The 2001 Mountain Dew Southern 500, the 52nd running of the event, was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race held on September 2, 2001 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. Contested over 367 laps on the speedway, it was the 25th race of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. Ward Burton of Bill Davis Racing won the race.
Background Darlington Raceway, nicknamed by many NASCAR fans and drivers as "The Lady in Black" or "The Track Too Tough to Tame" and advertised as a "NASCAR Tradition", is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. It is of a unique, somewhat egg-shaped design, an oval with the ends of very different configurations, a condition which supposedly arose from the proximity of one end of the track to a minnow pond the owner refused to relocate. This situation makes it very challenging for the crews to set up their cars' handling in a way that will be effective at both ends.
The track, Darlington Raceway, is a four-turn, oval. The track's first two turns are banked at twenty-five degrees, while the final two turns are banked two degrees lower at twenty-three degrees.
Entry list #DriverTeamMake1Kenny WallaceDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet01Jason LefflerChip Ganassi RacingDodge2Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord4Kevin LepageMorgan–McClure MotorsportsPontiac5Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6Mark MartinRoush RacingFord7Mike WallaceUltra MotorsportsFord8Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet9Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge10Johnny Benson Jr.MBV MotorsportsPontiac11Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord12Jeremy MayfieldPenske Racing SouthFord14Ron Hornaday Jr.A.J. Foyt RacingChevrolet15Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet17Matt KensethRoush RacingFord18Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac19Casey AtwoodEvernham MotorsportsDodge20Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingToyota21Elliott SadlerWood Brothers RacingFord22Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet25Jerry NadeauHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet26Jimmy SpencerHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord27Rick MastEel River RacingPontiac28Ricky RuddRobert Yates RacingFord29Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet31Mike SkinnerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet32Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsChevrolet33Joe NemechekAndy Petree RacingChevrolet36Ken SchraderMBV MotorsportsPontiac40Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge43John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesDodge44Buckshot JonesPetty EnterprisesDodge45Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesFord55Bobby HamiltonAndy Petree RacingChevrolet66Todd BodineHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet77Robert PressleyJasper MotorsportsFord88Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord90Hut StricklinDonlavey RacingFord92Stacy ComptonMelling RacingDodge93Dave BlaneyBill Davis RacingDodge96Andy HoustonPPI MotorsportsFord97Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord99Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord
Qualifying +Pos.#DriverMakeTeamTimeAvg. Speed (mph)197Kurt BuschFordRoush Racing29.263168.048224Jeff GordonChevroletHendrick Motorsports29.286167.916312Jeremy MayfieldFordPenske Racing South29.287167.91142Rusty WallaceFordPenske Racing South29.292167.882529Kevin HarvickChevroletRichard Childress Racing29.294167.871643John AndrettiDodgePetty Enterprises29.360167.493732Ricky CravenFordPPI Motorsports29.377167.396836Ken SchraderPontiacMBV Motorsports29.402167.25499Bill ElliottDodgeEvernham Motorsports29.406167.2311018Bobby LabontePontiacJoe Gibbs Racing29.410167.2081125Jerry NadeauChevroletHendrick Motorsports29.442167.0271240Sterling MarlinDodgeChip Ganassi Racing29.448166.993136Mark MartinFordRoush Racing29.456166.9471493Dave BlaneyDodgeBill Davis Racing29.471166.8621526Jimmy SpencerFordHaas-Carter Motorsports29.482166.8001677Robert PressleyFordJasper Motorsports29.505166.6701710Johnny Benson Jr.PontiacMBV Motorsports29.513166.625188Dale Earnhardt Jr.ChevroletDale Earnhardt, Inc.29.554166.394195Terry LabonteChevroletHendrick Motorsports29.559166.3662021Elliott SadlerFordWood Brothers Racing29.561166.3542155Bobby HamiltonChevroletAndy Petree Racing29.563166.3432292Stacy ComptonDodgeMelling Racing29.621166.0172399Jeff BurtonFordRoush Racing29.622166.0122433Joe NemechekChevroletAndy Petree Racing29.627165.9842515Michael WaltripChevroletDale Earnhardt, Inc.29.632165.9562628Ricky RuddFordRobert Yates Racing29.639165.9172788Dale JarrettFordRobert Yates Racing29.641165.9052817Matt KensethFordRoush Racing29.664165.777294Kevin LepageChevroletMorgan–McClure Motorsports29.669165.7493019Casey AtwoodDodgeEvernham Motorsports29.673165.7263166Todd BodineFordHaas-Carter Motorsports29.680165.6873211Brett BodineFordBrett Bodine Racing29.693165.6153320Tony StewartPontiacJoe Gibbs Racing29.695165.604341Kenny WallaceChevroletDale Earnhardt, Inc.29.704165.5533531Mike SkinnerChevroletRichard Childress Racing29.707165.5373690Hut StricklinFordDonlavey Racing29.784165.109Provisionals3722Ward BurtonDodgeBill Davis Racing0.0000.0003801Jason LefflerDodgeChip Ganassi Racing0.0000.000397Mike WallaceFordUltra Motorsports0.0000.0004014Ron Hornaday Jr.PontiacA.J. Foyt Racing0.0000.0004144Buckshot JonesDodgePetty Enterprises0.0000.0004245Kyle PettyDodgePetty Enterprises0.0000.0004327Rick MastPontiacEel River Racing0.0000.000Failed to qualify4496Andy HoustonFordPPI Motorsports29.924164.3364571Dave MarcisChevroletMarcis Auto Racing30.020163.811
Results Fin St # Driver MakeTeam Sponsor LapsLedStatusPtsWinnings 1 37 22 Ward Burton Dodge Bill Davis Racing Caterpillar 36727running180$181435 2 2 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports DuPont Automotive 367138running180$153127 3 10 18 Bobby Labonte Pontiac Joe Gibbs Racing Interstate Batteries 36717running170$133327 4 33 20 Tony Stewart Pontiac Joe Gibbs Racing Home Depot 3670running160$93900 5 9 9 Bill Elliott Dodge Evernham Motorsports Dodge 'Grab Life by the Horns', UAW 3670running155$92583 6 23 99 Jeff Burton Ford Roush Racing MDA, Citgo Supergard 3670running150$100726 7 26 28 Ricky Rudd Ford Robert Yates Racing Texaco, Havoline 3670running146$85657 8 5 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Richard Childress Racing GM Goodwrench 3670running142$93727 9 11 25 Jerry Nadeau Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports UAW-Delphi 3670running138$55660 10 8 36 Ken Schrader Pontiac MBV Motorsports M&M's 3670running134$7081511195Terry LabonteChevroletHendrick MotorsportsKellogg's3670running130$7887512397Mike WallaceFordUltra MotorsportsNationsRent3670running127$6357013312Jeremy MayfieldFordPenske Racing SouthMobil 136753running129$84444141710Johnny Benson Jr.PontiacMBV MotorsportsValvoline3670running121$52670152155Bobby HamiltonChevroletAndy Petree RacingSquare D3670running118$55750161240Sterling MarlinDodgeChip Ganassi RacingCoors Light3672running120$5919617188Dale Earnhardt Jr.ChevroletDale Earnhardt, Inc.Budweiser3670running112$7478818732Ricky CravenFordPPI MotorsportsTide3671running114$43290191493Dave BlaneyDodgeBill Davis RacingAmoco3670running106$4293520136Mark MartinFordRoush RacingViagra, Pfizer3660running103$8809121643John AndrettiDodgePetty EnterprisesCheerios3660running100$779672242Rusty WallaceFordPenske Racing SouthMiller Lite3660running97$84135232817Matt KensethFordRoush RacingDeWalt3650running94$50025243531Mike SkinnerChevroletRichard Childress RacingLowe's3650running91$74049253019Casey AtwoodDodgeEvernham MotorsportsDodge Dealers, UAW, Mountain Dew3640running88$41990264245Kyle PettyDodgePetty EnterprisesSprint3620running85$38705273211Brett BodineFordBrett Bodine RacingRalph's3620running82$4576028294Kevin LepageChevroletMorgan–McClure MotorsportsKodak3610running79$43610292021Elliott SadlerFordWood Brothers RacingMotorcraft3590running76$55900304327Rick MastPontiacEel River RacingDuke's Mayonnaise, Sauer's3590running73$37815311526Jimmy SpencerFordHaas-Carter MotorsportsKmart3580crash70$46155323690Hut StricklinFordDonlavey RacingHills Brothers Coffee3580running67$37540332433Joe NemechekChevroletAndy Petree RacingOakwood Homes3572crash69$65720342788Dale JarrettFordRobert Yates RacingUPS35653running66$82417354144Buckshot JonesDodgePetty EnterprisesGeorgia-Pacific3550running58$45255362515Michael WaltripChevroletDale Earnhardt, Inc.NAPA Auto Parts3550running55$47170374014Ron Hornaday Jr.PontiacA.J. Foyt RacingConseco3550running52$37081381677Robert PressleyFordJasper MotorsportsJasper Engines & Transmissions3480crash49$4491039197Kurt BuschFordRoush RacingSharpie, Rubbermaid31674running51$50375403166Todd BodineFordHaas-Carter MotorsportsKmart Blue Light Special2820transmission43$3677541341Kenny WallaceChevroletDale Earnhardt, Inc.Pennzoil2790overheating40$62968422292Stacy ComptonDodgeMelling RacingKodiak1910crash37$36675433801Jason LefflerDodgeChip Ganassi RacingCingular Wireless900overheating34$44880Failed to qualify4496Andy HoustonFordPPI MotorsportsMcDonald's314571Dave MarcisChevroletMarcis Auto RacingTeam Realtree28
Race statistics Time of race: 4:05:00 Average speed: Pole speed: Cautions: 11 for 51 laps Margin of victory: under caution Lead changes: 19 Percent of race run under caution: 14.2% Average green flag run: 28.6 laps
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