| Official Race Results | |||||||||
| Southern 500 | Darlington International Raceway | |||||||||
| September 07, 1981 | Race 23 of 31 | |||||||||
| Average Speed: 126.41 mph | |||||||||
| Margin of Victory: 1 car length | Time of Race: 03:57:57 | ||||||||
| Lead Changes: 23 | |||||||||
| Cautions: 8 for 45 laps. | |||||||||
| Fin | St | Car | Driver | Make | Sponsor | Pts / Bonus | Laps | Status | Winnings |
| 1 | 3 | #21 | Neil Bonnett | Ford | Warner W. Hodgdon | 185/10 | 367 | Running | $33,375 |
| 2 | 11 | #11 | Darrell Waltrip | Buick | Mountain Dew | 175/5 | 367 | Running | $19,365 |
| 3 | 4 | #71 | Dave Marcis | Buick | U.S. Army | 170/5 | 367 | Running | $14,330 |
| 4 | 6 | #44 | Terry Labonte | Buick | J.D. Stacy Racing | 165/5 | 367 | Running | $13,225 |
| 5 | 9 | #1 | Buddy Baker | Buick | Uno | 160/5 | 367 | Running | $6,500 |
| 6 | 10 | #3 | Dale Earnhardt | Pontiac | Wrangler Jeans | 150/0 | 366 | Running | $10,695 |
| 7 | 14 | #9 | Bill Elliott | Ford | Mell-Gear Tuning Components | 146/0 | 366 | Running | $5,300 |
| 8 | 13 | #01 | David Pearson | Buick | Ronnie Steele | PE | 365 | Running | $4,850 |
| 9 | 17 | #28 | Bobby Allison | Chevrolet | Hardee's | 143/5 | 365 | Running | $9,625 |
| 10 | 2 | #27 | Cale Yarborough | Buick | Valvoline | 139/5 | 363 | Running | $5,925 |
| 11 | 5 | #47 | Ron Bouchard * | Buick | J.D. Stacy Racing | 130/0 | 363 | Running | $7,575 |
| 12 | 23 | #90 | Jody Ridley | Ford | Truxmore/Sunny King | 127/0 | 362 | Running | $7,365 |
| 13 | 22 | #66 | Lake Speed | Buick | Speed Racing | 124/0 | 362 | Running | $6,155 |
| 14 | 1 | #33 | Harry Gant | Pontiac | Skoal Bandit | 126/5 | 360 | Running | $9,960 |
| 15 | 16 | #2 | Joe Ruttman | Pontiac | Neo-Life | 118/0 | 358 | Running | $8,850 |
| 16 | 12 | #24 | Morgan Shepherd | Buick | Gordon Racing | 115/0 | 358 | Running | $5,600 |
| 17 | 21 | #68 | Lennie Pond | Buick | The 5 Racers | 112/0 | 356 | Running | $3,150 |
| 18 | 19 | #5 | Joe Millikan | Pontiac | Performance Connection | 109/0 | 353 | Running | $7,950 |
| 19 | 33 | #8 | Dick May | Dodge | Dick Brooks Honda | 106/0 | 353 | Running | $2,975 |
| 20 | 29 | #37 | Mike Alexander | Oldsmobile | Rogers Auto Leasing | 103/0 | 352 | Running | $2,700 |
| 21 | 34 | #70 | J.D. McDuffie | Pontiac | Bailey Excavating | 100/0 | 351 | Running | $4,715 |
| 22 | 27 | #12 | Tim Richmond | Buick | Uno | 97/0 | 349 | Running | $2,450 |
| 23 | 7 | #88 | Ricky Rudd | Chevrolet | Gatorade | 94/0 | 343 | Accident | $7,850 |
| 24 | 40 | #94 | Bobby Wawak | Buick | Louise Smith Special | 91/0 | 334 | Running | $2,375 |
| 25 | 20 | #75 | Gary Balough | Buick | Chaparral Trailers | 88/0 | 333 | Engine Failure | $4,680 |
| 26 | 38 | #48 | James Hylton | Pontiac | Palatine Automotive | 85/0 | 331 | Running | $3,770 |
| 27 | 37 | #25 | Ronnie Thomas | Pontiac | Thomas Racing | 82/0 | 311 | Running | $3,360 |
| 28 | 36 | #17 | Mike Potter | Buick | Kings Inn | 79/0 | 309 | Running | $3,265 |
| 29 | 30 | #64 | Tommy Gale | Ford | Sunny King Ford | 76/0 | 294 | Running | $3,155 |
| 30 | 8 | #43 | Richard Petty | Buick | STP | 78/5 | 278 | Engine Failure | $8,000 |
| 31 | 26 | #99 | D.k. Ulrich | Buick | Ulrich Racing | 70/0 | 269 | Engine Failure | $3,060 |
| 32 | 32 | #13 | Jack Ingram | Ford | Carolina Tool & Equipment | 67/0 | 253 | Engine Failure | $1,650 |
| 33 | 25 | #98 | Johnny Rutherford | Pontiac | Levi Garrett | PE | 190 | Water Pump | $1,625 |
| 34 | 18 | #42 | Kyle Petty | Buick | STP | 61/0 | 130 | Engine Failure | $1,625 |
| 35 | 24 | #40 | Slick Johnson | Buick | Ulrich Racing | PE | 110 | Engine Failure | $1,425 |
| 36 | 39 | #36 | H.B. Bailey | Pontiac | Almeda Auto Parts | 55/0 | 93 | Accident | $1,325 |
| 37 | 28 | #67 | Buddy Arrington | Dodge | Hill's Racing | 52/0 | 85 | Wheel Lug | $1,950 |
| 38 | 35 | #52 | Jimmy Means | Pontiac | Broadway Motors | 49/0 | 64 | Engine Failure | $1,925 |
| 39 | 15 | #15 | Benny Parsons | Ford | Melling Tool Company | 46/0 | 62 | Broken Valve | $6,800 |
| 40 | 31 | #4 | Connie Saylor | Oldsmobile | Spencer Racing | 43/0 | 6 | Engine Failure | $1,200 |
| * Denotes Rookie | |||||||||