2001 NAPA Auto Parts 500

The 2001 NAPA Auto Parts 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series stock car race held on April 29, 2001, at California Speedway in Fontana, California. Contested over 250 laps on the 2-mile (3.23 km) asphalt D-shaped oval, it was the tenth race of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. Rusty Wallace of Penske Racing won the race.

2001 NAPA Auto Parts 500
Race details
Race 10 of 36 in the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
Track map of the speedway at Auto Club Speedway AKA California Speedway
Track map of the speedway at Auto Club Speedway AKA California Speedway
Date April 29, 2001 (2001-April-29)
Official name NAPA Auto Parts 500
Location California Speedway, Fontana, California
Course Permanent racing facility
2.0 mi (3.23 km)
Distance 250 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km)
Average speed 143.118 miles per hour (230.326 km/h)
Pole position
Driver Joe Gibbs Racing
Most laps led
Driver Rusty Wallace Penske Racing
Laps 95
Winner
No. 2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing
Television in the United States
Network Fox Broadcasting Company
Announcers Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds

Background

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The track, California Speedway, was a four-turn superspeedway that was 2 miles (3.2 km) long.[1] The track's turns were banked from fourteen degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, was banked at eleven degrees. Unlike the front stretch, the back straightaway was banked at three degrees.

Entry list

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  • (R) denotes rookie driver.
No. Driver Team Manufacturer
01 Jason Leffler (R) Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge
1 Steve Park Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet
2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Ford
4 Kevin Lepage Morgan-McClure Motorsports Chevrolet
5 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford
7 Mike Wallace Ultra Motorsports Ford
8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet
9 Bill Elliott Evernham Motorsports Dodge
10 Johnny Benson Jr. MBV Motorsports Pontiac
11 Brett Bodine Brett Bodine Racing Ford
12 Jeremy Mayfield Penske Racing South Ford
14 Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) A.J. Foyt Racing Pontiac
15 Michael Waltrip Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet
17 Matt Kenseth Roush Racing Ford
18 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac
19 Casey Atwood (R) Evernham Motorsports Dodge
20 Tony Stewart Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac
21 Elliott Sadler Wood Brothers Racing Ford
22 Ward Burton Bill Davis Racing Dodge
24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
25 Jerry Nadeau Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
26 Jimmy Spencer Haas-Carter Motorsports Ford
27 Kenny Wallace Eel River Racing Pontiac
28 Ricky Rudd Robert Yates Racing Ford
29 Kevin Harvick (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
30 Jeff Green Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
31 Mike Skinner Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
32 Ricky Craven PPI Motorsports Ford
33 Joe Nemechek Andy Petree Racing Chevrolet
36 Ken Schrader MBV Motorsports Pontiac
40 Sterling Marlin Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge
43 John Andretti Petty Enterprises Dodge
44 Buckshot Jones Petty Enterprises Dodge
45 Kyle Petty Petty Enterprises Dodge
55 Bobby Hamilton Andy Petree Racing Chevrolet
66 Todd Bodine Haas-Carter Motorsports Ford
77 Robert Pressley Jasper Motorsports Ford
84 Shawna Robinson Michael Kranefuss Racing Ford
88 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Ford
90 Hut Stricklin Donlavey Racing Ford
92 Stacy Compton Melling Racing Dodge
93 Dave Blaney Bill Davis Racing Dodge
96 Andy Houston (R) PPI Motorsports Ford
97 Kurt Busch (R) Roush Racing Ford
99 Jeff Burton Roush Racing Ford

Practice

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First practice

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Pos No. Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed
1 28 Ricky Rudd Robert Yates Racing Ford 39.551 182.043
2 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 39.623 181.713
3 1 Steve Park Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet 39.638 181.644
Official practice results

Second practice

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Pos No. Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed
1 22 Ward Burton Bill Davis Racing Dodge 39.996 180.018
2 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet 40.030 179.865
3 93 Dave Blaney Bill Davis Racing Dodge 40.035 179.843
Official practice results

Happy hour

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Pos No. Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed
1 22 Ward Burton Bill Davis Racing Dodge 40.937 175.880
2 66 Todd Bodine Haas-Carter Motorsports Ford 41.053 175.383
3 40 Sterling Marlin Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge 41.072 175.302
Official practice results

Qualifying

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Pos No. Driver Team Manufacturer Time
1 18 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac 39.423
2 66 Todd Bodine Haas-Carter Motorsports Ford 39.438
3 12 Jeremy Mayfield Penske Racing South Ford 39.580
4 20 Tony Stewart Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac 39.585
5 88 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Ford 39.611
6 28 Ricky Rudd Robert Yates Racing Ford 39.613
7 1 Steve Park Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet 39.633
8 10 Johnny Benson Jr. MBV Motorsports Pontiac 39.660
9 26 Jimmy Spencer Haas-Carter Motorsports Ford 39.727
10 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 39.739
11 43 John Andretti Petty Enterprises Dodge 39.761
12 11 Brett Bodine Brett Bodine Racing Ford 39.774
13 29 Kevin Harvick (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 39.779
14 45 Kyle Petty Petty Enterprises Dodge 39.806
15 93 Dave Blaney Bill Davis Racing Dodge 39.818
16 19 Casey Atwood (R) Evernham Motorsports Dodge 39.831
17 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 39.836
18 22 Ward Burton Bill Davis Racing Dodge 39.846
19 2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Ford 39.860
20 25 Jerry Nadeau Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 39.889
21 99 Jeff Burton Roush Racing Ford 39.944
22 9 Bill Elliott Evernham Motorsports Dodge 39.948
23 17 Matt Kenseth Roush Racing Ford 39.990
24 32 Ricky Craven PPI Motorsports Ford 40.032
25 01 Jason Leffler (R) Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge 40.053
26 27 Kenny Wallace Eel River Racing Pontiac 40.063
27 31 Mike Skinner Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 40.067
28 30 Jeff Green Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 40.072
29 15 Michael Waltrip Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet 40.079
30 90 Hut Stricklin Donlavey Racing Ford 40.090
31 40 Sterling Marlin Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge 40.140
32 97 Kurt Busch (R) Roush Racing Ford 40.143
33 96 Andy Houston (R) PPI Motorsports Ford 40.147
34 33 Joe Nemechek Andy Petree Racing Chevrolet 40.199
35 14 Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) A.J. Foyt Racing Pontiac 40.258
36 7 Mike Wallace Ultra Motorsports Ford 40.314
Provisionals
37 55 Bobby Hamilton Andy Petree Racing Chevrolet
38 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet
39 21 Elliott Sadler Wood Brothers Racing Ford
40 5 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
41 36 Ken Schrader MBV Motorsports Pontiac
42 77 Robert Pressley Jasper Motorsports Ford
43 92 Stacy Compton Melling Racing Dodge
Did not qualify
4 Kevin Lepage Morgan-McClure Motorsports Chevrolet 40.342
44 Buckshot Jones Petty Enterprises Dodge 40.714
84 Shawna Robinson Michael Kranefuss Racing Ford

Race results

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Pos Grid No. Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points
1 19 2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing Ford 250 185
2 17 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 250 175
3 38 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet 250 170
4 4 20 Tony Stewart Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac 250 165
5 3 12 Jeremy Mayfield Penske Racing Ford 250 160
6 6 28 Ricky Rudd Robert Yates Racing Ford 250 155
7 9 26 Jimmy Spencer Haas-Carter Motorsports Ford 250 151
8 20 25 Jerry Nadeau Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 250 142
9 31 40 Sterling Marlin Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge 250 138
10 42 77 Robert Pressley Jasper Motorsports Ford 250 134
11 8 10 Johnny Benson Jr. MBV Motorsports Pontiac 250 135
12 30 90 Hut Stricklin Donlavey Racing Ford 250 127
13 32 97 Kurt Busch (R) Roush Racing Ford 250 124
14 22 9 Bill Elliott Evernham Motorsports Dodge 250 121
15 7 1 Steve Park Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet 250 118
16 36 7 Mike Wallace Ultra Motorsports Ford 250 115
17 23 17 Matt Kenseth Roush Racing Ford 250 117
18 25 01 Jason Leffler (R) Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge 250 109
19 33 96 Andy Houston (R) PPI Motorsports Ford 250 106
20 34 33 Joe Nemechek Andy Petree Racing Chevrolet 250 108
21 28 30 Jeff Green Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 250 100
22 1 18 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac 250 102
23 39 21 Elliott Sadler Wood Brothers Racing Ford 250 94
24 5 88 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Ford 250 96
25 13 29 Kevin Harvick (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 250 93
26 11 43 John Andretti Petty Enterprises Dodge 250 85
27 12 11 Brett Bodine Brett Bodine Racing Ford 249 82
28 2 66 Todd Bodine Haas-Carter Motorsports Ford 249 84
29 15 93 Dave Blaney Bill Davis Racing Dodge 249 76
30 40 5 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 249 73
31 21 99 Jeff Burton Roush Racing Ford 249 70
32 27 31 Mike Skinner Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 249 67
33 41 36 Ken Schrader MBV Motorsports Pontiac 249 64
34 35 14 Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) A.J. Foyt Racing Pontiac 249 61
35 14 45 Kyle Petty Petty Enterprises Dodge 249 58
36 37 55 Bobby Hamilton Andy Petree Racing Chevrolet 247 55
37 26 27 Kenny Wallace Eel River Racing Pontiac 247 52
38 43 92 Stacy Compton Melling Racing Dodge 246 49
39 16 19 Casey Atwood (R) Evernham Motorsports Dodge 235 46
40 10 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 233 48
41 24 32 Ricky Craven PPI Motorsports Ford 232 40
42 18 22 Ward Burton Bill Davis Racing Dodge 223 37
43 29 15 Michael Waltrip Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet 152 34

Standings after the race

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Pos Driver Points
  1 Dale Jarrett 1,441
  2 Jeff Gordon 1,375 (–66)
  3 Johnny Benson Jr. 1,330 (–111)
  2 4 Rusty Wallace 1,322 (–119)
  5 Sterling Marlin 1,291 (–150)
  2 6 Ricky Rudd 1,251 (–190)
  3 7 Bobby Hamilton 1,230 (–211)
  1 8 Steve Park 1,227 (–214)
  9 Tony Stewart 1,212 (–229)
  2 10 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1,151 (–290)

References

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  1. ^ "Auto Club Speedway Track Facts". Auto Club Speedway. Archived from the original on 2010-08-24. Retrieved March 22, 2013.


Previous race:
2001 Talladega 500
NASCAR Winston Cup Series
2001 season
Next race:
2001 Pontiac Excitement 400