| Official Race Results | |||||||||
| Coca-Cola 500 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | |||||||||
| March 15, 1981 | Race 5 of 31 | |||||||||
| Average Speed: 133.619 mph | |||||||||
| Margin of Victory: 33 seconds | Time of Race: 03:44:10 | ||||||||
| Lead Changes: 23 | |||||||||
| Cautions: 5 for 39 laps. | |||||||||
| Fin | St | Car | Driver | Make | Sponsor | Pts / Bonus | Laps | Status | Winnings |
| 1 | 17 | #27 | Cale Yarborough | Buick | Valvoline | 180/5 | 328 | Running | $28,950 |
| 2 | 2 | #47 | Harry Gant | Buick | Race Hill Farm | 180/10 | 328 | Running | $32,705 |
| 3 | 5 | #2 | Dale Earnhardt | Pontiac | Wrangler Jeans | 165/0 | 327 | Running | $19,400 |
| 4 | 30 | #28 | Bobby Allison | Pontiac | Tuf-Lon | 165/5 | 327 | Running | $14,415 |
| 5 | 13 | #15 | Benny Parsons | Ford | Melling Tool Company | 160/5 | 326 | Running | $11,975 |
| 6 | 7 | #90 | Jody Ridley | Ford | Truxmore/Sunny King | 150/0 | 326 | Running | $9,680 |
| 7 | 15 | #51 | AJ Foyt | Oldsmobile | Gilmore/Valvoline | 146/0 | 325 | Running | $4,425 |
| 8 | 20 | #5 | Morgan Shepherd | Pontiac | Performance Connection | 142/0 | 325 | Running | $4,765 |
| 9 | 10 | #9 | Bill Elliott | Ford | Mell-Gear Tuning Components | 138/0 | 323 | Running | $3,705 |
| 10 | 25 | #6 | Joe Ruttman | Buick | 5 Racers Corp. | 134/0 | 322 | Running | $3,485 |
| 11 | 31 | #70 | J.D. McDuffie | Pontiac | Bailey Excavating | 130/0 | 321 | Running | $5,380 |
| 12 | 33 | #98 | Johnny Rutherford | Pontiac | Levi Garrett | 127/0 | 321 | Running | $2,575 |
| 13 | 35 | #57 | Bill Elswick | Buick | Performance Boats | PE | 317 | Running | $2,445 |
| 14 | 26 | #67 | Buddy Arrington | Dodge | Hill's Racing | 121/0 | 316 | Running | $4,880 |
| 15 | 12 | #75 | Joe Millikan | Buick | Rahmoc Racing | 118/0 | 315 | Fuel Pump | $4,630 |
| 16 | 27 | #22 | Stan Barrett | Pontiac | Skoal Bandit | PE | 315 | Running | $1,885 |
| 17 | 8 | #3 | Richard Childress | Pontiac | Downey's Auto Parts | 117/5 | 311 | Running | $4,160 |
| 18 | 32 | #64 | Tommy Gale | Ford | Sunny King Honda | 109/0 | 310 | Running | $3,940 |
| 19 | 1 | #44 | Terry Labonte | Buick | Stratagraph | 106/0 | 308 | Running | $9,155 |
| 20 | 39 | #20 | Rick Newsom | Chevrolet | City | 103/0 | 294 | Running | $1,725 |
| 21 | 41 | #52 | Jimmy Means | Pontiac | Broadway Motors | 100/0 | 282 | Running | $3,250 |
| 22 | 16 | #88 | Ricky Rudd | Buick | Gatorade | 97/0 | 280 | Running | $7,760 |
| 23 | 36 | #7 | Bruce Hill | Buick | Hill Racing | 94/0 | 275 | Running | $2,990 |
| 24 | 34 | #79 | Dick May | Oldsmobile | Miller Roofing | 91/0 | 267 | Oil Pump | $2,805 |
| 25 | 22 | #48 | James Hylton | Pontiac | Palatine Automotive | 88/0 | 254 | Engine Failure | $2,510 |
| 26 | 19 | #99 | Tim Richmond | Buick | Uno | 85/0 | 241 | Accident | $2,420 |
| 27 | 28 | #71 | Dave Marcis | Oldsmobile | Bowlin Coal | 82/0 | 238 | Accident | $2,635 |
| 28 | 4 | #21 | Neil Bonnett | Ford | Purolator | 84/5 | 234 | Water Pump | $1,605 |
| 29 | 23 | #12 | Donnie Allison | Oldsmobile | The 5 Racers | PE | 189 | Engine Failure | $1,080 |
| 30 | 40 | #17 | Steve Spencer | Buick | Kings Inn Daytona | PE | 170 | Oil Pump | $2,290 |
| 31 | 42 | #25 | Ronnie Thomas | Pontiac | Thomas Racing | 70/0 | 159 | Clutch | $1,510 |
| 32 | 6 | #16 | David Pearson | Chevrolet | Halpern Enterprises | PE | 153 | Cracked Head | $1,000 |
| 33 | 18 | #37 | Mike Alexander | Buick | Roger's Auto Leasing | 64/0 | 139 | Engine Failure | $990 |
| 34 | 29 | #53 | Slick Johnson | Chevrolet | Johnson Racing | 61/0 | 138 | Camshaft | $980 |
| 35 | 21 | #66 | Lake Speed | Buick | Speed Racing | 58/0 | 133 | Oil Pump | $970 |
| 36 | 11 | #11 | Darrell Waltrip | Buick | Mountain Dew | 60/5 | 131 | Engine Failure | $6,390 |
| 37 | 37 | #24 | Cecil Gordon | Buick | Gordon Racing | 52/0 | 124 | Engine Failure | $1,430 |
| 38 | 14 | #43 | Richard Petty | Buick | STP | 54/5 | 113 | Engine Failure | $6,370 |
| 39 | 24 | #86 | Elliott Forbes-Robinson | Buick | Howard & Egerton Racing | 46/0 | 97 | Accident | $910 |
| 40 | 3 | #1 | Buddy Baker | Oldsmobile | Uno | 43/0 | 86 | Engine Failure | $900 |
| 41 | 9 | #42 | Kyle Petty | Buick | STP | 40/0 | 17 | Engine Failure | $900 |
| 42 | 38 | #94 | Bobby Wawak | Pontiac | Smith Special | 37/0 | 10 | Burned Piston | $900 |
| * Denotes Rookie | |||||||||