# 2001 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400

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 1.5 miles (2.4 km) 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 second and third, 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, Inc., which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.

### Entry list

| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Pennzoil |
| 01 | Jason Leffler | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | Cingular Wireless |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Ford | Miller Lite |
| 02 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing | Ford | Alltel |
| 4 | Robby Gordon | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kodak |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kellogg's |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Viagra |
| 7 | Mike Wallace | 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 | Ford | Mobil 1 |
| 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | Conseco |
| 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | NAPA Auto Parts |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | DeWalt |
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | Interstate Batteries |
| 19 | Casey Atwood | 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 | Hills Bros. Coffee |
| 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Texaco, Havoline |
| 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench |
| 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
| 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | Tide |
| 33 | Joe Nemechek | 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 Sparkle |
| 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Sprint PCS |
| 50 | Rick Mast | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | Midwest Transit |
| 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Square D |
| 62 | Brendan Gaughan | Bill McAnally Racing | Chevrolet | The Orleans |
| 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Kmart, Route 66 |
| 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | UPS |
| 90 | Hut Stricklin | 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 | PPI Motorsports | Ford | McDonald's |
| 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | Roush Racing |
| 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | Citgo Supergard |
| Official 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 171.554 miles per hour (276.089 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 31.477 | 171.554 |
| 2 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 31.490 | 171.483 |
| 3 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 31.501 | 171.423 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second and final practice

The second and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, 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 165.107 miles per hour (265.714 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 19 | Casey Atwood | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 32.706 | 165.107 |
| 2 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 32.765 | 164.810 |
| 3 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 32.800 | 164.634 |
| Full Happy Hour 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 172.106 miles per hour (276.978 km/h).
Four drivers would fail to qualify: Kyle Petty, Brendan Gaughan, Andy Houston, and Rick Mast.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 31.376 | 172.106 |
| 2 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 31.445 | 171.728 |
| 3 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 31.462 | 171.636 |
| 4 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 31.468 | 171.603 |
| 5 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 31.481 | 171.532 |
| 6 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 31.497 | 171.445 |
| 7 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 31.521 | 171.314 |
| 8 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 31.549 | 171.162 |
| 9 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 31.555 | 171.130 |
| 10 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Ford | 31.559 | 171.108 |
| 11 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 31.561 | 171.097 |
| 12 | 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 31.574 | 171.027 |
| 13 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 31.580 | 170.994 |
| 14 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske Racing | Ford | 31.603 | 170.870 |
| 15 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 31.617 | 170.794 |
| 16 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 31.618 | 170.793 |
| 17 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 31.635 | 170.697 |
| 18 | 19 | Casey Atwood | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 31.645 | 170.643 |
| 19 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 31.646 | 170.638 |
| 20 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 31.647 | 170.632 |
| 21 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 31.677 | 170.471 |
| 22 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 31.668 | 170.519 |
| 23 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 31.712 | 170.283 |
| 24 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 31.730 | 170.186 |
| 25 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 31.734 | 170.164 |
| 26 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge | 31.740 | 170.132 |
| 27 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 31.743 | 170.116 |
| 28 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 31.775 | 169.945 |
| 29 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 31.788 | 169.875 |
| 30 | 01 | Jason Leffler | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 31.835 | 169.625 |
| 31 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 31.850 | 169.545 |
| 32 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 31.871 | 169.433 |
| 33 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 31.893 | 169.316 |
| 34 | 27 | Kenny Wallace | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 31.895 | 169.306 |
| 35 | 02 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing | Ford | 31.901 | 169.274 |
| 36 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 31.907 | 169.242 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 32.078 | 168.340 |
| 38 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 31.944 | 169.046 |
| 39 | 7 | Mike Wallace | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | 32.648 | 165.401 |
| 40 | 4 | Robby Gordon | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 32.546 | 165.919 |
| 41 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 32.363 | 166.857 |
| 42 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 31.967 | 168.924 |
| 43 | 44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 32.396 | 166.687 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 31.984 | 168.834 |
| 45 | 62 | Brendan Gaughan | Bill McAnally Racing | Chevrolet | 32.038 | 168.550 |
| 46 | 96 | Andy Houston | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 32.202 | 167.691 |
| 47 | 50 | Rick Mast | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 32.252 | 167.431 |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 24 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 267 | 33 | running | 180 | $1,369,600 |
| 2 | 1 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 267 | 42 | running | 175 | $257,977 |
| 3 | 8 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 267 | 34 | running | 170 | $183,760 |
| 4 | 2 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 267 | 5 | running | 165 | $129,600 |
| 5 | 6 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 267 | 44 | running | 160 | $108,350 |
| 6 | 15 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 267 | 54 | running | 160 | $138,051 |
| 7 | 21 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 267 | 0 | running | 146 | $109,543 |
| 8 | 20 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 267 | 0 | running | 142 | $122,927 |
| 9 | 12 | 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 267 | 0 | running | 138 | $77,000 |
| 10 | 19 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 267 | 0 | running | 134 | $95,895 |
| 11 | 9 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 267 | 0 | running | 130 | $80,575 |
| 12 | 5 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 267 | 4 | running | 132 | $86,875 |
| 13 | 4 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 267 | 0 | running | 124 | $75,675 |
| 14 | 16 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 267 | 11 | running | 126 | $93,398 |
| 15 | 3 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 267 | 23 | running | 123 | $78,075 |
| 16 | 27 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 266 | 0 | running | 115 | $80,986 |
| 17 | 22 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 266 | 10 | running | 117 | $73,275 |
| 18 | 37 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 266 | 0 | running | 109 | $96,499 |
| 19 | 25 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 266 | 0 | running | 106 | $93,372 |
| 20 | 11 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 266 | 2 | running | 108 | $68,065 |
| 21 | 13 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 266 | 0 | running | 100 | $95,410 |
| 22 | 33 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 266 | 0 | running | 97 | $94,005 |
| 23 | 32 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 266 | 3 | running | 99 | $90,398 |
| 24 | 18 | 19 | Casey Atwood | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 266 | 0 | running | 91 | $54,675 |
| 25 | 29 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 265 | 0 | running | 88 | $68,650 |
| 26 | 17 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 265 | 0 | running | 85 | $55,675 |
| 27 | 26 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge | 264 | 0 | running | 82 | $54,175 |
| 28 | 30 | 01 | Jason Leffler | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 264 | 0 | running | 79 | $58,675 |
| 29 | 7 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 263 | 2 | running | 81 | $102,502 |
| 30 | 31 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 263 | 0 | running | 73 | $58,775 |
| 31 | 34 | 27 | Kenny Wallace | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 260 | 0 | running | 70 | $50,075 |
| 32 | 39 | 7 | Mike Wallace | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | 259 | 0 | running | 67 | $57,875 |
| 33 | 35 | 02 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing | Ford | 256 | 0 | running | 64 | $49,675 |
| 34 | 40 | 4 | Robby Gordon | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 252 | 0 | running | 61 | $48,475 |
| 35 | 23 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 230 | 0 | running | 58 | $77,545 |
| 36 | 43 | 44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 221 | 0 | engine | 55 | $57,075 |
| 37 | 38 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 193 | 0 | running | 52 | $83,877 |
| 38 | 41 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 188 | 0 | running | 49 | $48,650 |
| 39 | 28 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 187 | 0 | running | 46 | $68,250 |
| 40 | 36 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 157 | 0 | crash | 43 | $48,225 |
| 41 | 42 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 78 | 0 | engine | 40 | $48,025 |
| 42 | 14 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske Racing | Ford | 53 | 0 | crash | 37 | $87,109 |
| 43 | 10 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Ford | 8 | 0 | crash | 34 | $92,765 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | | | | | |
| 45 | | 62 | Brendan Gaughan | Bill McAnally Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 46 | | 96 | Andy Houston | PPI Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 47 | | 50 | Rick Mast | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| Official 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) |