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July 11, 1981 - 250 Miles - Purse $103,425



Race Winner Darrell Waltrip holds an extra large bottle of Mountain Dew along with the winner's trophy.

Waltrip led 303 of the race's 420 laps and scored a three car length victory over Bobby Allison.




Darrell Waltrip would claim his fourth Winston Cup victory at the Fairgrounds.  It would also be the sixth win of the 1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Season

Batesville, Arkansas' Mark Martin (right, along with the Chevrolet of Ricky Rudd) would capture the pole in only his third attempt in Winston Cup.  The Arkansas born rookie was only 22 year-old at the time.  This would be the first of 56 poles for Martin. He would capture his second career pole at Richmond in September in his fourth Winston Cup attempt.  Martin's car had a chassis specially designed by long-time NASACR veteran crew chief Will Cronkite.

Cecil Gordon would record the last of his 21 Fairgrounds starts.  He would amass 4 Top Fives and 6 Top Ten finishes at Nashville during his career.

Randy Ogden made the last of his career 10 Winston Cup starts.

This would be Buick's first Winston Cup victory at the Fairgrounds.  Buicks driven by Darrell Waltrip would capture the next two NASCAR Winston Cup races contested at the track.
     
     


Eventual race winner Darrell Waltrip debates with a NASCAR official before the start of the event

 

The Chrysler of Dave Marcis on pit row prior to the start of the 1981 Busch Nashville 420



Benny Parsons pilots his Ford Thunderbird into Fairground's Speedway turn three
 

Dale Earnhardt's crew prepare his Pontiac Grand Prix car for the race



The Mountain Dew Buick of race winner Darrell Waltrip
   
Average Speed:          90.052 Time of Race:  22:48:47 Margin:  Five lengths
Pole Winner:               Mark Martin 104.253 Attendance:      17,000 Cautions:  3 for 15 laps
Lap Leaders:               Martin 1-36, Waltrip 37-158, Marcis 159, Parsons 160-168, Waltrip 169-185, Allison 186-224, Waltrip 225, Allison 226-233, Waltrip 234-283, Allison 284-297, Parsons 298, Allison 299-301, Waltrip 302-348, Allison 349-354, Waltrip 355-420
 
Driver Fin Str Car Team  /  Owner Car Laps Money Status Led
Darrell Waltrip  1 4 11 Mountain Dew  -
Jr Johson & Assoc
Buick 420 15,700 Running 303
Bobby Allison 2 12 28 Hardee's  - 
Harry Ranier
Buick 420 10,975 Running 70
Benny Parsons 3 3 15 Melling Tool  -
Bud Moore
Ford 420 8,750 Running 10
Ricky Rudd 4 2 88 Gatorade -
DiGard Racing
Chevrolet 419 7,450 Running 0
Terry Labonte 5 11 44 Stratagraph  -
Billy Hagan
Buick 418 6,300 Running 0
Kyle Petty 6 13 42 STP -
Petty Enterprises
Buick 418 3,195 Running 0
Dale Earnhardt 7 7 2 Wrangler  -
Jim Stacy
Pontiac 418 7,375 Running 0
Harry Gant 8 8 33 Skoal Bandit - 
Hal Needham
Pontiac 417 1,325 Running 0
Richard Petty 9 9 43 STP  -
Petty Enterprises
Buick 417 5,675 Running 0
Jody Ridley 10 20 90 Truxmore / Sunny King
Junie Donlavey
Ford 416 4,445 Running 0
Mark Martin 11 1 02 Ams Oil / Prototype   -
Mark Martin
Pontiac 415 2,025 Running 36
Tim Richmond 12 6 75 UNO  - 
Rahmoc Enterprises
Chevrolet 413 3,450 Running 0
Morgan Shepherd 13 5 5 Performance Connection
Cliff Stewart
Pontiac 413 5,025 Running 0
Ronnie Thomas 14 24 25 Ronnie Thomas Pontiac 406 2,390 Running 0
Jimmy Means 15 15 52 Broadway Motors  - 
Jimmy Means
Buick 406 2,270 Running 0
James Hylton 16 27 48 Palatine Auto Parts  -
James Hylton
Pontiac 401 2,160 Running 0
Richard Childress 17 25 3 Richard Childress
Racing
Pontiac 401 2,075 Rrunning 0
Steve Spencer 18 28 24 Cecil Gordon Buick 400 1,890 Rrunning 0
Tommy Houston 19 19 17 Kings Inn - Daytona   - 
Roger Hamby
Chevrolet 400 1,755 Running 0
J.D. McDuffie 20 21 70 Bailey Excavating   -
J D McDuffie
Pontiac 400 1,720 Running 0
Tommy Gale 21 23 64 Sunny King Ford
Elmo Langley
Ford 397 1,490 Running 0
Lake Speed 22 18 66 Lake Speed Oldsmobile 374 1,380 Alternator 0
D.K. Ulrich 23 17 40 D.K. Ulrich Buick 331 520 Running 0
Randy Ogden 24 22 18 Piedmont Airlines -
Jack Ogden
Oldsmobile 318 510 Running 0
Dave Marcis 25 14 71 Bowlin Coal   -
Norman Negre
Chrysler 292 745 Distribuor 1
Sterling Marlin 26 26 99 Coors  -
D K Ulrich
Buick 244 730 Engine 0
Mike Alexander 27 10 37 Rogers Auto Leasing   -
Bob Rogers
Buick 220 475 Ignition 0
Buddy Arrington 28 16 67 Hills Racing  -
Buddy Arrington
Dodge 93 720 Engine 0
Cecil Gordon 29 29 94 Louise Smith   - 
Bobby Wawak
Buick 2 455 Rear end 0
  Don Satterfield 30 30 8 Don Satterfield Chevrolet 1 450 Brakes 0