The 1961 Southern 500 was a race that took place at Darlington Raceway on 4 September 1961, in the NASCAR Grand National Series. It was the forty-second race of the 1961 NASCAR Grand National Series. Nelson Stacy won after 364 laps, after taking the lead from Fireball Roberts late in the race. It was the first of Stacy's four Grand National victories in his career.