The 2001 Food City 500 was the sixth stock car race of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. It was held on March 25, 2001 at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. The 500-lap race was won by Elliott Sadler for the Wood Brothers Racing team; it was Sadler's first win in the Winston Cup Series and Wood Brothers Racing first since 1993, and the last until the 2011 Daytona 500 10 years later. John Andretti finished second and Jeremy Mayfield came in third.

Report Background

The track, Bristol Motor Speedway, is one of five short tracks to hold NASCAR races. Its standard track at Bristol Motor Speedway is a four-turn short track oval that is long. The track's turns are banked from twenty-four to thirty degrees, while both the front stretch (the location of the finish line) and the back stretch are banked from six to ten degrees.

Before the race Dale Jarrett led the Drivers' Championship with 756 points, with Sterling Marlin and Johnny Benson Jr. tied for second place with 691 points each. Jeff Gordon and Steve Park rounded out the top five, and Ricky Rudd, Rusty Wallace, Michael Waltrip, Bill Elliott and Ken Schrader rounded out the top ten. In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet led with 42 points; Ford was second with 31 points. Pontiac was third with 19 points, with Dodge a close fourth with 17 points. Wallace was the race's defending champion.

Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver.

Driver Team 01 Jason Leffler (R) Chip Ganassi Racing 1 Steve Park Dale Earnhardt, Inc. 2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South 4 Kevin Lepage Morgan-McClure Motorsports 5 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing 7 Mike Wallace Ultra Motorsports 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dale Earnhardt, Inc. 9 Bill Elliott Evernham Motorsports 10 Johnny Benson Jr. MBV Motorsports 11 Brett Bodine Brett Bodine Racing 12 Jeremy Mayfield Penske Racing South 14 Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) A. J. Foyt Racing 15 Michael Waltrip Dale Earnhardt, Inc. 17 Matt Kenseth Roush Racing 18 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing 19 Casey Atwood (R) Evernham Motorsports 20 Tony Stewart Joe Gibbs Racing 21 Elliott Sadler Wood Brothers Racing 22 Ward Burton Bill Davis Racing 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports 25 Jerry Nadeau Hendrick Motorsports 26 Jimmy Spencer Haas-Carter Motorsports 27 Kenny Wallace Eel River Racing 28 Ricky Rudd Robert Yates Racing 29 Kevin Harvick (R) Richard Childress Racing 31 Mike Skinner Richard Childress Racing 32 Ricky Craven PPI Motorsports 33 Joe Nemechek Andy Petree Racing 36 Ken Schrader MBV Motorsports 40 Sterling Marlin Chip Ganassi Racing 43 John Andretti Petty Enterprises 44 Buckshot Jones Petty Enterprises 45 Kyle Petty Petty Enterprises 50 Rick Mast Midwest Transit Racing 55 Bobby Hamilton Andy Petree Racing 66 Todd Bodine Haas-Carter Motorsports 77 Robert Pressley Jasper Motorsports 85 Carl Long Mansion Motorsports 88 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing 90 Hut Stricklin Donlavey Racing 92 Stacy Compton Melling Racing 93 Dave Blaney Bill Davis Racing 96 Andy Houston (R) PPI Motorsports 97 Kurt Busch (R) Roush Racing 99 Jeff Burton Roush Racing

Practice

First practice Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 15.213 126.129 2 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 15.245 125.884 3 29 Kevin Harvick (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 15.300 125.412Official First practice results

Final practice Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Ford 15.864 120.953 2 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 15.920 120.528 3 19 Casey Atwood (R) Evernham Motorsports Dodge 15.936 120.407Official Final practice results

Qualifying Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 15.192 2 40 Sterling Marlin Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge 15.303 3 29 Kevin Harvick (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 15.307 4 2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Ford 15.330 5 66 Todd Bodine Haas-Carter Motorsports Ford 15.357 6 55 Bobby Hamilton Andy Petree Racing Chevrolet 15.379 7 45 Kyle Petty Petty Enterprises Dodge 15.382 8 93 Dave Blaney Bill Davis Racing Dodge 15.387 9 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet 15.388 10 36 Ken Schrader MBV Motorsports Pontiac 15.400 11 43 John Andretti Petty Enterprises Dodge 15.400 12 9 Bill Elliott Evernham Motorsports Dodge 15.401 13 18 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac 15.402 14 28 Ricky Rudd Robert Yates Racing Ford 15.410 15 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 15.419 16 19 Casey Atwood (R) Evernham Motorsports Dodge 15.423 17 1 Steve Park Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet 15.424 18 22 Ward Burton Bill Davis Racing Dodge 15.451 19 88 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Ford 15.456 20 33 Joe Nemechek Andy Petree Racing Chevrolet 15.469 21 44 Buckshot Jones Petty Enterprises Dodge 15.469 22 25 Jerry Nadeau Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 15.476 23 26 Jimmy Spencer Haas-Carter Motorsports Ford 15.483 24 17 Matt Kenseth Roush Racing Ford 15.484 25 5 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 15.485 26 77 Robert Pressley Jasper Motorsports Ford 15.507 27 50 Rick Mast Midwest Transit Racing Chevrolet 15.511 28 10 Johnny Benson Jr. MBV Motorsports Pontiac 15.512 29 15 Michael Waltrip Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet 15.524 30 12 Jeremy Mayfield Penske Racing South Ford 15.533 31 27 Kenny Wallace Eel River Racing Pontiac 15.533 32 99 Jeff Burton Roush Racing Ford 15.539 33 31 Mike Skinner Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 15.545 34 32 Ricky Craven PPI Motorsports Ford 15.546 35 11 Brett Bodine Brett Bodine Racing Ford 15.566 36 96 Andy Houston (R) PPI Motorsports Ford 15.575Provisionals 37 20 Tony Stewart Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac — 38 21 Elliott Sadler Wood Brothers Racing Ford — 39 97 Kurt Busch (R) Roush Racing Ford — 40 14 Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) A. J. Foyt Racing Pontiac — 41 92 Stacy Compton Melling Racing Dodge — 42 4 Kevin Lepage Morgan-McClure Motorsports Chevrolet — 43 7 Mike Wallace Ultra Motorsports Ford —Did not qualify 90 Hut Stricklin Donlavey Racing Ford 15.596 01 Jason Leffler (R) Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge 15.650 85 Carl Long Mansion Motorsports Ford 16.253

Race results Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points1 38 21 Elliott Sadler Wood Brothers Racing Ford 500 1802 11 43 John Andretti Petty Enterprises Dodge 500 1753 30 12 Jeremy Mayfield Penske Racing South Ford 500 1654 15 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 500 1655 18 22 Ward Burton Bill Davis Racing Dodge 500 1556 25 5 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 500 1507 4 2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Ford 500 1468 6 55 Bobby Hamilton Andy Petree Racing Chevrolet 500 1429 17 1 Steve Park Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet 500 14310 14 28 Ricky Rudd Robert Yates Racing Ford 500 13411 41 92 Stacy Compton Melling Racing Dodge 500 13012 2 40 Sterling Marlin Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge 500 13213 13 18 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac 500 12414 24 17 Matt Kenseth Roush Racing Ford 500 12615 42 4 Kevin Lepage Morgan-McClure Motorsports Chevrolet 500 11816 19 88 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Ford 500 11517 12 9 Bill Elliott Evernham Motorsports Dodge 500 11218 33 31 Mike Skinner Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 500 10919 23 26 Jimmy Spencer Haas-Carter Motorsports Ford 500 10620 16 19 Casey Atwood (R) Evernham Motorsports Dodge 500 10321 40 14 Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) A. J. Foyt Racing Pontiac 500 10022 29 15 Michael Waltrip Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet 500 9723 34 32 Ricky Craven PPI Motorsports Ford 500 9424 3 29 Kevin Harvick (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 500 10125 37 20 Tony Stewart Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac 500 8826 28 10 Johnny Benson Jr. MBV Motorsports Pontiac 499 8527 35 11 Brett Bodine Brett Bodine Racing Ford 493 8228 26 77 Robert Pressley Jasper Motorsports Ford 487 7929 8 93 Dave Blaney Bill Davis Racing Dodge 472 7630 22 25 Jerry Nadeau Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 459 7331 9 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet 456 7032 5 66 Todd Bodine Haas-Carter Motorsports Ford 437 6733 21 44 Buckshot Jones Petty Enterprises Dodge 420 6434 1 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 412 6635 10 36 Ken Schrader MBV Motorsports Pontiac 350 5836 27 50 Rick Mast Midwest Transit Racing Chevrolet 349 5537 43 7 Mike Wallace Ultra Motorsports Ford 345 5738 31 27 Kenny Wallace Eel River Racing Pontiac 307 5439 36 96 Andy Houston (R) PPI Motorsports Ford 265 4640 32 99 Jeff Burton Roush Racing Ford 245 4341 7 45 Kyle Petty Petty Enterprises Dodge 228 4042 39 97 Kurt Busch (R) Roush Racing Ford 118 3743 20 33 Joe Nemechek Andy Petree Racing Chevrolet 108 34Official race results

Standings after the race Pos Driver Points 1 Dale Jarrett 871 2 2 Jeff Gordon 826 (–45) 1 3 Sterling Marlin 823 (–48) 1 4 Johnny Benson Jr. 776 (–95) 5 Steve Park 758 (–113) 1 6 Rusty Wallace 752 (–119) 1 7 Ricky Rudd 743 (–128) 4 8 Bobby Hamilton 716 (–155) 9 9 Elliott Sadler 709 (–162) 1 10 Bill Elliott 701 (–170)

References