2001 Kmart 400
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| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 14 of 36 in the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 The 2001 Kmart 400 program cover. | |||
| Date | June 10, 2001 | ||
| Official name | 33rd Annual Kmart 400 | ||
| Location | Cambridge Township, Michigan, Michigan International Speedway | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 2 miles (3.2 km) | ||
| Distance | 200 laps, 400 mi (643.737 km) | ||
| Scheduled distance | 200 laps, 400 mi (643.737 km) | ||
| Average speed | 134.203 miles per hour (215.979 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Hendrick Motorsports | ||
| Time | 38.247 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Laps | 143 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | FX | ||
| Announcers | Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds, Darrell Waltrip | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
The 2001 Kmart 400 was the 14th stock car race of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 33rd iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 10, 2001, in Cambridge Township, Michigan, at Michigan International Speedway, a 2 miles (3.2 km) moderate-banked D-shaped speedway. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. At race's end, Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would manage to hold off the field on the final restart with four to go to win his 55th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his third of the season. The win was also Hendrick Motorsports' 100th NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory.[1][2][3] To fill out the podium, Ricky Rudd, driving for Robert Yates Racing, and Sterling Marlin, driving for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, would finish second and third, respectively.
Entry list
The race was held at Michigan International Speedway, a 2 miles (3.2 km) moderate-banked D-shaped speedway located in Cambridge Township, 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).
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
- (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
Practice
First practice
The first practice session was held on Friday, June 8, at 12:00 PM EST. The session would last for two hours.[4] Ryan Newman, driving for Penske Racing South, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 38.467 and an average speed of 187.173 mph (301.226 km/h).[5]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 02 | Ryan Newman (i) | Penske Racing South | Ford | 38.467 | 187.173 |
| 2 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 38.469 | 187.164 |
| 3 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 38.473 | 187.144 |
| Full first practice results | ||||||
Second practice
The second practice session was held on Saturday, June 9, at 9:00 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 38.913 and an average speed of 185.028 mph (297.774 km/h).[6]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 38.913 | 185.028 |
| 2 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 39.104 | 184.124 |
| 3 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 39.133 | 183.988 |
| Full second practice results | ||||||
Final practice
The final practice session was held on Saturday, June 9, at 10:30 AM EST. The session would last for one hour and 30 minutes.[4] Rusty Wallace, driving for Penske Racing South, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 39.462 and an average speed of 182.454 mph (293.631 km/h).[7]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 39.462 | 182.454 |
| 2 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 39.534 | 182.122 |
| 3 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 39.566 | 181.974 |
| Full final practice results | ||||||
