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Richard Petty won many, many races through sheer domination, but in the 1981 Daytona 500, he and longtime crew chief and cousin Dale Inman outfoxed the competition.
Fellow Alabama Gang members Bobby Allison and Neil Bonnett staged an incredible duel throughout the event's first 125 laps, swapping the top spot no less than 20 times until Bonnett dropped out with mechanical problems. Allison would pace 117 of 200 circuits, but he and the rest of the leaders had to pit for tires and fuel late in the race. Running fifth with less than 25 laps to go, Petty's Buick rolled to a halt on its final stop and took on gas only.
Inman's gusty call gave petty a lead he would keep the rest of the race. It would be the Nascar legend's seventh and final Daytona 500 victory, and his 193rd overall. Just two days after the race, Inman shocked the motorsports community by leaving Petty Enterprises to join Rod Osterlund Racing and driver Dale Earnhardt.
Team Marketing is proud to present the complete, unedited network broadcast of the 1981 Daytona 500 in fullscreen digital video.
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