| Official Race Results | |||||||||
| Daytona 500 | Daytona International Speedway | |||||||||
| February 20, 1983 | Race 1 of 30 | |||||||||
| Average Speed: 155.979 mph | |||||||||
| Margin of Victory: one car length | Time of Race: 03:12:20 | ||||||||
| Lead Changes: 58 | |||||||||
| Cautions: 6 for 36 laps. | |||||||||
| Fin | St | Car | Driver | Make | Sponsor | Pts / Bonus | Laps | Status | Winnings |
| 1 | 8 | #28 | Cale Yarborough | Pontiac | Hardee's | 180/5 | 200 | Running | $119,600 |
| 2 | 17 | #9 | Bill Elliott | Ford | Melling Oil Pumps | 175/5 | 200 | Running | $66,425 |
| 3 | 5 | #21 | Buddy Baker | Ford | Valvoline | 170/5 | 200 | Running | $59,650 |
| 4 | 11 | #98 | Joe Ruttman | Chevrolet | Levi Garrett | 170/10 | 200 | Running | $55,980 |
| 5 | 10 | #90 | Dick Brooks | Ford | Sunny King Ford | PE | 199 | Running | $44,545 |
| 6 | 41 | #44 | Terry Labonte | Chevrolet | Budweiser | 150/0 | 199 | Running | $33,175 |
| 7 | 22 | #53 | Tom Sneva | Chevrolet | Bodyguard Express | 146/0 | 199 | Running | $27,900 |
| 8 | 15 | #16 | David Pearson | Chevrolet | Chattanooga Chew | 142/0 | 198 | Running | $25,100 |
| 9 | 35 | #22 | Bobby Allison | Chevrolet | Miller High Life | 138/0 | 198 | Running | $29,400 |
| 10 | 18 | #84 | Jody Ridley | Buick | Cumberland Carpets | 134/0 | 197 | Running | $20,900 |
| 11 | 9 | #14 | AJ Foyt | Chevrolet | Valvoline | 130/0 | 197 | Running | $20,000 |
| 12 | 39 | #51 | Lennie Pond | Buick | Native Tan | 127/0 | 197 | Running | $15,000 |
| 13 | 32 | #66 | Phil Parsons | Buick | Skoal Brother | 124/0 | 196 | Running | $13,700 |
| 14 | 42 | #52 | Jimmy Means | Buick | Broadway Motors | 121/0 | 196 | Running | $15,965 |
| 15 | 27 | #89 | Dean Roper | Pontiac | Evinrude Motors | 118/0 | 194 | Running | $12,800 |
| 16 | 34 | #67 | Buddy Arrington | Chrysler | Arrington Racing | 115/0 | 194 | Running | $14,055 |
| 17 | 36 | #41 | Ronnie Thomas | Pontiac | Advance Auto Parts | 112/0 | 192 | Running | $10,500 |
| 18 | 20 | #6 | Jim Sauter | Chevrolet | Ulrich Racing | PE | 191 | Running | $13,735 |
| 19 | 28 | #26 | Ronnie Hopkins | Buick | Food Country USA | 106/0 | 191 | Running | $9,400 |
| 20 | 30 | #04 | Rick Baldwin | Dodge | Baldwin Racing | PE | 188 | Running | $8,900 |
| 21 | 40 | #10 | Clark Dwyer | Chevrolet | Kings Inn | 100/0 | 188 | Running | $7,100 |
| 22 | 4 | #75 | Neil Bonnett | Chevrolet | Warner Hodgdon | 102/5 | 187 | Running | $32,400 |
| 23 | 29 | #48 | James Hylton | Chevrolet | Palatine Automotive | 94/0 | 184 | Running | $9,400 |
| 24 | 1 | #3 | Ricky Rudd | Chevrolet | Piedmont Airlines | 96/5 | 182 | Camshaft | $16,515 |
| 25 | 16 | #1 | Lake Speed | Chevrolet | Uno | 88/0 | 178 | Engine Failure | $7,550 |
| 26 | 23 | #47 | Ron Bouchard | Buick | Foster Grant | 85/0 | 162 | Engine Failure | $9,205 |
| 27 | 25 | #64 | Tommy Gale | Ford | Sunny King Ford | 82/0 | 149 | Engine Failure | $8,795 |
| 28 | 12 | #2 | Mark Martin | Buick | Valvring | 79/0 | 136 | Accident | $15,000 |
| 29 | 37 | #70 | J.D. McDuffie | Pontiac | McDuffie Racing | 76/0 | 132 | Engine Failure | $7,375 |
| 30 | 2 | #88 | Geoffrey Bodine | Pontiac | Gatorade | 78/5 | 106 | Engine Failure | $12,065 |
| 31 | 38 | #01 | Delma Cowart | Buick | Coastal Transmission | 70/0 | 102 | Accident | $4,300 |
| 32 | 21 | #71 | Dave Marcis | Chevrolet | Transmissions Unlimited | 67/0 | 100 | Piston | $13,650 |
| 33 | 7 | #7 | Kyle Petty | Pontiac | 7-Eleven | 69/5 | 99 | Engine Failure | $19,666 |
| 34 | 33 | #17 | Sterling Marlin * | Chevrolet | Hesco Exhaust Systems | 61/0 | 69 | Piston | $6,485 |
| 35 | 3 | #15 | Dale Earnhardt | Ford | Wrangler Jeans | 63/5 | 63 | Engine Failure | $37,011 |
| 36 | 31 | #11 | Darrell Waltrip | Chevrolet | Pepsi Challenger | 55/0 | 62 | Accident | $16,100 |
| 37 | 13 | #33 | Harry Gant | Buick | Skoal Bandit | 52/0 | 56 | Engine Failure | $14,050 |
| 38 | 6 | #43 | Richard Petty | Pontiac | STP | 54/5 | 47 | Engine Failure | $22,600 |
| 39 | 26 | #32 | Bosco Lowe | Buick | Clinomint Toothpaste | 46/0 | 36 | Accident | $5,350 |
| 40 | 19 | #23 | Elliott Forbes-Robinson | Buick | Yurika Foods | 43/0 | 36 | Engine Failure | $5,550 |
| 41 | 24 | #27 | Tim Richmond | Pontiac | Old Milwaukee | 40/0 | 24 | Engine Failure | $5,350 |
| 42 | 14 | #55 | Benny Parsons | Buick | Skoal | 37/0 | 8 | Push Rod | $5,950 |
| * Denotes Rookie | |||||||||