1981 Winston 500

The 1981 Winston 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now the NASCAR Cup Series) event held at Talladega Superspeedway on May 3, 1981. Points leader Bobby Allison picked up the victory, leading 69 laps and holding off Buddy Baker by one tenth of a second. Allison made the most of it, now leading the points by 153 markers on Ricky Rudd (4th).

Background
Talladega Superspeedway, originally known as Alabama International Motor Superspeedway (AIMS), is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former in the small city of Lincoln. The track is a Tri-oval and was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the, in the 1960s. Talladega is most known for its steep banking and the unique location of the start/finish line - located just past the exit to pit road. The track currently hosts the NASCAR series such as the Monster Energy Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and the Camping World Truck Series. Talladega Superspeedway is the longest NASCAR oval with a length of 2.66 mi, and the track at its peak had a of 175,000 spectators.

Race report
Forty cars competed in this 188-lap race. The pole position was won by Bobby Allison with a speed of 149.376 mph; one of the times where the qualifying speed exceeded the 195.864 mph threshold. This race featured 43 lead changes and laps exceeding 200 mph with unrestricted engines. The ESPN SpeedWorld coverage featured Jack Arute as the pit reporter.

Bobby Allison defeated Buddy Baker by two car lengths after starting from the pole position, grabbed the lead in his Buick on the No. 2 turn of the final lap and then went on to outduel Baker by less than a car length to win the race, Buddy Baker, the defending Winston 500 champion, finished second, also in a Buick. 43 lead changes occurred; the most ever in NASCAR Cup Series history.