2001 Pepsi 400 Presented by Meijer
This is about the Summer 2001 race at Michigan. For the race at Daytona, see 2001 Pepsi 400.
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 23 of 36 in the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 The 2001 Pepsi 400 Presented by Meijer program cover. | |||
| Date | August 19, 2001 | ||
| Official name | 32nd Annual Pepsi 400 Presented by Meijer | ||
| Location | Brooklyn, Michigan, Michigan International Speedway | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2 mi (3.2 km) | ||
| Distance | 162 laps, 324 mi (521.427 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 200 laps, 400 mi (643.737 km) | ||
| Average speed | 140.513 miles per hour (226.134 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | PPI Motorsports | ||
| Time | 38.272 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | |
| Laps | 57 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | TNT | ||
| Announcers | Allen Bestwick, Benny Parsons, Wally Dallenbach Jr. | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
The 2001 Pepsi 400 Presented by Meijer was the 23rd stock car race of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 32nd iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, August 19, 2001, in Brooklyn, Michigan, at Michigan International Speedway, a two-mile (3.2 km) moderate-banked D-shaped speedway. The race was shortened from its scheduled 200 laps to 162 due to inclement weather. Sterling Marlin, driving for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, would control the late stages of the race when rain stopped the race to win his seventh career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his first victory of the season.[1][2][3] The win was also Dodge's first victory in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series in 24 years. To fill out the podium, Ricky Craven, driving for PPI Motorsports, and Bill Elliott, driving for Evernham Motorsports, would finish second and third, respectively.
Background[edit]
The race was held at Michigan International Speedway, a two-mile (3.2 km) moderate-banked D-shaped speedway located in Brooklyn, Michigan. The track is used primarily for NASCAR events. It is known as a "sister track" to Texas World Speedway as MIS's oval design was a direct basis of TWS, with moderate modifications to the banking in the corners, and was used as the basis of Auto Club Speedway. The track is owned by International Speedway Corporation. Michigan International Speedway is recognized as one of motorsports' premier facilities because of its wide racing surface and high banking (by open-wheel standards; the 18-degree banking is modest by stock car standards).
Entry list[edit]
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
Practice[edit]
First practice[edit]
The first practice session was held on Friday, August 17, at 11:05 AM EST. The session would last for two hours.[4] Ricky Rudd, driving for Robert Yates Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 38.455 and an average speed of 187.232 mph (301.321 km/h).[5]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 38.455 | 187.232 |
| 2 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 38.461 | 187.203 |
| 3 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 38.580 | 186.625 |
| Full first practice results | ||||||
Second practice[edit]
The second practice session was held on Saturday, August 18, at 11:15 AM EST. The session would last for 45 minutes.[4] Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 39.510 and an average speed of 182.232 mph (293.274 km/h).[6]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 39.510 | 182.232 |
| 2 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 39.650 | 181.589 |
| 3 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 39.706 | 181.333 |
| Full second practice results | ||||||
Third and final practice[edit]
The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, August 18, at 3:00 PM EST. The session would last for one hour.[4] Rusty Wallace, driving for Penske Racing South, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 39.670 and an average speed of 181.497 mph (292.091 km/h).[7]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 39.670 | 181.497 |
| 2 | 29 | Kevin Harvick (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 39.793 | 180.936 |
| 3 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 39.882 | 180.533 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results | ||||||
Qualifying[edit]
Qualifying was held on Friday, August 17, at 3:00 PM EST. Each driver would have two laps to set a fastest time; the fastest of the two would count as their official qualifying lap.[4] Positions 1-36 would be decided on time, while positions 37-43 would be based on provisionals. Six spots are awarded by the use of provisionals based on owner's points. The seventh is awarded to a past champion who has not otherwise qualified for the race. If no past champ needs the provisional, the next team in the owner points will be awarded a provisional.[8]
Ricky Craven, driving for PPI Motorsports, would win the pole, setting a time of 38.272 and an average speed of 188.127 miles per hour (302.761 km/h).[9]
Two drivers would fail to qualify: David Keith and Buckshot Jones.
Full qualifying results[edit]
*Time not available.
Race results[edit]
| Fin[10] | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 162 | 18 | running | 180 | $157,830 |
| 2 | 1 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 162 | 0 | running | 170 | $92,545 |
| 3 | 2 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 162 | 57 | running | 175 | $106,128 |
| 4 | 33 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 162 | 0 | running | 160 | $70,050 |
| 5 | 22 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 162 | 0 | running | 155 | $68,015 |
| 6 | 41 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 162 | 0 | running | 150 | $49,315 |
| 7 | 13 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 162 | 0 | running | 146 | $90,692 |
| 8 | 25 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 162 | 4 | running | 147 | $87,691 |
| 9 | 27 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 162 | 0 | running | 138 | $72,883 |
| 10 | 6 | 19 | Casey Atwood (R) | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 162 | 0 | running | 134 | $52,840 |
| 11 | 18 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 162 | 0 | running | 130 | $63,460 |
| 12 | 12 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 162 | 0 | running | 127 | $75,188 |
| 13 | 19 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske Racing South | Ford | 162 | 2 | running | 129 | $82,949 |
| 14 | 30 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 162 | 0 | running | 121 | $57,776 |
| 15 | 4 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 162 | 0 | running | 118 | $65,830 |
| 16 | 16 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 162 | 0 | running | 115 | $86,786 |
| 17 | 14 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 162 | 25 | running | 117 | $83,330 |
| 18 | 20 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 161 | 0 | running | 109 | $73,614 |
| 19 | 9 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 161 | 0 | running | 106 | $84,617 |
| 20 | 38 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 161 | 0 | running | 103 | $56,065 |
| 21 | 28 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge | 161 | 0 | running | 100 | $40,590 |
| 22 | 40 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 161 | 0 | running | 97 | $68,210 |
| 23 | 21 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 161 | 0 | running | 94 | $39,615 |
| 24 | 11 | 01 | Jason Leffler (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 161 | 0 | running | 91 | $47,415 |
| 25 | 36 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 161 | 0 | running | 88 | $37,065 |
| 26 | 5 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 161 | 0 | running | 85 | $73,392 |
| 27 | 10 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 161 | 0 | running | 82 | $55,890 |
| 28 | 35 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 161 | 0 | running | 79 | $43,540 |
| 29 | 39 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 161 | 0 | running | 76 | $68,095 |
| 30 | 34 | 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 161 | 3 | running | 78 | $35,790 |
| 31 | 29 | 96 | Andy Houston (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 161 | 0 | running | 70 | $35,165 |
| 32 | 8 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 160 | 0 | running | 67 | $35,090 |
| 33 | 37 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 160 | 0 | running | 64 | $68,150 |
| 34 | 31 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 | running | 61 | $42,940 |
| 35 | 32 | 7 | Mike Wallace | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | 160 | 0 | running | 58 | $42,865 |
| 36 | 7 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 | running | 55 | $44,815 |
| 37 | 17 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 160 | 2 | running | 57 | $79,792 |
| 38 | 24 | 4 | Kevin Lepage | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 159 | 0 | running | 49 | $34,655 |
| 39 | 43 | 27 | Rick Mast | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 159 | 0 | running | 46 | $34,620 |
| 40 | 42 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 147 | 0 | running | 43 | $34,560 |
| 41 | 26 | 29 | Kevin Harvick (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 125 | 0 | engine | 40 | $80,552 |
| 42 | 3 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 120 | 51 | engine | 42 | $64,957 |
| 43 | 23 | 97 | Kurt Busch (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 40 | 0 | engine | 34 | $41,794 |
| Failed to qualify | ||||||||||
| 44 | 57 | David Keith | Team CLR | Ford | ||||||
| 45 | 44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | ||||||
| Official race results | ||||||||||
References[edit]
- ^ Poole, David (August 19, 2001). "Marlin, Dodge better than close this time". ThatsRacin. The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on December 15, 2001. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "Marlin caps successful day for Ganassi". Daily Citizen. August 20, 2001. p. 14. Retrieved July 18, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Rodman, Dave (August 20, 2001). "Marlin wins rain-stalled Pepsi 400". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive. Archived from the original on December 6, 2001. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Jayski's Silly Season Site - 2001 Michigan 2 Race Info Page". Jayski's Silly Season Site. Archived from the original on December 8, 2001. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "NASCAR - 2001 Michigan 2 Practice 1 Speeds". NASCAR. Archived from the original on December 13, 2001. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "NASCAR - 2001 Michigan 2 Practice 2 Speeds". NASCAR. Archived from the original on December 13, 2001. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "NASCAR - 2001 Michigan 2 Practice 3 Speeds". NASCAR. Archived from the original on December 5, 2001. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "Jayski's Silly Season Site - 2001 Provisional Start Status". Jayski's Silly Season Site. Archived from the original on 2001-08-01. Retrieved 2022-02-22.
- ^ Crowe, Steve (August 17, 2001). "Craven wins pole at Michigan". ThatsRacin. Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on November 24, 2001. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "2001 Pepsi 400 Presented by Meijer - The Third Turn". www.thethirdturn.com. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
