# 2001 Old Dominion 500

The 2001 Old Dominion 500 was the 30th stock car race of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 53rd iteration of the event. The race was held on Monday, October 15, 2001, Martinsville, Virginia at Martinsville Speedway, a 0.526 miles (0.847 km) permanent oval-shaped short track. The race took the scheduled 500 laps to complete. In the closing laps of the race, Ricky Craven, driving for PPI Motorsports, would manage to defend Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett in a close finish to win his first career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season. To fill out the podium, Jarrett and Bill Davis Racing driver Ward Burton would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

Martinsville Speedway is a NASCAR-owned stock car racing track located in Henry County, in Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At 0.526 miles (0.847 km) in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in NASCAR, being built in 1947 by H. Clay Earles. It is also the only remaining race track that has been on the NASCAR circuit from its beginning in 1948.

### Entry list

* (R) denotes rookie driver.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 1 | Kenny Wallace | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Pennzoil |
| 01 | Jason Leffler (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | Cingular Wireless |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | Miller Lite |
| 4 | Rich Bickle | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kodak |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kellogg's |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Viagra |
| 7 | Kevin Lepage | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | NationsRent, OmniGrip |
| 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Budweiser |
| 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Dodge |
| 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | Valvoline MaxLife |
| 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | Ralphs |
| 12 | Mike Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | Mobil 1 |
| 13 | Hermie Sadler | SCORE Motorsports | Chevrolet | Virginia Lottery |
| 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | Conseco |
| 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | NAPA Auto Parts Patriotic |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 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 |
| 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Texaco, Havoline |
| 29 | Kevin Harvick (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench |
| 31 | Robby Gordon | 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 |
| 46 | Frank Kimmel | Larry Clement Racing | Ford | Advance Auto Parts |
| 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Square D |
| 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Kmart Blue Light Special |
| 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | Team Realtree |
| 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 85 | Carl Long | Mansion Motorsports | Ford | Mansion Motorsports |
| 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 |
| 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, October 12, at 11:20 AM EST. The session would last for two hours. Tony Stewart, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 20.188 and an average speed of 93.798 miles per hour (150.953 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 20.188 | 93.798 |
| 2 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 20.206 | 93.715 |
| 3 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 20.240 | 93.557 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Saturday, October 13, at 12:00 PM EST. The session would last for 45 minutes. Mike Wallace, driving for Penske Racing South, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 20.443 and an average speed of 92.628 miles per hour (149.070 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 12 | Mike Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 20.443 | 92.628 |
| 2 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 20.563 | 92.088 |
| 3 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 20.589 | 91.971 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Third and final practice

The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, October 13, at 1:15 PM EST. The session would last for 45 minutes. Mike Wallace, driving for Penske Racing South, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 20.451 and an average speed of 92.592 miles per hour (149.012 km/h).
During the session, Roush Racing driver Jeff Burton would wreck after Ricky Rudd sent oil onto the track, sending Burton into the outside turn 1 wall. Burton was forced to start at the rear for the race and transfer to a backup car.
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 12 | Mike Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 20.451 | 92.592 |
| 2 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 20.487 | 92.429 |
| 3 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 20.518 | 92.290 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Friday, October 12, at 3:05 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.
Todd Bodine, driving for Haas-Carter Motorsports, would win the pole, setting a time of 20.204 and an average speed of 93.724 miles per hour (150.834 km/h).
Three drivers would fail to qualify: Carl Long, Kyle Petty, and Frank Kimmel.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 20.204 | 93.724 |
| 2 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 20.227 | 93.617 |
| 3 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.255 | 93.488 |
| 4 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 20.291 | 93.322 |
| 5 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 20.298 | 93.290 |
| 6 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 20.299 | 93.285 |
| 7 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 20.302 | 93.272 |
| 8 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 20.303 | 93.267 |
| 9 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 20.334 | 93.125 |
| 10 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 20.357 | 93.020 |
| 11 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 20.370 | 92.960 |
| 12 | 12 | Mike Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 20.370 | 92.960 |
| 13 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 20.377 | 92.928 |
| 14 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.404 | 92.805 |
| 15 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 20.417 | 92.746 |
| 16 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 20.429 | 92.692 |
| 17 | 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 20.429 | 92.692 |
| 18 | 4 | Rich Bickle | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.435 | 92.665 |
| 19 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 20.438 | 92.651 |
| 20 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 20.450 | 92.597 |
| 21 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 20.456 | 92.569 |
| 22 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 20.464 | 92.533 |
| 23 | 13 | Hermie Sadler | SCORE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.472 | 92.497 |
| 24 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 20.489 | 92.420 |
| 25 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 20.489 | 92.420 |
| 26 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 20.490 | 92.416 |
| 27 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 20.502 | 92.362 |
| 28 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 20.511 | 92.321 |
| 29 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 20.517 | 92.294 |
| 30 | 7 | Kevin Lepage | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | 20.525 | 92.258 |
| 31 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.531 | 92.231 |
| 32 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 20.544 | 92.173 |
| 33 | 44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 20.551 | 92.142 |
| 34 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 20.569 | 92.061 |
| 35 | 29 | Rick Mast | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 20.578 | 92.021 |
| 36 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 20.593 | 91.954 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 1 | Kenny Wallace | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 20.745 | 91.280 |
| 38 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 21.371 | 88.606 |
| 39 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 20.644 | 91.726 |
| 40 | 97 | Kurt Busch (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 20.666 | 91.629 |
| 41 | 19 | Casey Atwood (R) | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 20.734 | 91.328 |
| 42 | 01 | Jason Leffler (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 20.742 | 91.293 |
| 43 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge | 20.638 | 91.753 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 85 | Carl Long | Mansion Motorsports | Ford | 20.593 | 91.954 |
| 45 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 20.611 | 91.873 |
| 46 | 46 | Frank Kimmel | Larry Clement Racing | Ford | 20.809 | 90.999 |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 6 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 500 | 94 | running | 185 | $130,475 |
| 2 | 4 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 500 | 31 | running | 175 | $114,252 |
| 3 | 11 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 500 | 45 | running | 170 | $94,460 |
| 4 | 32 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 500 | 0 | running | 160 | $104,537 |
| 5 | 24 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 500 | 0 | running | 155 | $96,846 |
| 6 | 5 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 500 | 5 | running | 155 | $51,300 |
| 7 | 13 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 500 | 33 | running | 151 | $82,251 |
| 8 | 12 | 12 | Mike Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 500 | 14 | running | 147 | $80,759 |
| 9 | 3 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 500 | 58 | running | 143 | $84,102 |
| 10 | 26 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 500 | 0 | running | 134 | $66,435 |
| 11 | 20 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 500 | 0 | running | 130 | $54,930 |
| 12 | 1 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 500 | 9 | running | 132 | $44,550 |
| 13 | 16 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 500 | 92 | running | 129 | $46,175 |
| 14 | 38 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 500 | 0 | running | 121 | $52,461 |
| 15 | 9 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 500 | 0 | running | 118 | $79,290 |
| 16 | 43 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge | 500 | 0 | running | 115 | $44,040 |
| 17 | 39 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 500 | 34 | running | 117 | $58,025 |
| 18 | 17 | 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 500 | 0 | running | 109 | $37,855 |
| 19 | 34 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 499 | 0 | running | 106 | $42,200 |
| 20 | 37 | 1 | Kenny Wallace | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 499 | 0 | running | 103 | $66,043 |
| 21 | 30 | 7 | Kevin Lepage | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | 499 | 0 | running | 100 | $43,100 |
| 22 | 35 | 29 | Kevin Harvick (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 499 | 20 | running | 102 | $77,677 |
| 23 | 7 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 499 | 0 | running | 94 | $62,970 |
| 24 | 14 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 499 | 0 | running | 91 | $42,450 |
| 25 | 41 | 19 | Casey Atwood (R) | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 498 | 1 | running | 93 | $34,700 |
| 26 | 29 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 498 | 0 | running | 85 | $31,450 |
| 27 | 2 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 496 | 0 | running | 82 | $67,623 |
| 28 | 23 | 13 | Hermie Sadler | SCORE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 496 | 0 | running | 79 | $30,750 |
| 29 | 10 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 495 | 0 | running | 76 | $33,600 |
| 30 | 33 | 44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 494 | 0 | running | 73 | $41,450 |
| 31 | 18 | 4 | Rich Bickle | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 494 | 0 | running | 70 | $30,300 |
| 32 | 25 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 493 | 0 | running | 67 | $30,175 |
| 33 | 27 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 492 | 0 | running | 64 | $65,077 |
| 34 | 31 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 483 | 0 | brakes | 61 | $62,655 |
| 35 | 40 | 97 | Kurt Busch (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 479 | 38 | running | 63 | $37,800 |
| 36 | 22 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 459 | 26 | rear end | 60 | $37,725 |
| 37 | 42 | 01 | Jason Leffler (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 458 | 0 | running | 52 | $37,600 |
| 38 | 28 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 442 | 0 | running | 49 | $61,799 |
| 39 | 19 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 397 | 0 | engine | 46 | $59,647 |
| 40 | 36 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 289 | 0 | running | 43 | $29,200 |
| 41 | 8 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 123 | 0 | engine | 40 | $49,275 |
| 42 | 21 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 115 | 0 | overheating | 37 | $53,673 |
| 43 | 15 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 53 | 0 | crash | 34 | $37,081 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 85 | Carl Long | Mansion Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 45 | | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | | | | | |
| 46 | | 46 | Frank Kimmel | Larry Clement Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||