The 2001 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 was the third stock car race of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the fourth iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, March 4, 2001, in North Las Vegas, Nevada at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a permanent D-shaped oval racetrack. The race took the scheduled 267 laps to complete. At race's end, Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would make a late-race comeback from the back to win his 53rd career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his first of the season. To fill out the podium, Dale Jarrett of Robert Yates Racing and Sterling Marlin of Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
Background
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located in Clark County, Nevada outside the Las Vegas city limits and about 15 miles northeast of the Las Vegas Strip, is a 1,200-acre (490 ha) complex of multiple tracks for motorsports racing. The complex is owned by Speedway Motorsports, which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Entry list #DriverTeamMake1Steve ParkDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet01Jason LefflerChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge2Rusty WallacePenske RacingFord02Ryan NewmanPenske RacingFord4Robby GordonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet5Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6Mark MartinRoush RacingFord7Mike WallaceUltra MotorsportsFord8Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet9Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge10Johnny Benson Jr.MBV MotorsportsPontiac11Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord12Jeremy MayfieldPenske RacingFord14Ron Hornaday Jr.A. J. Foyt EnterprisesPontiac15Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet17Matt KensethRoush RacingFord18Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac19Casey AtwoodEvernham MotorsportsDodge20Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac21Elliott SadlerWood Brothers RacingFord22Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet25Jerry NadeauHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet26Jimmy SpencerHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord27Kenny WallaceEel River RacingPontiac28Ricky RuddRobert Yates RacingFord29Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet31Mike SkinnerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet32Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsFord33Joe NemechekAndy Petree RacingChevrolet36Ken SchraderMBV MotorsportsPontiac40Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge43John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesDodge44Buckshot JonesPetty EnterprisesDodge45Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge50Rick MastMidwest Transit RacingChevrolet55Bobby HamiltonAndy Petree RacingChevrolet62Brendan GaughanBill McAnally RacingChevrolet66Todd BodineHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord77Robert PressleyJasper MotorsportsFord88Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord90Hut StricklinDonlavey RacingFord92Stacy ComptonMelling RacingDodge93Dave BlaneyBill Davis RacingDodge96Andy HoustonPPI MotorsportsFord97Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord99Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFordOfficial entry list
Practice
First practice The first practice session was held on Friday, March 2, at 1:20 PM PST, and would last for one hour and 40 minutes. Michael Waltrip of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 31.477 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed115Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet31.477171.554225Jerry NadeauHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet31.490171.483310Johnny Benson Jr.MBV MotorsportsPontiac31.501171.423Full first practice results
Final practice The Final practice session was held on Saturday, March 3, at 1:45 PM PST, and would last for one hour and 30 minutes. Casey Atwood of Evernham Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 32.706 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed119Casey AtwoodEvernham MotorsportsDodge32.706165.107240Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge32.765164.810393Dave BlaneyBill Davis RacingDodge32.800164.634Full Final practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Friday, March 2, at 2:15 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. 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.
Dale Jarrett of Robert Yates Racing would win the pole, setting a time of 31.376 and an average speed of .
Four drivers would fail to qualify: Kyle Petty, Brendan Gaughan, Andy Houston, and Rick Mast.
Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed188Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord31.376172.106210Johnny Benson Jr.MBV MotorsportsPontiac31.445171.728325Jerry NadeauHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet31.462171.636415Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet31.468171.603520Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac31.481171.532666Todd BodineHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord31.497171.445718Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac31.521171.314840Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge31.549171.162997Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord31.555171.130102Rusty WallacePenske RacingFord31.559171.1081121Elliott SadlerWood Brothers RacingFord31.561171.0971214Ron Hornaday Jr.A. J. Foyt EnterprisesPontiac31.574171.0271322Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge31.580170.9941412Jeremy MayfieldPenske RacingFord31.603170.870156Mark MartinRoush RacingFord31.617170.794169Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge31.618170.7931793Dave BlaneyBill Davis RacingDodge31.635170.6971819Casey AtwoodEvernham MotorsportsDodge31.645170.6431926Jimmy SpencerHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord31.646170.6382029Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet31.647170.632211Steve ParkDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet31.677170.4712217Matt KensethRoush RacingFord31.668170.5192333Joe NemechekAndy Petree RacingChevrolet31.712170.2832424Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet31.730170.1862528Ricky RuddRobert Yates RacingFord31.734170.1642692Stacy ComptonMelling RacingDodge31.740170.1322777Robert PressleyJasper MotorsportsFord31.743170.1162899Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord31.775169.9452936Ken SchraderMBV MotorsportsPontiac31.788169.8753001Jason LefflerChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge31.835169.6253155Bobby HamiltonAndy Petree RacingChevrolet31.850169.545328Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet31.871169.433335Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet31.893169.3163427Kenny WallaceEel River RacingPontiac31.895169.3063502Ryan NewmanPenske RacingFord31.901169.2743690Hut StricklinDonlavey RacingFord31.907169.242Provisionals3731Mike SkinnerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet32.078168.3403843John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesDodge31.944169.046397Mike WallaceUltra MotorsportsFord32.648165.401404Robby GordonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet32.546165.9194111Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord32.363166.8574232Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsFord31.967168.9244344Buckshot JonesPetty EnterprisesDodge32.396166.687Failed to qualify4445Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge31.984168.8344562Brendan GaughanBill McAnally RacingChevrolet32.038168.5504696Andy HoustonPPI MotorsportsFord32.202167.6914750Rick MastMidwest Transit RacingChevrolet32.252167.431Official qualifying results
Race results Fin#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings124Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet26733running180$1,369,600288Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord26742running175$257,977340Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge26734running170$183,760410Johnny Benson Jr.MBV MotorsportsPontiac2675running165$129,600566Todd BodineHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord26744running160$108,35066Mark MartinRoush RacingFord26754running160$138,05171Steve ParkDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet2670running146$109,543829Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2670running142$122,927914Ron Hornaday Jr.A. J. Foyt EnterprisesPontiac2670running138$77,0001026Jimmy SpencerHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord2670running134$95,8951197Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord2670running130$80,5751220Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac2674running132$86,8751315Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet2670running124$75,675149Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge26711running126$93,3981525Jerry NadeauHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet26723running123$78,0751677Robert PressleyJasper MotorsportsFord2660running115$80,9861717Matt KensethRoush RacingFord26610running117$73,2751831Mike SkinnerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2660running109$96,4991928Ricky RuddRobert Yates RacingFord2660running106$93,3722021Elliott SadlerWood Brothers RacingFord2662running108$68,0652122Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge2660running100$95,410225Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2660running97$94,005238Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet2663running99$90,3982419Casey AtwoodEvernham MotorsportsDodge2660running91$54,6752536Ken SchraderMBV MotorsportsPontiac2650running88$68,6502693Dave BlaneyBill Davis RacingDodge2650running85$55,6752792Stacy ComptonMelling RacingDodge2640running82$54,1752801Jason LefflerChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge2640running79$58,6752918Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac2632running81$102,5023055Bobby HamiltonAndy Petree RacingChevrolet2630running73$58,7753127Kenny WallaceEel River RacingPontiac2600running70$50,075327Mike WallaceUltra MotorsportsFord2590running67$57,8753302Ryan NewmanPenske RacingFord2560running64$49,675344Robby GordonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet2520running61$48,4753533Joe NemechekAndy Petree RacingChevrolet2300running58$77,5453644Buckshot JonesPetty EnterprisesDodge2210engine55$57,0753743John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesDodge1930running52$83,8773811Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord1880running49$48,6503999Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord1870running46$68,2504090Hut StricklinDonlavey RacingFord1570crash43$48,2254132Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsFord780engine40$48,0254212Jeremy MayfieldPenske RacingFord530crash37$87,109432Rusty WallacePenske RacingFord80crash34$92,765Official race results
Standings after the race Pos Driver Points 1 1 Sterling Marlin 468 5 2 Jeff Gordon 433 (–35) 3 Michael Waltrip 415 (–53) 8 4 Dale Jarrett 411 (–57) 5 Steve Park 401 (–67) 7 6 Johnny Benson Jr. 394 (–74) 1 7 Bill Elliott 380 (–88) 1 8 Robert Pressley 363 (–105) 7 9 Tony Stewart 347 (–121) 1 10 Elliott Sadler 347 (–121)
References