The 1981 Michigan 500, the inaugural running of the event, was held at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan, on Saturday, July 25, 1981. Branded as the 1981 Norton Michigan 500 for sponsorship reasons, the event was race number 5 of 11 in the 1981 CART PPG Indy Car World Series. The race was won by Pancho Carter - his first Indy Car victory. The race commenced a 20-year history of the Michigan 500 being a part of Indy car racing's Triple Crown.
42°03′58.68″N 84°14′29.18″W / 42.0663000°N 84.2414389°W
| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Race 5 of 11 in the 1981 CART season | |
 | |
| Date | July 25, 1981 |
| Official name | 1981 Norton Michigan 500 |
| Location | Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Michigan, United States |
| Course | Permanent racing facility 2.000 mi / 3.219 km |
| Distance | 250 laps 500.000 mi / 804.672 km |
| Weather | Cloudy with temperatures up to 83 °F (28 °C); wind speeds reaching up to 9 miles per hour (14 km/h)[1] |
| Pole position | |
| Driver |  Tom Sneva (Bignotti-Cotter Racing) |
| Time | 201.359 mph (324.056 km/h) |
| Podium | |
| First | Pancho Carter (Alex Morales Autosport) |
| Second | Tony Bettenhausen Jr. (Tony Bettenhausen Jr.) |
| Third | Rick Mears (Team Penske) |
- ^ Weather information for the 1981 Norton Michigan 500 at Wunderground