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) First start for Hal Needham and Burt Reynolds as car owners. 5. myself posted: 02.14.2007 - 6:07 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) First race for Cale in M.C. Anderson's #27 Valvoline car. 6. James W. McLaughlin posted: 02.23.2007 - 12:54 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I like the Valvoline-sponsored NASCAR race cars. 7. SK posted: 12.16.2007 - 11:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The $90,575 Petty collected was the greatest purse of his 1,184-race career. 8. RaceFanX posted: 01.03.2008 - 11:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Geoff Bodine experienced a bizarre accident in which he spun out, went over a dirt embankment and hit a parked station wagon. Thankfully no one was hurt http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfqpImSnT3s 9. myself posted: 02.20.2008 - 2:37 pm Rate this comment: (1) (2) Typical Bodine. The man's a menace. 10. bj posted: 11.02.2008 - 8:34 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) This was great! Petty wins a Daytona 500 again in which he had no business winning. Crew chief Dale Inman made the call to only take fuel on the last pit stop giving Petty the lead. He wasn't very fast that day but he held them off for his record seventh Daytona 500. 11. RaceFanX posted: 11.04.2009 - 10:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Bill Elswick has his best Cup finish in 11th Ronnie Sanders' NASCAR debut and best finish in 18th 12. Aldo posted: 11.12.2009 - 12:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Geoffrey's accident was very bizarre, not only because he finished on the parking lot but even 'cause he kept racing after that eventually reaching the final 22th position. 13. Anonymous posted: 01.27.2010 - 1:15 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) John Anderson would have made the race if he never had that barrell roll in the 125s, he was at one point in 3rd place, competing with Neil and Bobby. 14. Madison posted: 01.31.2010 - 8:08 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Ricky Rudd's best 500 finish. 15. myself posted: 02.09.2010 - 12:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) Had John Anderson made the race, reckon he'd have sung Seminole Wind while driving? 16. Neal posted: 02.18.2010 - 12:03 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I was watching an old tape of this race and during the pre-race ceremonies Brock Yates alluded to Bobby Allison's car being such a stretch of the rule book that it would be allowed to race in the 500, but immediately banned after the race - a la the Jeff Gordon T-Rex car. Was the car banned and what was so bad about it that gave Allison an advantage? 17. v2v1v5 posted: 04.25.2010 - 2:17 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) The car did not "stretch" the rulebook at all.The Ranier team ran the "LeMans" body,though the other GM bodies had a slipperer nose,the "LeMans" body had a better roofline,rear window slope.I think some of the crewchiefs were upset that they didn't think of it themselves.In the race the car was the hot rod,but that was the case a lot of times with the Ranier cars. 18. Jim posted: 09.15.2010 - 9:20 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) That Lemans body was sweet ! I wish they would make a die cast of it. 19. zuel660 posted: 01.06.2011 - 1:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I always liked the LeMans in Nascar. It made for an awesome looking stock car. Since all the cars in the race were 'new', it was kind of an unknown as to which body would be best. Obviously, Buick was king for '81 & '82. But before this race, when was the last time a Buick won a Cup race? 20. Mike posted: 02.27.2011 - 7:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (3) I Hate Daytpona 500's. 21. Mike posted: 02.27.2011 - 7:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) i love Daytona 500's ever. 22. fannie davis posted: 03.29.2011 - 2:48 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) SORRY # I5 (MYSELF ) WRONG JOHN ANDERSON ACCORDING TO THE RECORDS HERE THE DRIVER JOHN ANDERSON DIED IN 1986 ...BUT THAT IS A GREAT SONG TAKE CARE !!! 23. Schroeder51 posted: 07.12.2012 - 9:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) DNQs: #73 Steve Moore, #94 Bobby Wawak, #4 Connie Saylor, #45 Baxter Price, #77 John Anderson, #60 Sal Tovella, #62 Rick Wilson, #8 Dick May, #5 Tom Sneva, #49 Harry Dinwiddie, #36 H. B. Bailey. 24. harold posted: 07.16.2012 - 5:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) What about the real star car the Pace car a 1981 Trans Am Turbo real kool 25. RaceFanX posted: 12.30.2012 - 3:03 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Allison's Pontiac LeMans wasn't ban after this race but the rule book did catch up with it. NASCAR changed the aerodynamic rules regarding that model and the LeMans' big advantages were largely neutered by it so the Ranier team ideled it and largely switched over to Buicks by April. Despite that change LeMans were still used afterward and the Ranier team with new driver Cale Yarborough would win the 1983 Daytona 500 using a LeMans after they wiped out their Chevrolet Monte Carlo in a qualifying crash. 26. RaceFanX posted: 12.30.2012 - 4:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) After Saylor and Anderson's big flips in the 125s NASCAR adjusted the spoiler rules for this race to prevent a repeat. Between that and perhaps more cautious drivers this 500 would be a relatively clean one. Allison regained the lead 20 times over the course of this race against drivers such as defending 500 winner Buddy Baker, Ricky Rudd, defending series champion Dale Earnhardt and fellow Alabama Gang member Neil Bonnett. King Richard didn't lead the race at all until he put his Buick outfront late thanks to Dale Inman's pit strategy but never gave up the lead once he had it and went on to win. It would be his last win with Inman who left the team right after this race to go work at J.D. Stacy's #2 team with Earnhardt and later Joe Ruttman driving. Inman and Petty would eventually reunite in 1986. This was Richard Petty's first-ever Cup victory driving a Buick but the upscale GM brand wasn't the team's first choice when the downsized cars arrived. With the lousy Dodge Magnum a thing of the past the November before this race Chrysler CEO Lee Iaccoca personally called Richard to convince Petty Enterprises to return to Dodge with factory support after 2 and a half years using GM brands. The King agreed and the team built and tested a Dodge Miranda in the lead up to this race. While the Miranda looked slick testing by both the Pettys and Junior Johnson's #11 team revealed the car produced too much drag and was hopelessly off the pace. Both the Pettys and Johnson abandoned the Mirandas without racing them and went with Buicks instead. 27. RaceFanX posted: 01.30.2013 - 7:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) DNQ cars/sponsors/owners: Steve Moore- #73 Kings Inn Harry Dinwiddie- #49 Pabst Blue Ribbon Pontiac- Harry Dinwiddie John Anderson- #77 Warren Fabricating Dick May- #8 Dick Brooks Honda Connie Saylor- #4 Mitco Bobby Wawak- #94 Louise Smith Special 28. b4il3y posted: 08.29.2013 - 3:32 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) myself=no. 29. Jim walker posted: 12.03.2013 - 2:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Anyone remember the rear bumpers flying off the Pontiacs early in a couple of speedway races when Bobby Allison was driving. Seems to have started quite a stink( and a faster car) 30. David posted: 12.15.2013 - 2:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Shortly after Petty took the checkered flag, Stan Barrett spun his Pontiac into the Turn 4 wall. He was running tenth at the time. 31. Jeff posted: 02.13.2014 - 12:27 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Glenn Jarrett's one and only Daytona 500. He finished 19th. Tim Richmond's 1st Daytona 500 and he finished 30th. 32. cjs3872 posted: 02.24.2014 - 4:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) By the way, Ricky Rudd did not lead lap 174 of this race, Richard Petty did. For some unexplained reason, NASCAR gave credit to Rudd for leading that lap, even though Petty was in front of him that entire lap. Therefore, Petty actually led the last 27 laps of this race, laps 174-200. That also affects the number of lead changes, as it has always been said that there were 49 lead changes in this race, when there were really 48 lead changes. 33. Evan posted: 05.29.2014 - 4:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) They're not changing tires?! What strategy! A change of pace for the Petty crew! Ned Jarrett's pit call was quite stunning as he was simply stunned that the Petty crew did not take new tires and went with fuel, but the gamble paid off as Richard was able to gain time on the track and defeat a surprised Bobby Allison who ran out of gas and Petty won. Richard Petty won in his two-toned STP Buick which was my least favorite of Richard's paint schemes, they always went with a very conservative Petty blue and red but this one had a great deal of red and less Petty blue. And obviously Richard Petty's final Daytona 500 win and it sure was a surprising result. 34. Anonymous posted: 11.07.2014 - 1:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The line up sheet lists crew chiefs for the fasted qualifiers (part of the Craftsman pit crew program) #28 Waddell Wilson #11 Tim Brewer #88 Jake Elder #47 Bob Johnson #16 Harold Fagan #1 Sheldon Pittman #27 David Ifft #44 Darrell Bryant #21 Len Wood #51 Ron Puryear 35. Schroeder51 posted: 03.13.2015 - 1:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Add to DNQS: Dickie Boswell-#01 Ginn's Racing Pontiac (Owned by Dick Boswell) Alan Rogers-#08 Kinsey Auto Parts Chevrolet (Owned by Alan Rogers) Jerry Lovall-#17 Lovall Racing Oldsmobile (Owned by Jerry Lovall) A. C. York-#59 Eddie's Auto Parts Chevrolet (Owned by A. C. York) Tommy Hilbert-#61 Hilbert Racing Pontiac (Owned by Tom Hilbert) Henry Jones-#74 Pro Sports Racing Pontiac (Owned by Bobby Wawak) All of these drivers participated in the consolation race. 36. Chives5150 posted: 05.18.2015 - 8:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "They're only adding gasoline and he's away!" - Ned Jarrett 37. saltsburgtrojanfan posted: 02.08.2016 - 4:42 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Caution 1: Lap 20-25: #39 accident tri-oval Caution 2: Lap 50-54: #23 accident turn 4 Caution 3: Lap 58-60: #7 accident turn 2 Caution 4: Lap 92-95: #16,27 accident 38. Windows Millennium Edition posted: 04.21.2016 - 9:13 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sponsor update: #60 Test Tube 39. Matt J posted: 08.08.2016 - 5:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Just listened to an interview with Larry McReynolds about this race. This was the first he attended as a race crew member, working with Bob Rogers' team based out of Greenville, SC. Greenville native Don Sprouse drove for the team. He actually had to get out of the car due to exhaustion and Kyle Petty, who had dropped out earlier due to an engine failure, filled in and brought the car home in 20th. 40. Brandon posted: 12.20.2016 - 4:36 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Possibly the first 500 without a Mercury in the field. And the lone Dodge in the race was Buddy Arrington's. The Chrysler people had tried to bring Petty back into the fold. But in testing the Dodge Mirada was uncompetitive and Petty parked it in favor of the Buick. Ironically, as has already been mentioned, Petty won the race not on pure speed but by a brilliant pit callby crew chief Dale Inman. Inman was unusually emotional in victory lane because it wasn't known at the time but he was leaving Petty Enterprises after this race to go work for Rod Osterlund. 41. Josh posted: 02.23.2017 - 2:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Blackie Wangerin's final Daytona 500 start. He would attempt the race through 1991, but this is the final one he successfully qualified for. Unfortunately it only lasted 17 laps for him. 42. Turn 4 posted: 06.25.2017 - 3:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) One of the few Daytona 500s where the final caution flag occurred before the halfway point of the race. 43. KW posted: 09.18.2017 - 2:16 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Speed weeks for 1981 included the ARCA 200 won by Tim Richmond in a 1977 Olds. Joe Ruttman was second followed by Jim Vandiver, Phil Parsons and Sandy Satulio. Davey Allison was 6th and Ken Schrader was 8th. The International Sedan Series (Dash) ran the Florida 200, won by Larry Hoopaugh in a Pontiac Starfire. Ed Berrier was second, followed by Dean Combs, Lanny Hester, and Tom Ballos. The Sportsman 300 for Late Model Sportsman Cars was won by David Pearson, Rusty Wallace was 2nd, Neil Bonnett 3rd, Ricky Rudd 4th, Morgan Shepherd 5th and Dave Marcis 6th. Richard Childress was 10th, Harry Gant 13th, Mark Martin 14th, Sterling Marlin 20th, Bobby Allison 28th, and Jack Ingram was 39th. 44. zuel660 posted: 05.15.2018 - 4:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @29 You're probably thinking of the '82 Daytona 500, when Bobby Allison lost the back bumper off his #88 DiGard/Gatorade Buick early in the race, causing a multi-car crash behind him. 45. RaceFanX posted: 05.26.2018 - 10:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Indianapolis 500 ace Johnny Rutherford makes his first NASCAR Cup start since mid-1977. Lone Star JR's return to stock cars, kicking of a part-time Cup campaign for him in 1981, proved to be a solid race as he finished in the top-10. 46. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 06.02.2018 - 11:20 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) First Daytona 500 starts for Ronnie Sanders, Tim Richmond, Kyle Petty, and Billie Harvey. Only Daytona 500 starts for Glenn Jarrett and Don Sprouse. Last Daytona 500 starts for Johnny Rutherford, Bill Elswick, Don Whittington, James Hylton, Cecil Gordon, Bruce Hill, and Blackie Wangerin. 47. Seibaru posted: 09.20.2018 - 1:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) WD: Greg Sacks - Number unknown Pontiac owned by Richard Childress Sacks was going to run this race for Childress, but he wrote the car off in a vicious testing accident in late December. 48. Yeet #PrayForWickens posted: 09.27.2018 - 12:11 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Dickie Boswell's only Cup attempt 49. JSPorts posted: 09.27.2018 - 3:13 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) He went on to be fairly successful in the Xfinity Series, though he never won at that level. 50. SweetRich posted: 02.13.2020 - 10:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Of King Richard's 200 NASCAR Cup Wins, His Only Three In Buick Started With This Race Before Switching To Pontiac. 51. SweetRich posted: 02.14.2020 - 4:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The Commentators For This Race: Ken Squier And David Hobbs. The Pit Road Reporters: Ned Jarrett And Brock Yates. 52. gary24fan posted: 03.27.2020 - 7:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'm wondering whether the Boswell, Rogers, Lovall, York, and Hilbert cars should actually be listed as DNQ's for this race. They did participate in the consi yes but I think only to fill the field as they would have had only 7 cars what with few guys having downsized cars ready to go plus some got trashed in the 125's. These five guys I'm thinking were DNQ's for the sportsman race. 53. RaceFanX posted: 04.01.2020 - 1:23 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) David Pearson had the only Chevrolet in the field but he qualified well with his new Monte Carlo in the top-10 after a great run in his Twin 125. On race day the Silver Fox led a few laps and ran in the top-5 for much of the event before the motor in the Halpern Enterprises #16 grenaded and ended his day. Most GM teams went for Pontiacs, Oldsmobiles, and Buicks for this one because of aerodynamic advantages with most of the few Chevrolet entrants going with the boxy Monte Carlo. Steve Moore attempted this race in a Chevrolet Malibu but his #73 didn't make the race. 54. zuel660 posted: 04.23.2020 - 12:00 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Quite a few GM teams ran Olds Cutlasses at Daytona, but it seems most of them basically blackballed the Cutlass after this, & Oldsmobile didn't really become relevant again in Cup until the new cars came out for '86. Many teams ran the Grand Prix during this era, despite the Cutlass looking like have a more aero front end as well. Perhaps it had something to do with 2 of them flipping in the 125's, who knows. 55. anonymous posted: 04.23.2020 - 7:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The back bumper of the Olds was not good, it created aero problems the Buick did not have. 56. Joshua posted: 07.11.2020 - 9:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Did anyone know that this was Buick's first win in NASCAR since 1956? 57. Rich posted: 01.03.2021 - 7:45 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ken Squier was the studio host along with his role as the play by play announcer. 58. RaceFanX posted: 01.26.2021 - 1:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Joe Millikan started at the back of this one after he blew a motor during his 125 qualifier and had to fall back on his qualifying time to make the field. He and the Rahmoc team bounced back from that disappointment though to place in the top-10 here in their second race together, scoring Millikan's best-ever Daytona 500 finish. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: