1981 Busch Clash

The 1981 Busch Clash was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now Sprint Cup) exhibition race for 1980 pole winners held on February 8, 1981 at Daytona International Speedway. Darrell Waltrip started first and led 13 of 20 laps en route to a victory over Benny Parsons.

Background
Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida that is one of six superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the others being Auto Club Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Michigan International Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway. The standard track at Daytona is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2.5 mi long. The track also features two other layouts that utilize portions of the primary high speed tri-oval, such as a 3.56 mi sports car course and a 2.95 mi motorcycle course. The track's 180 acre infield includes the 29 acre Lake Lloyd, which has hosted powerboat racing. The speedway is owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.

The track was built by NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr. to host racing that was being held at the former Daytona Beach Road Course and opened with the first Daytona 500 in 1959. The Daytona 500 is regarded as the most important and prestigious race on the NASCAR calendar. It is also the series' first race of the year; this phenomenon is virtually unique in sports, which tend to have championships or other major events at the end of the season rather than the start.