Busch 500 1981 var ett stockcarlopp ingående i Nascar Winston Cup Series (nuvarande Nascar Cup Series) som kördes 22 augusti 1981 på den 0,533 mile (857.78 m) långa ovalbanan Bristol International Speedway i Bristol i Tennessee i USA. Totalt avverkades 266,5 miles (428,89 km) fördelat på 500 varv. Banunderlaget var asfalt. Loppet vanns av Darrell Waltrip i en Buick på tiden 3:08.44 körande för Junior Johnson & Associates. Waltrips snitthastighet uppgick till 84,723 mph. Han var vid målgång ensam förare på ledarvarvet, ett varv före tvåan Ricky Rudd. Det var Waltrips 35:e seger av totalt 84 i cup-serien. Prispotten uppgick till 117 450 dollar, varav 18 800 dollar gick till segraren.
| Plc | Nr | Förare | Team/ bilägare |
Konstruktör | Start | Varv | Ledda varv | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Darrell Waltrip | Junior Johnson & Associates | Buick | 1 | 500 | 251 | |
| 2 | 88 | Ricky Rudd | DiGard Motorsports | Chevrolet | 3 | 499 | 92 | |
| 3 | 44 | Terry Labonte | Hagan Enterprises | Buick | 16 | 498 | 0 | |
| 4 | 28 | Bobby Allison | Ranier Racing | Buick | 6 | 497 | 4 | |
| 5 | 47 | Ron Bouchard | Race Hill Farm Team | Buick | 7 | 497 | 0 | |
| 6 | 15 | Benny Parsons | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 8 | 497 | 0 | |
| 7 | 66 | Lake Speed | Lake Speed Racing | Oldsmobile | 15 | 493 | 0 | |
| 8 | 12 | Tim Richmond | Kennie Childers | Oldsmobile | 9 | 488 | 0 | |
| 9 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Buick | 5 | 487 | 0 | |
| 10 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Arrington Racing | Dodge | 20 | 486 | 0 | |
| 11 | 33 | Harry Gant | Mach 1 Racing | Pontiac | 2 | 485 | 0 | |
| 12 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Jimmy Means Racing | Pontiac | 22 | 480 | 0 | |
| 13 | 70 | J.D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | Pontiac | 23 | 479 | 0 | |
| 14 | 68 | Lennie Pond | Lennie Pond | Buick | 26 | 478 | 0 | |
| 15 | 64 | Tommy Gale | Langley-Woodfield Racing | Ford | 25 | 471 | 0 | |
| 16 | 48 | James Hylton | Hylton Engineering | Pontiac | 28 | 464 | 0 | |
| 17 | 5 | Joe Millikan | Cliff Stewart Racing | Pontiac | 18 | 434 | 0 | |
| 18 | 25 | Ronnie Thomas | Ronnie Thomas Racing | Pontiac | 21 | 392 | 0 | |
| 19 | 24 | Morgan Shepherd | Gordon Racing | Buick | 13 | 339 | 104 | |
| 20 | 90 | Jody Ridley | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 4 | 317 | 0 | |
| 21 | 2 | Joe Ruttman | Jim Stacy Racing | Pontiac | 12 | 302 | 49 | |
| 22 | 20 | Rick Newsom | Newsom Racing | Chevrolet | 29 | 248 | 0 | |
| 23 | 99 | Elliott Forbes-Robinson | Ulrich Racing | Buick | 24 | 246 | 0 | |
| 24 | 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Buick | 10 | 73 | 0 | |
| 25 | 37 | Mike Alexander | Rogers Racing | Buick | 17 | 49 | 0 | |
| 26 | 17 | Mike Potter | Hamby Racing | Chevrolet | 27 | 32 | 0 | |
| 27 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Pontiac | 14 | 31 | 0 | |
| 28 | 42 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Buick | 11 | 28 | 0 | |
| 29 | 08 | Joel Stowe | Satterfield Racing | Pontiac | 30 | 14 | 0 | |
| 30 | 40 | Cecil Gordon | Ulrich Racing | Buick | 19 | 3 | 0 | |
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