| series | Champcar current |
| race | Riverside |
| year | 1981 |
| team | car | entry | driver | start | finish | chassis | engine | laps led | * | |
| Penske | 6 | Gould Charge | Rick Mears | | 3 | 1 | Penske PC-9B/81 | Cosworth DFX | 51 | |
| Patrick | 20 | STP | Gordon Johncock | | 5 | 2 | Wildcat Mk.VIII | Cosworth DFX | ||
| Penske | 7 | AB Dick Pacemaker | Bill Alsup | | 10 | 3 | Penske PC-9B/81 | Cosworth DFX | ||
| Hodgdon | 74 | National Engineering | Michael Chandler | | 9 | 4 | Penske PC-7/79 [m] | Cosworth DFX | ||
| Fletcher | 35 | Montgomery Ward | Bob Lazier | | 23 | 5 | Penske PC-7/79 [002] | Cosworth DFX | ||
| Leader Card | 22 | Vermont American | Dick Simon | | 22 | 6 | Watson PC7 [1] | Cosworth DFX | ||
| Menard | 28 | Menard's | Herm Johnson | | 12 | 7 | Lightning Mk1/77 [d] | Chevy 355 V8 | ||
| Brayton | 37 | Forsythe-Brayton | Scott Brayton | | 20 | 8 | Penske PC-7/79 [n] | Cosworth DFX | ||
| Penske | 3 | Norton Spirit | Bobby Unser | | 4 | 9 | Penske PC-9B/81 | Cosworth DFX | ||
| Morales | 5 | Alex Foods | Pancho Carter | | 14 | 10 | Penske PC-7/79 [a] | Cosworth DFX | ||
| O'Connell | 32 | Jerry O'Connell Racing | Kevin Cogan | | 8 | 11 | Phoenix 80 [a] | Cosworth DFX | ||
| Garza | 55 | Esso/Psachie-Garza | Josele Garza | | 11 | 12 | Penske PC-9/80 | Cosworth DFX | ||
| Rager | 66 | McCray Plastering | Roger Rager | | 27 | 13 | Wildcat Mk.V [1] | Chevy 355 V8 | ||
| Longhorn | 8 | Longhorn Racing | Al Unser | | 2 | 14 | Longhorn LR-02 [02] | Cosworth DFX | 27 | |
| Jet Engineering | 64 | Jet Engineering | Steve Chassey | | 21 | 15 | Eagle 81 [8102] | Chevy Jet 355 V8 | ||
| Machinists Union | 31 | Machinists Union | Larry Dickson | | 17 | 16 | Penske PC-7/79 [k] | Cosworth DFX | ||
| Vern Schuppan | 33 | Thomas W. Barrett III | Vern Schuppan | | 13 | 17 | March 81C [08] | Cosworth DFX | ||
| Kraco | 99 | Kraco | Dick Ferguson | | 18 | 18 | Penske PC-7/79 [l] | Cosworth DFX | ||
| All American Racers | 48 | Pepsi Challenger | Geoff Brabham | | 1 | 19 | Eagle 81 [8105] | Chevy Donovan 355 V8 | 17 | |
| Joe Hunt | 89 | Joe Hunt Magnetos | Phil Krueger | | 25 | 20 | Eagle 73 Fletcher | Chevy 355 V8 | ||
| Hall Racing | 1 | Pennzoil | Johnny Rutherford | | 6 | 21 | Chaparral 2K | Cosworth DFX | ||
| William R Compton | 38 | Tonco Trailer | Jerry Karl | | 19 | 22 | McLaren M16C/D Karl [C/D-6] | Chevy Donovan 355 V8 | ||
| Hamilton | 63 | Valley Supply | Ken Hamilton | | 26 | 23 | Riley Rocket [1] | Chevy 355 V8 | ||
| Bignotti-Cotter | 2 | Hodgdon Racing | Tom Sneva | | 7 | 24 | March 81C [05] | Cosworth DFX | ||
| Rhoades | 12 | Intermedics | Gordon Smiley | | 15 | 25 | Wildcat Mk.VIII | Cosworth DFX | ||
| Wysard | 34 | 21th Century Health Spas | Hurley Haywood | | 16 | 26 | Eagle 80 [8001] | Cosworth DFX | ||
| Intercomp | 92 | Trench Shoring | John Mahler | | 28 | 27 | Finley PC-6 [4] | Offy Drake tc | ||
| Bill Tempero | 15 | O'Hanlon | Bill Tempero | | 24 | 28 | McLaren M24B [002] | Chevy 355 V8 | ||
| Caliva Racing | 47 | CHC-Intersec | Phil Caliva | | DNS | McLaren M16C/D [C-4] | Chevy 355 V8 | |||
| Fletcher | 35 | Montgomery Ward | Bob Lazier | | DNS | March 81C [07] | Cosworth DFX | |||
| H&R Racing | 16 | Provimi Veal | Tony Bettenhausen Jr. | | DNS | McLaren M24 [001] | Cosworth DFX | |||
| Hodgdon | 72 | National Engineering | | DNS | McLaren M24 [006] | Cosworth DFX | 20 | |||
| Norm Hall | 24 | Luxury Racers | Wally Pankratz | | DNS | Kingfish 73 [8] | Chevy M/T 355 V8 | |||
| Rattlesnake | 42 | Rattlesnake Racing | Billy Vukovich | | DNS | Watson 77 [1] | Offy Drake tc | |||
| Ross Davis Racing | 77 | Ross Davis Racing | Ross Davis | | DNS | Wildcat Mk.IV [2] | DGS | |||
| Vern Schuppan | 33 | Thomas W. Barrett III | Vern Schuppan | | DNS | McLaren M24 [003] | Cosworth DFX |
