2001 Tropicana 400
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| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 18 of 36 in the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 The 2001 Tropicana 400 program cover. | |||
| Date | July 15, 2001 | ||
| Official name | Inaugural Tropicana 400 | ||
| Location | Joliet, Illinois, Chicagoland Speedway | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 1.5 miles (2.41 km) | ||
| Distance | 267 laps, 400.5 mi (644.542 km) | ||
| Scheduled distance | 267 laps, 400.5 mi (644.542 km) | ||
| Average speed | 121.200 miles per hour (195.052 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Haas-Carter Motorsports | ||
| Time | 29.393 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | |
| Laps | 113 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | NBC | ||
| Announcers | Allen Bestwick, Benny Parsons, Wally Dallenbach Jr. | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
The 2001 Tropicana 400 was the 18th stock car race of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the inaugural running of the event. The race was held on July 15, 2001, in Joliet, Illinois at Chicagoland Speedway, a 1.5 mile (2.41 km) tri-oval speedway. The race took the scheduled 267 laps to complete. Kevin Harvick, driving for Richard Childress Racing, would dominate the late stages of the race to win his second career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his second and final win of the season.[1][2] To fill out the podium, Robert Pressley of Jasper Motorsports and Ricky Rudd of Robert Yates Racing would finish second and third, respectively.
Entry list
Chicagoland Speedway is a 1.5 miles (2.41 km) tri-oval speedway in Joliet, Illinois, southwest of Chicago. The speedway opened in 2001 and currently hosts NASCAR racing. Until 2011, the speedway also hosted the IndyCar Series, recording numerous close finishes including the closest finish in IndyCar history. The speedway is owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation and located adjacent to Route 66 Raceway.
- (R) denotes rookie driver
Practice
First practice
The first practice session was held on Thursday, July 12, at 2:00 PM CST, and would last for an hour and 25 minutes.[3] Bill Elliott of Evernham Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 31.477 and an average speed of 171.554 miles per hour (276.089 km/h).[4]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 29.574 | 182.593 |
| 2 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Ford | 29.588 | 182.506 |
| 3 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 29.633 | 182.402 |
| Full first practice results | ||||||
Second practice
The second practice session was held on Thursday, July 12, at 5:05 PM CST, and would last for an hour and 25 minutes.[3] Mark Martin of Roush Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 31.477 and an average speed of 171.554 miles per hour (276.089 km/h).[5]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.369 | 183.867 |
| 2 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.444 | 183.399 |
| 3 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 29.471 | 183.231 |
| Full second practice results | ||||||
Third practice
The third practice session was held on Friday, July 13, at 11:00 AM CST, and would last for an hour and 55 minutes.[3] Todd Bodine of Haas-Carter Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.347 and an average speed of 183.443 miles per hour (295.223 km/h).[6]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 29.347 | 183.443 |
| 2 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.475 | 183.206 |
| 3 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.504 | 183.026 |
| Full third practice results | ||||||
Fourth practice
The fourth practice session was held on Saturday, July 14, at 11:30 AM CST, and would last for 45 minutes.[3] Dale Jarrett of Robert Yates Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.158 and an average speed of 179.057 miles per hour (288.164 km/h).[7]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 30.158 | 179.057 |
| 2 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.181 | 178.921 |
| 3 | 29 | Kevin Harvick (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 30.195 | 178.838 |
| Full fourth practice results | ||||||
Fifth and final practice
The fifth and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, July 14, at 1:00 PM CST, and would last for 45 minutes.[3] Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.142 and an average speed of 179.152 miles per hour (288.317 km/h).[8]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.142 | 179.152 |
| 2 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 30.154 | 179.081 |
| 3 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 30.195 | 178.838 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results | ||||||
