2001 Dodge/Save Mart 350
16th race of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
Motor car race
The 2001 Dodge/Save Mart 350 was the 16th stock car race of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 13th iteration of the event . The race was held on Sunday, June 24, 2001, in Sonoma, California , at the club layout in Sears Point Raceway , a 2 miles (3.2 km) permanent road course layout. The race took the scheduled 112 laps to complete. In the final stages of the race, Tony Stewart , driving for Joe Gibbs Racing , would take an advantage of an angry Robby Gordon , who was focused on lapping Kevin Harvick , and slip by to win his 11th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his second of the season.[ 1] [ 2] [ 3] Robby Gordon, who was driving for Ultra Motorsports , would earn a second-place finish. To fill out the podium, Jeff Gordon , driving for Hendrick Motorsports , would finish third.
Background
The layout of Infineon Raceway used by NASCAR at the time.
Infineon Raceway is one of two road courses to hold NASCAR races, the other being Watkins Glen International . The standard road course at Infineon Raceway is a 12-turn course that is 2.52 miles (4.06 km) long;[ 4] the track was modified in 1998, adding the Chute , which bypassed turns 5 and 6, shortening the course to 1.95 miles (3.14 km). The Chute was only used for NASCAR events such as this race, and was criticized by many drivers, who preferred the full layout.[ 5] In 2001, it was replaced with a 70-degree turn , 4A, bringing the track to its current dimensions of 1.99 miles (3.20 km).[ 6]
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver.
#
Driver
Team
Make
Sponsor
1
Steve Park
Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Chevrolet
Pennzoil
01
Dorsey Schroeder
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
Dodge
Cingular Wireless , Special Olympics
2
Rusty Wallace
Penske Racing South
Ford
Miller Lite
4
Kevin Lepage
Morgan–McClure Motorsports
Chevrolet
Kodak
04
Jason Leffler (R)
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
Dodge
Cingular Wireless , Special Olympics
5
Terry Labonte
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
Kellogg's
6
Mark Martin
Roush Racing
Ford
Viagra
7
Robby Gordon
Ultra Motorsports
Ford
NationsRent
8
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Chevrolet
Budweiser
9
Bill Elliott
Evernham Motorsports
Dodge
Dodge
10
Johnny Benson Jr.
MBV Motorsports
Pontiac
Valvoline
11
Brett Bodine
Brett Bodine Racing
Ford
RedCell , Ralphs
12
Jeremy Mayfield
Penske Racing South
Ford
Mobil 1
14
Ron Hornaday Jr. (R)
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
Pontiac
Conseco
15
Michael Waltrip
Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Chevrolet
NAPA Auto Parts
17
Matt Kenseth
Roush Racing
Ford
AT&T Broadband , DeWalt
18
Bobby Labonte
Joe Gibbs Racing
Pontiac
Interstate Batteries
19
Casey Atwood (R)
Evernham Motorsports
Dodge
Dodge
20
Tony Stewart
Joe Gibbs Racing
Pontiac
The Home Depot
21
Elliott Sadler
Wood Brothers Racing
Ford
Motorcraft
22
Ward Burton
Bill Davis Racing
Dodge
Caterpillar
24
Jeff Gordon
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
DuPont
25
Jerry Nadeau
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
UAW , Delphi
26
Jimmy Spencer
Haas-Carter Motorsports
Ford
Kmart
27
Kenny Wallace
Eel River Racing
Pontiac
Duke's Mayonnaise , Ultimate TV
28
Ricky Rudd
Robert Yates Racing
Ford
Texaco , Havoline
29
Kevin Harvick (R)
Richard Childress Racing
Chevrolet
GM Goodwrench
31
Mike Skinner
Richard Childress Racing
Chevrolet
Lowe's
32
Ricky Craven
PPI Motorsports
Ford
Tide
33
Scott Pruett
Andy Petree Racing
Chevrolet
Oakwood Homes
36
Ken Schrader
MBV Motorsports
Pontiac
M&M's
40
Sterling Marlin
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
Dodge
Coors Light
43
John Andretti
Petty Enterprises
Dodge
Cheerios
44
Buckshot Jones
Petty Enterprises
Dodge
Georgia-Pacific , Unisource
45
Kyle Petty
Petty Enterprises
Dodge
Sprint , Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America
55
Bobby Hamilton
Andy Petree Racing
Chevrolet
Square D
66
Todd Bodine
Haas-Carter Motorsports
Ford
Kmart Blue Light Special
68
Anthony Lazzaro
TWC Motorsports
Chevrolet
TWC Motorsports
77
Boris Said
Jasper Motorsports
Ford
Jasper Engines & Transmissions
87
Ron Fellows
NEMCO Motorsports
Chevrolet
Nortel
88
Dale Jarrett
Robert Yates Racing
Ford
UPS
90
Brian Simo
Donlavey Racing
Ford
Hills Bros. Coffee
92
Stacy Compton
Melling Racing
Dodge
Kodiak
93
Dave Blaney
Bill Davis Racing
Dodge
Amoco Ultimate
96
Andy Houston (R)
PPI Motorsports
Ford
McDonald's
97
Kurt Busch (R)
Roush Racing
Ford
Rubbermaid , Sharpie
99
Jeff Burton
Roush Racing
Ford
Citgo Supergard
Official entry list
Practice
First practice
The first practice session was held on Friday, June 22, at 10:30 AM PST . The session would last for two hours and 30 minutes.[ 7] Jeff Gordon , driving for Hendrick Motorsports , would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:16.648 and an average speed of 93.936 miles per hour (151.175 km/h).[ 8]
Second practice
The second practice session was held on Saturday, June 23, at 9:30 AM PST . The session would last for one hour and 30 minutes.[ 7] Ron Fellows , driving for NEMCO Motorsports , would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:17.421 and an average speed of 92.998 miles per hour (149.666 km/h).[ 9]
Third and final practice
The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, June 23, after the preliminary NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series race.[ 7] Jeff Gordon , driving for Hendrick Motorsports , would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:17.124 and an average speed of 93.356 miles per hour (150.242 km/h).[ 10]
Qualifying
Qualifying was held on Friday, June 22, at 2:00 PM PST . Drivers would each have one lap to set a lap time.[ 7] 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.[ 11]
Jeff Gordon , driving for Hendrick Motorsports , would win the pole, setting a time of 1:16.842 and an average speed of 93.699 miles per hour (150.794 km/h).[ 12]
Four drivers would fail to qualify: Andy Houston , Kenny Wallace , Anthony Lazzaro , and Jason Leffler .
Full qualifying results
Race results
Fin[ 13]
St
#
Driver
Team
Make
Laps
Led
Status
Pts
Winnings
1
3
20
Tony Stewart
Joe Gibbs Racing
Pontiac
112
11
running
180
$139,875
2
7
7
Robby Gordon
Ultra Motorsports
Ford
112
20
running
175
$114,035
3
1
24
Jeff Gordon
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
112
55
running
175
$129,277
4
22
28
Ricky Rudd
Robert Yates Racing
Ford
112
0
running
160
$98,847
5
2
2
Rusty Wallace
Penske Racing South
Ford
112
0
running
155
$94,780
6
5
22
Ward Burton
Bill Davis Racing
Dodge
112
0
running
150
$88,975
7
4
18
Bobby Labonte
Joe Gibbs Racing
Pontiac
112
0
running
146
$106,267
8
26
99
Jeff Burton
Roush Racing
Ford
112
0
running
142
$93,186
9
18
9
Bill Elliott
Evernham Motorsports
Dodge
112
0
running
138
$74,713
10
38
6
Mark Martin
Roush Racing
Ford
112
0
running
134
$96,036
11
42
77
Boris Said
Jasper Motorsports
Ford
112
0
running
130
$64,695
12
11
33
Scott Pruett
Andy Petree Racing
Chevrolet
112
0
running
127
$77,020
13
25
11
Brett Bodine
Brett Bodine Racing
Ford
112
1
running
129
$53,811
14
12
29
Kevin Harvick (R)
Richard Childress Racing
Chevrolet
112
0
running
121
$89,877
15
10
55
Bobby Hamilton
Andy Petree Racing
Chevrolet
112
0
running
118
$56,850
16
9
32
Ricky Craven
PPI Motorsports
Ford
112
0
running
115
$46,300
17
27
21
Elliott Sadler
Wood Brothers Racing
Ford
112
3
running
117
$67,865
18
43
14
Ron Hornaday Jr. (R)
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
Pontiac
112
0
running
109
$44,850
19
37
8
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Chevrolet
112
0
running
106
$75,718
20
19
15
Michael Waltrip
Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Chevrolet
112
1
running
108
$54,560
21
20
17
Matt Kenseth
Roush Racing
Ford
112
0
running
100
$53,200
22
33
45
Kyle Petty
Petty Enterprises
Dodge
112
0
running
97
$40,840
23
41
97
Kurt Busch (R)
Roush Racing
Ford
112
0
running
94
$52,205
24
30
92
Stacy Compton
Melling Racing
Dodge
112
0
running
91
$47,100
25
36
01
Dorsey Schroeder
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
Dodge
112
0
running
88
$52,805
26
35
88
Dale Jarrett
Robert Yates Racing
Ford
112
0
running
85
$85,702
27
39
26
Jimmy Spencer
Haas-Carter Motorsports
Ford
112
1
running
87
$51,740
28
16
40
Sterling Marlin
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
Dodge
112
0
running
79
$51,555
29
14
10
Johnny Benson Jr.
MBV Motorsports
Pontiac
112
0
running
76
$51,535
30
21
43
John Andretti
Petty Enterprises
Dodge
111
0
crash
73
$78,522
31
6
25
Jerry Nadeau
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
111
0
running
70
$48,425
32
17
93
Dave Blaney
Bill Davis Racing
Dodge
111
0
running
67
$40,365
33
23
66
Todd Bodine
Haas-Carter Motorsports
Ford
111
0
running
64
$40,340
34
24
31
Mike Skinner
Richard Childress Racing
Chevrolet
111
0
running
61
$72,624
35
29
44
Buckshot Jones
Petty Enterprises
Dodge
111
0
running
58
78,280
36
8
5
Terry Labonte
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
110
0
crash
55
$72,990
37
32
36
Ken Schrader
MB2 Motorsports
Pontiac
104
0
running
52
$48,240
38
13
87
Ron Fellows
NEMCO Motorsports
Chevrolet
101
20
crash
54
$40,195
39
40
12
Jeremy Mayfield
Penske Racing South
Ford
97
0
running
46
$79,459
40
34
1
Steve Park
Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Chevrolet
93
0
running
43
$66,373
41
28
19
Casey Atwood (R)
Evernham Motorsports
Dodge
41
0
engine
40
$40,110
42
15
90
Brian Simo
Donlavey Racing
Ford
30
0
transmission
37
$40,090
43
31
4
Kevin Lepage
Morgan–McClure Motorsports
Chevrolet
2
0
engine
34
$40,317
Failed to qualify
44
27
Kenny Wallace
Eel River Racing
Pontiac
45
96
Andy Houston (R)
PPI Motorsports
Ford
46
68
Anthony Lazzaro
TWC Motorsports
Chevrolet
47
04
Jason Leffler (R)
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
Dodge
Official race results
References
^ Poole, David (June 24, 2001). "Stewart capitalizes, wins at Sears Point" . ThatsRacin . The Charlotte Observer . Archived from the original on December 19, 2001. Retrieved July 3, 2022 .
^ "Stewart's win ends Gordon's streak" . The Palm Beach Post . June 25, 2001. p. 26. Retrieved July 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com .
^ Rodman, Dave (June 25, 2001). "Stewart beats Robby Gordon for win at Sonoma" . NASCAR . Turner Sports Interactive. Archived from the original on October 4, 2001. Retrieved July 3, 2022 .
^ "Sears Point" . www.gt-racing.co.uk . Retrieved 2021-11-13 .
^ "Passing is tough in Chute | chronicle.augusta.com" . 2011-06-07. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2021-11-13 .
^ "SEARS POINT BREAKS GROUND ON MODIFIED CHUTE - RacingWest" . 2007-09-29. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2021-11-13 .
^ a b c d "Jayski's Silly Season Site - 2001 Sonoma Race Info Page" . Jayski's Silly Season Site . Archived from the original on December 9, 2001. Retrieved July 3, 2022 .
^ "Friday's Winston Cup practice speeds" . ThatsRacin . June 22, 2001. Archived from the original on December 15, 2001. Retrieved July 3, 2022 .
^ "Saturday's early Winston Cup practice speeds" . ThatsRacin . June 23, 2001. Archived from the original on December 15, 2001. Retrieved July 3, 2001 .
^ "Saturday's 'Happy Hour' speeds" . ThatsRacin . June 23, 2001. Archived from the original on December 15, 2001. Retrieved July 3, 2022 .
^ "Jayski's Silly Season Site - 2002 Provisional/Owners Points Page" . Jayski's Silly Season Site . Archived from the original on February 5, 2005. Retrieved March 3, 2022 .
^ Poole, David (June 22, 2001). "Gordon, Wallace could go to front of class" . ThatsRacin . The Charlotte Observer . Archived from the original on June 24, 2001. Retrieved July 3, 2022 .
^ "2001 Dodge/Save Mart 350 - The Third Turn" . www.thethirdturn.com . Retrieved 2022-07-02 .
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