| Race details[1][2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 12 of 31 in the 1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season | |||
 Layout of Dover International Speedway | |||
| Date | May 17, 1981 | ||
| Official name | Mason-Dixon 500 | ||
| Location | Dover Downs International Speedway, Dover, Delaware. | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 1.000 mi (1.609 km) | ||
| Distance | 500 laps, 500.0 mi (804.6 km) | ||
| Weather | Temperatures reaching of 69.1 °F (20.6 °C); wind speeds of 8 miles per hour (13 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 116.595 miles per hour (187.641 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 40,000[3] | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Kennie Childers | ||
| Time | 26.007 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Neil Bonnett | Wood Brothers Racing | |
| Laps | 404 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 90 | Jody Ridley | Donlavey Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | Mizlou | ||
| Announcers | Mike Joy | ||
The 1981 Mason-Dixon 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on May 17, 1981, at Dover Downs International Speedway (now Dover International Speedway) in Dover, Delaware.
During the preceding season, NASCAR had completely stopped tracking the year model of all the vehicles and most teams did not take stock cars to the track under their own power anymore. Only manual transmission vehicles were allowed to participate in this race; a policy that NASCAR has retained to the present day.
The NASCAR Winston Cup Series was also plagued with top teams running big engines and finishing in third place to avoid inspection around the time that this race was held.
- ^ Weather information for the 1981 Mason-Dixon 500 at The Old Farmers' Almanac
- ^ 1981 Mason-Dixon 500 information at Database Racing
- ^ 1981 Mason-Dixon 500 information at Racing Reference