The 2001 Pocono 500 was the 15th stock car race of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 20th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 17, 2001, in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, at Pocono Raceway, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) triangular permanent course. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. At race's end, Ricky Rudd, driving for Robert Yates Racing, would take over the final stages of the race to win his 21st career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his first of the season. The win also broke a 88-race winless streak for Rudd. Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, and Dale Jarrett, driving for Robert Yates Racing, would finish second and third, respectively.
Background
The race was held at Pocono Raceway, which is a three-turn superspeedway located in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Pocono is one of a very few NASCAR tracks not owned by either Speedway Motorsports or NASCAR.
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver.
#DriverTeamMake1Steve ParkDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet01Jason Leffler (R)Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge2Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord4Kevin LepageMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet5Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6Mark MartinRoush RacingFord7Ted MusgraveUltra MotorsportsFord8Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet9Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge10Johnny Benson Jr.MBV MotorsportsPontiac11Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord12Jeremy MayfieldPenske Racing SouthFord14Ron Hornaday Jr. (R)A. J. Foyt EnterprisesPontiac15Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet17Matt KensethRoush RacingFord18Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac19Casey Atwood (R)Evernham MotorsportsDodge20Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac21Elliott SadlerWood Brothers RacingFord22Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet25Jerry NadeauHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet26Jimmy SpencerHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord27Kenny WallaceEel River RacingPontiac28Ricky RuddRobert Yates RacingFord29Kevin Harvick (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet31Mike SkinnerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet32Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsFord33Wally Dallenbach Jr.Andy Petree RacingChevrolet36Ken SchraderMBV MotorsportsPontiac40Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge43John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesDodge44Buckshot JonesPetty EnterprisesDodge45Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge50Rick MastMidwest Transit RacingChevrolet55Bobby HamiltonAndy Petree RacingChevrolet66Todd BodineHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord77Robert PressleyJasper MotorsportsFord88Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord90Hut StricklinDonlavey RacingFord92Stacy ComptonMelling RacingDodge93Dave BlaneyBill Davis RacingDodge96Andy Houston (R)PPI MotorsportsFord97Kurt Busch (R)Roush RacingFord99Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFordOfficial entry list
Practice
First practice The first practice session was held on Friday, June 15, at 11:30 AM EST. The session would last for two hours and 30 minutes. Ricky Rudd, driving for Robert Yates Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 53.027 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed128Ricky RuddRobert Yates RacingFord53.027169.725210Johnny Benson Jr.MBV MotorsportsPontiac53.431168.442336Ken SchraderMB2 MotorsportsPontiac53.495168.240Full first practice results
Second practice The second practice session was held on Saturday, June 16, at 9:00 AM EST. The session would last for 45 minutes. Ricky Rudd, driving for Robert Yates Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 54.434 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed128Ricky RuddRobert Yates RacingFord54.434165.338240Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge54.499165.14136Mark MartinRoush RacingFord54.533165.038Full second practice results
Final practice The final practice session was held on Saturday, June 16, at 11:15 AM EST. The session would last for one hour. Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 54.627 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed124Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet54.627164.75428Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet54.730164.44437Ted MusgraveUltra MotorsportsFord54.972163.720Full final practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Friday, June 15, 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. 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.
Ricky Rudd, driving for Robert Yates Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 52.785 and an average speed of .
Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed128Ricky RuddRobert Yates RacingFord52.785170.503240Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge53.314168.811336Ken SchraderMB2 MotorsportsPontiac53.472168.312420Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac53.524168.14956Mark MartinRoush RacingFord53.559168.03968Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet53.564168.023710Johnny Benson Jr.MBV MotorsportsPontiac53.596167.923899Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord53.619167.851912Jeremy MayfieldPenske Racing SouthFord53.624167.8351088Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord53.627167.8261111Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord53.679167.6631266Todd BodineHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord53.683167.6511319Casey Atwood (R)Evernham MotorsportsDodge53.703167.5881424Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet53.709167.570157Ted MusgraveUltra MotorsportsFord53.741167.470162Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord53.772167.3731715Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet53.783167.3391818Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac53.806167.2681929Kevin Harvick (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet53.843167.1532043John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesDodge53.852167.1252122Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge53.863167.0912292Stacy ComptonMelling RacingDodge53.891167.004239Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge53.944166.8402490Hut StricklinDonlavey RacingFord53.972166.7532550Rick MastMidwest Transit RacingChevrolet54.015166.6202631Mike SkinnerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet54.027166.5832726Jimmy SpencerHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord54.035166.5592844Buckshot JonesPetty EnterprisesDodge54.043166.5342993Dave BlaneyBill Davis RacingDodge54.077166.429301Steve ParkDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet54.085166.4053117Matt KensethRoush RacingFord54.097166.3683245Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge54.099166.3623301Jason Leffler (R)Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge54.109166.3313432Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsFord54.118166.3033514Ron Hornaday Jr. (R)A. J. Foyt EnterprisesPontiac54.202166.045364Kevin LepageMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet54.240165.929Provisionals3755Bobby HamiltonAndy Petree RacingChevrolet54.372165.5263821Elliott SadlerWood Brothers RacingFord54.332165.6483925Jerry NadeauHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet54.461165.256405Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet54.485165.1834197Kurt Busch (R)Roush RacingFord54.412165.4054277Robert PressleyJasper MotorsportsFord54.310165.7154333Wally Dallenbach Jr.Andy Petree RacingChevrolet54.452165.283Failed to qualify4496Andy Houston (R)PPI MotorsportsFord54.317165.6944527Kenny WallaceEel River RacingPontiac54.904163.922Official qualifying results
Race results FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings1128Ricky RuddRobert Yates RacingFord20039running180$189,54221424Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet20086running180$148,89731088Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord20062running170$119,9474240Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge2000running160$92,350556Mark MartinRoush RacingFord2000running155$102,01663117Matt KensethRoush RacingFord2000running150$59,7157420Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac2000running146$64,34081818Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac2002running147$94,4679336Ken SchraderMB2 MotorsportsPontiac2000running138$60,96010899Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord2000running134$91,886112993Dave BlaneyBill Davis RacingDodge2000running130$43,490122631Mike SkinnerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2000running127$73,714134197Kurt Busch (R)Roush RacingFord2000running124$48,940144277Robert PressleyJasper MotorsportsFord2000running121$53,651151929Kevin Harvick (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet2000running118$83,56716162Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord1990running115$80,580172726Jimmy SpencerHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord1990running112$51,230183821Elliott SadlerWood Brothers RacingFord1990running109$59,415193925Jerry NadeauHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1990running106$46,3902068Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet19911running108$73,28821364Kevin LepageMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet1990running100$37,440222550Rick MastMidwest Transit RacingChevrolet1990running97$33,740232292Stacy ComptonMelling RacingDodge1980running94$36,91524710Johnny Benson Jr.MBV MotorsportsPontiac1980running91$44,665251266Todd BodineHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord1980running88$37,290264333Wally Dallenbach Jr.Andy Petree RacingChevrolet1980running85$64,41027239Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge1980running82$60,613282490Hut StricklinDonlavey RacingFord1980running79$32,74029157Ted MusgraveUltra MotorsportsFord1980running76$43,565301715Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet1970running73$42,91531405Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1950running70$67,49532301Steve ParkDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet1900running67$58,358333755Bobby HamiltonAndy Petree RacingChevrolet1870running64$39,915343245Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge1850engine61$31,715353514Ron Hornaday Jr. (R)A. J. Foyt EnterprisesPontiac1760running58$31,54036912Jeremy MayfieldPenske Racing SouthFord1760running55$70,624371111Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord1580running52$31,175381319Casey Atwood (R)Evernham MotorsportsDodge1570engine49$31,050392043John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesDodge1500running46$65,952402122Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge1130crash43$63,910413301Jason Leffler (R)Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge1000crash40$38,650422844Buckshot JonesPetty EnterprisesDodge780crash37$38,575433432Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsFord340engine34$30,751Official race results
References