1981 Winston Western 500 (January)

Auto race held at Riverside International Raceway in 1981 February 2025 CUST Race 1 of 30 in the 1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season Winston Western 500 Weather information for the January 1981 Winston Western 500 at the Old Farmers' Almanac 1981 01 11 1981 1 31 Riverside Raceway.JPG Layout of Riverside International Raceway (1969–1988 version) Winston Western 500 Riverside International Raceway, Riverside, California 2.700 4.345 119 311.8 501.7 Temperatures of 75 F C; wind speeds up to 15 mph km/h 95.263 mi/h 35,0001981 Winston Western 500 racing information at Racing Reference Darrell Waltrip Junior Johnson & Associates Bobby Allison Ranier Racing 37 28 Bobby Allison Ranier Racing untelevised none The 1981 Winston Western 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race that took place on January 11, 1981, at Riverside International Raceway in Riverside, California. This race would be the final race where 115-inch wheelbase cars were eligible to run; the field was a mix of older cars and 1981 105-inch wheelbase models. Dale Earnhardt drove a 1981 Pontiac while race winner Bobby Allison drove a 1977 Monte Carlo. Summary There were 36 drivers on the grid;1981 Winston Western 500 https://web.archive.org/web/20111005054846/http://www.driveraverages.com/nascar_stats/race.php?sked_id=1981001 2011-10-05 racing information at Driver Averages all of them were American-born except for Canadian Roy Smith. The last place finisher was Cecil Gordon in his Chevrolet due to engine problems on lap 2 out of 119. Bobby Allison defeated Terry Labonte in front of 35,000 spectators. There were 15 lead changes and six cautions for 31 laps; making the race last three hours and sixteen minutes in length. Darrell Waltrip would qualify for the pole position with a speed of 114.711 mph km/h while the average race speed was 95.263 mph km/h. The other drivers in the top ten were: Dale Earnhardt, Richard Childress, Richard Petty, Jim Robinson, Jody Ridley, Elliott Forbes-Robinson, Buddy Arrington, and Don Waterman. Robinson was declared the winner of the West Series division of this combination race. Notable crew chiefs in the race included Junie Donvaley, Jake Elder, Joey Arrington, Darrell Dieringer, Darrell Bryant, Dale Inman, Waddell Wilson, Bud Moore, and Kirk Shelmerdine.1981 Winston Western 500 crew chiefs at Racing Reference Ricky Rudd would start his "Ironman" streak of being in the NASCAR Cup Series for 24 seasons without missing a single race. West Coast racer John Borneman, a registered West Series driver, finished 12th in this combination race, earning a third-place finish in the West Series standings under NASCAR's combination race policy. Though it would be his last Cup start, Borneman (whose son would later race at the national level) was primarily a regular at San Diego's Cajon Speedway. This was the final time in NASCAR history that a race would take place prior to the Daytona 500. Also, this race would be the last time that a car owned by a member of the Petty family would have Chevrolet as a manufacturer until the year 2018. Road course ringer Bob Bondurant made his first Cup race.1981 Winston Western 500 information at Race Database Harry Dinwiddie and Don Sprouse failed to qualify for the race.Qualifying information https://web.archive.org/web/20170409111835/http://www.racing-reference.info/getqualify/1981-01/W April 9, 2017 at Racing Reference Standings after the race Pos Driver Points Differential 1 Bobby Allison 185 0 2 Terry Labonte 175 -10 3 Dale Earnhardt 165 -20 3 Richard Childress 165 -20 5 Richard Petty 160 -25 6 Jim Robinson 150 -35 7 Jody Ridley 146 -39 8 Elliott Forbes-Robinson 142 -43 9 Buddy Arrington 138 -47 10 Don Waterman 134 -51 References 1980 Los Angeles Times 500 1981 Daytona 500 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season 1980–81 1980 November 1981 Winston Western 500 races 1981 Winston Western 500 (January) Winston Western 500 (January) Category:NASCAR races at Riverside International Raceway