1981 PPG Indy Car World Series
Rick Mears - Champion
| Date | Race | Track | Miles | Type | Winner |
| 3/22/81 | Kraco Car Stereo 150 | Phoenix | 150 | PO | Johnny Rutherford |
| 6/7/81 | Gould Rex Mays Classic | Milwaukee | 150 | PO | Mike Mosley |
| 6/28/81 | Kraco Twin 125 #1 | Atlanta | 126.326 | PO | Rick Mears |
| 6/28/81 | Kraco Twin 125 #2 | Atlanta | 126.326 | PO | Rick Mears |
| 7/25/81 | Norton Michigan 500 | MIS | 500 | PO | Pancho Carter |
| 8/30/81 | Los Angeles Times 500 | Riverside | 313.5 | RC | Rick Mears |
| 9/5/81 | AB Dick Tony Bettenhausen 200 | Milwaukee | 200 | PO | Tom Sneva |
| 9/20/81 | Detroit News Grand Prix | MIS | 148 | PO | Rick Mears |
| 10/4/81 | Watkins Glen 200 | Watkins Glen | 202.62 | RC | Rick Mears |
| 10/18/81 | Copa México 150 | Mexico City | 147.5 | RC | Rick Mears |
| 10/31/81 | Miller High Life 150 | Phoenix | 150 | PO | Tom Sneva |
| Standing | Driver | Starts | DNS/DNQ | Wins | 2nds | 3rds | 4ths | 5ths | Best Finish | Poles | Points | |
| 1 | Rick | Mears | 10 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 304 | |
| 2 | Bill | Alsup | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 175 | |
| 3 | Pancho | Carter | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 166 | |
| 4 | Gordon | Johncock | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 142 | |
| 5 | Johnny | Rutherford | 11 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 120 | |
| 6 | Tony | Bettenhausen, Jr. | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 107 | |
| 7 | Bobby | Unser | 11 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 99 | |
| 8 | Tom | Sneva | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 96 | |
| 9 | Bob | Lazier | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 92 | |
| 10 | Al | Unser | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 90 | |
| 11 | Mario | Andretti | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 81 | |
| 12 | Tom | Bigelow | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60 | |
| 13 | Scott | Brayton | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 57 |
| 14 | Larry | Dickson | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 49 |
| 15 | Gary | Bettenhausen | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 42 |
| 16T | Dick | Simon | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 38 |
| 16T | Herm | Johnson | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 38 |
| 18 | Michael | Chandler | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 37 | |
| 19 | Mike | Mosley | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | |
| 20 | Steve | Chassey | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 31 | |
| 21 | Josele | Garza | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 30 |
| 22 | Phil | Caliva | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 27 |
| 23 | Kevin | Cogan | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | |
| 24 | Dick | Ferguson | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 20 |
| 25 | Steve | Krisiloff | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 18 |
| 26 | Rocky | Moran | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 16 |
| 27 | Geoff | Brabham | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 14 |
| 28 | Jerry | Karl | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 13 |
| 29 | Bill | Engelhart | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 11 |
| 30T | Larry | Cannon | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 10 |
| 30T | Roger | Rager | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 10 |
| 32 | Bill | Tempero | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 7 |
| 33T | Phil | Krueger | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 6 |
| 33T | Billy | Vukovich, Jr. | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 6 |
| 35 | Gordon | Smiley | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 5 |
| 36T | Jim | McElreath | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 4 |
| 36T | Ross | Davis | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 4 |
| 36T | Vern | Schuppan | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 4 |
| 36T | Jim | Buick | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 4 |
| 40 | Hurley | Haywood | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 3 |
| 41T | Bob | Frey | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 2 |
| 41T | Spike | Gehlhausen | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 2 |
| 41T | John | Mahler | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 2 |
| 44T | Jerry | Sneva | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 1 |
| 44T | Chip | Mead | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| 44T | Dennis | Firestone | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 44T | Johnny | Parsons | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 44T | Phil | Threshie | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| NR | Harry | MacDonald | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| NR | Cliff | Hucul | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| NR | Tom | Frantz | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| NR | Teddy | Pilette | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| NR | Ken | Hamilton | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| NR | Greg | Leffler | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| NR | Michel | Jourdain | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| NR | A. J. | Foyt | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| NR | Salt | Walther | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| NR | Bill | Whittington | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 0 |
| NR | Joe | Archuleta | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NS | 0 | 0 |
| NR | Chip | Ganassi | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NS | 0 | 0 |
| NR | Wally | Pankratz | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NS | 0 | 0 |
| NR | Joe | Saldana | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NS | 0 | 0 |
| NR | Orlo | Trice | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NS | 0 | 0 |
| NR | Dean | Vetrock | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NS | 0 | 0 |