# 2001 MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400

The 2001 MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series stock car race held on September 23, 2001, at Dover Downs International Speedway. The race was the 27th of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. The race is notable for being the first NASCAR Cup Series race run after the September 11 attacks.
Dale Jarrett of Robert Yates Racing won the pole position, while Dale Earnhardt, Inc.'s Dale Earnhardt Jr. led the most laps with 193 and won the race.
The race was the also first to be run against the National Football League regular season since the signing of the consolidated NASCAR TV contract which began in 2001.

## First race since September 11

Following the September 11 attacks, NASCAR moved the previously-upcoming New Hampshire 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway to late November. The Craftsman Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway was postponed to early October. This schedule change made the MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400 the first race since the attacks.
To honor those killed in the attacks, fans were given American flags. During pre-race ceremonies, Lee Greenwood sang "God Bless the USA", and Tanya Tucker sang "God Bless America" and the national anthem. Greenwood praised the "raw emotion" felt from the fans, who sang along and chanted "U-S-A!" as he performed the song.
Baseball great Cal Ripken Jr. served as the grand marshal and had the race named for him as he was to play in his final game on the evening of the race in nearby Baltimore, Maryland. However, due to the attacks, his final game was postponed and was not on the same day of the race.
In a sense of patriotism, each car featured American flags. Ken Schrader removed every sponsor and decal from his car and completely painted the car as an American flag, a process that sponsor M&M's would recreate ten years later for Kyle Busch in the 2011 Wonderful Pistachios 400 at Richmond Raceway.
As a security measure, coolers, backpacks, and large bags were banned from the track, though concession prices were lowered in compensation. Volunteers from Dover Air Force Base assisted in scanning and inspecting every spectator entering the track, while Dover encouraged teams to not fly to the track. NASCAR on NBC's helicopters were also prohibited from flying around the track.

## Entry list

| Car | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Sponsor |
| 1 | Kenny Wallace | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Pennzoil |
| 01 | Jason Leffler | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Cingular Wireless |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | Miller Lite/USA |
| 4 | Kevin Lepage | Morgan-McClure Motorsports | Pontiac | Kodak |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kellogg's/USA |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Viagra, Pfizer |
| 7 | Mike Wallace | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | NationsRent |
| 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Budweiser/USA |
| 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Dodge Dealers, UAW |
| 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | Valvoline |
| 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | Ralph's, Red Cell Batteries |
| 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske Racing South | Ford | Mobil 1 |
| 13 | Hermie Sadler | Peak Performance Motorsports | Chevrolet | Little Trees |
| 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | A.J. Foyt Racing | Chevrolet | Conseco |
| 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | NAPA Auto Parts/God Bless America |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | DeWalt New Products/USA |
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | Interstate Batteries, MBNA, Cal Ripken, Jr. |
| 19 | Casey Atwood | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Dodge Dealers, UAW |
| 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | Home Depot/God Bless America |
| 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Motorcraft/USA |
| 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | Caterpillar/USA |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | DuPont Automotive |
| 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | UAW-Delphi |
| 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Kmart School Spirit/God Bless America |
| 27 | Rick Mast | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | Duke's Mayonnaise/Sauer's |
| 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Texaco, Havoline |
| 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench Service Plus/USA |
| 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
| 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Chevrolet | Tide |
| 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Oakwood Homes |
| 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | American Red Cross, 1-800-HELP-NOW |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Coors Light |
| 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Cheerios |
| 44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Georgia-Pacific |
| 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Ford | Sprint |
| 47 | Lance Hooper | Dark Horse Motorsports | Chevrolet | J.J. Baker Custom Homes |
| 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | USA/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 | Forever in our Hearts, United We Stand |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | UPS/USA |
| 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Hills Brothers Coffee |
| 92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge | Kodiak/God Bless America |
| 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | American Red Cross, Amoco, 1-800-HELP-NOW |
| 96 | Andy Houston | PPI Motorsports | Ford | McDonald's |
| 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | Sharpie, Rubbermaid, USA |
| 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | Citgo Supergard/USA |

## Qualifying

Dale Jarrett won the pole for the race with a lap time of 23.238 seconds and speed of 154.919 miles per hour (249.318 km/h), his first pole at Dover, while Bobby Labonte qualified second. Rick Mast, Jason Leffler, Lance Hooper, and Dave Marcis failed to qualify.
| Pos. | Car | Driver | Manufacturer | Time | Avg. Speed |
| 1 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Ford | 23.238 | 154.919 |
| 2 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Pontiac | 23.245 | 154.872 |
| 3 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Chevy | 23.248 | 154.852 |
| 4 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Ford | 23.257 | 154.792 |
| 5 | 32 | Ricky Craven | Ford | 23.321 | 154.367 |
| 6 | 1 | Kenny Wallace | Chevy | 23.325 | 154.341 |
| 7 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Ford | 23.368 | 154.057 |
| 8 | 14 | Ron Hornaday, Jr. | Pontiac | 23.402 | 153.833 |
| 9 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Ford | 23.427 | 153.669 |
| 10 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Dodge | 23.432 | 153.636 |
| 11 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Pontiac | 23.435 | 153.616 |
| 12 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Dodge | 23.438 | 153.597 |
| 13 | 36 | Ken Schrader | Pontiac | 23.453 | 153.498 |
| 14 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Chevy | 23.461 | 153.446 |
| 15 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Ford | 23.472 | 153.374 |
| 16 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Chevy | 23.482 | 153.309 |
| 17 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Chevy | 23.511 | 153.120 |
| 18 | 19 | Casey Atwood | Dodge | 23.515 | 153.094 |
| 19 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Ford | 23.525 | 153.029 |
| 20 | 44 | Buckshot Jones | Dodge | 23.526 | 153.022 |
| 21 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Dodge | 23.531 | 152.990 |
| 22 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Ford | 23.543 | 152.912 |
| 23 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevy | 23.551 | 152.860 |
| 24 | 4 | Kevin Lepage | Chevy | 23.554 | 152.840 |
| 25 | 22 | Ward Burton | Dodge | 23.575 | 152.704 |
| 26 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Dodge | 23.576 | 152.698 |
| 27 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Chevy | 23.584 | 152.646 |
| 28 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Ford | 23.597 | 152.562 |
| 29 | 43 | John Andretti | Dodge | 23.633 | 152.329 |
| 30 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Chevy | 23.633 | 152.329 |
| 31 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Ford | 23.641 | 152.278 |
| 32 | 13 | Hermie Sadler | Chevy | 23.668 | 152.104 |
| 33 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Chevy | 23.678 | 152.040 |
| 34 | 7 | Mike Wallace | Ford | 23.678 | 152.040 |
| 35 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Ford | 23.680 | 152.027 |
| 36 | 96 | Andy Houston | Ford | 23.704 | 151.873 |
| Provisionals ||||||
| 37 | 10 | Johnny Benson, Jr. | Pontiac | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| 38 | 6 | Mark Martin | Ford | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| 39 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Ford | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| 40 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| 41 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Chevy | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| 42 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Dodge | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| 43 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Ford | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Failed to qualify ||||||
| 44 | 27 | Rick Mast | Pontiac | | |
| 45 | 01 | Jason Leffler | Dodge | | |
| 46 | 47 | Lance Hooper | Ford | | |
| 47 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Chevrolet | | |

## Race

Bobby Labonte took the lead from Dale Jarrett on the first lap before Jarrett reclaimed it on lap two. Dale Earnhardt Jr. became the leader on lap three and led until the first caution came out for Labonte and Bill Elliott crashing in turn two. Ricky Craven inherited the lead, which he maintained until Earnhardt retook it on lap 41. On lap 56, Jeremy Mayfield hit the turn two wall after his right front tire went down, causing him to lose consciousness. He was able to walk to the infield care center, suffering only a chipped tooth and minor bruises; NASCAR officials inspected Mayfield's car and found a partially torn left lap seat belt, which was damaged in the same fashion as Dale Earnhardt's in the Daytona 500 earlier that year, a major factor in his death. A Goodyear spokesman later stated Mayfield's tire was too damaged to determine what had happened.
Ricky Rudd led during the nine caution laps following Mayfield's wreck, though Earnhardt became the leader for the restart on lap 65, which he would hold for 104 laps. During Earnhardt's run, three more cautions occurred: Brett Bodine spun on lap 71, oil was found on the track on lap 117, and Mark Martin, Johnny Benson Jr., Ron Hornaday Jr., and Ward Burton all crashed on the front stretch on lap 130. Earnhardt lost the lead to Elliott Sadler during caution laps on lap 169, when Andy Houston had an accident in turn two. Tony Stewart also led three laps under the yellow flag until Earnhardt was cycled back into the lead for the green flag on lap 173. On lap 184, Rudd took the lead, holding it for a race-high 161 laps. Between the start and end of Rudd's lead, three yellow flags were waved: Michael Waltrip wrecked on lap 201, Robert Pressley crashed in turn one, and Dave Blaney fell victim to a broken seat belt on lap 268. With 140 laps remaining, Earnhardt had a slow pit stop and was relegated to eighth. He was able to recover from the error and was in third by lap 329. On lap 345, Rudd spun after making contact with Rusty Wallace, bringing out the caution and making Jarrett the new leader until Earnhardt passed him on lap 362. With 11 laps to go, Jarrett also had problems of his own as he spun on the backstretch for the final yellow of the race. Earnhardt held off Jerry Nadeau on the final restart to take the win. During the final lap, the white flag was not waved to signify the refusal to surrender. Nadeau finished second and Rudd in third, while Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart rounded out the top five.
To honor the victims of the attack, Earnhardt drove a Polish victory lap with a large American flag. The win was described as the third time in 2001 in which Earnhardt had to "carry the emotional burden of the sport", after his father's death at the Daytona 500 and his victorious return to Daytona at the Pepsi 400. In Victory Lane, he stated he would donate $75,000 to relief efforts. Earnhardt added he would pledge $100 a lap and $10,000 for every pit stop under 14 seconds.

## Results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Make | Sponsor | Team | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 3 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Chevrolet | Budweiser/USA | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | 400 | 193 | running | 185 | 168858 |
| 2 | 41 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Chevrolet | UAW-Delphi | Hendrick Motorsports | 400 | 0 | running | 170 | 104960 |
| 3 | 4 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Ford | Texaco, Havoline | Robert Yates Racing | 400 | 169 | running | 170 | 117507 |
| 4 | 23 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | DuPont Automotive | Hendrick Motorsports | 400 | 0 | running | 160 | 117832 |
| 5 | 11 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Pontiac | Home Depot/God Bless America | Joe Gibbs Racing | 400 | 3 | running | 160 | 89270 |
| 6 | 14 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench/USA | Richard Childress Racing | 400 | 0 | running | 150 | 102167 |
| 7 | 16 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Chevrolet | Oakwood Homes | Andy Petree Racing | 400 | 0 | running | 146 | 85735 |
| 8 | 26 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Dodge | Coors Light | Chip Ganassi Racing | 400 | 0 | running | 142 | 73025 |
| 9 | 18 | 19 | Casey Atwood | Dodge | Dodge Dealers, UAW | Evernham Motorsports | 400 | 0 | running | 138 | 53565 |
| 10 | 17 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Chevrolet | USA/Square D | Andy Petree Racing | 400 | 0 | running | 134 | 66765 |
| 11 | 15 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Ford | Miller Lite/USA | Penske Racing South | 400 | 0 | running | 130 | 92305 |
| 12 | 1 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Ford | UPS/USA | Robert Yates Racing | 400 | 18 | running | 132 | 98142 |
| 13 | 39 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Ford | Kmart School Spirit/God Bless America | Haas-Carter Motorsports | 400 | 0 | running | 124 | 65585 |
| 14 | 19 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Ford | Motorcraft/USA | Wood Brothers Racing | 400 | 1 | running | 126 | 73576 |
| 15 | 9 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Ford | Kmart Blue Light Special | Haas-Carter Motorsports | 399 | 0 | running | 118 | 51665 |
| 16 | 24 | 4 | Kevin Lepage | Chevrolet | Kodak | Morgan-McClure Motorsports | 399 | 0 | running | 115 | 53655 |
| 17 | 33 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Chevrolet | Kellogg's/USA | Hendrick Motorsports | 398 | 0 | running | 112 | 81095 |
| 18 | 13 | 36 | Ken Schrader | Pontiac | American Red Cross, 1-800-HELP-NOW | MB2 Motorsports | 398 | 0 | running | 109 | 59125 |
| 19 | 29 | 43 | John Andretti | Dodge | Cheerios | Petty Enterprises | 398 | 0 | running | 106 | 82792 |
| 20 | 30 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Chevrolet | Lowe's | Richard Childress Racing | 398 | 0 | running | 103 | 83939 |
| 21 | 22 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Ford | Citgo Supergard/USA | Roush Racing | 398 | 0 | running | 100 | 90111 |
| 22 | 6 | 1 | Kenny Wallace | Chevrolet | Pennzoil | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | 397 | 0 | running | 97 | 73358 |
| 23 | 34 | 7 | Mike Wallace | Ford | NationsRent | Ultra Motorsports | 396 | 0 | running | 94 | 54865 |
| 24 | 12 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Dodge | Kodiak/God Bless America | Melling Racing | 396 | 0 | running | 91 | 46615 |
| 25 | 31 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Ford | Hills Brothers Coffee | Donlavey Racing | 396 | 0 | running | 88 | 44340 |
| 26 | 5 | 32 | Ricky Craven | Ford | Tide | PPI Motorsports | 395 | 15 | running | 90 | 56290 |
| 27 | 32 | 13 | Hermie Sadler | Chevrolet | Little Trees | Peak Performance Motorsports | 394 | 0 | running | | 43140 |
| 28 | 35 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Ford | Ralph's, Red Cell Batteries | Brett Bodine Racing | 391 | 0 | suspension | 79 | 45465 |
| 29 | 40 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | DeWalt New Products/USA | Roush Racing | 390 | 0 | running | 76 | 50815 |
| 30 | 10 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Dodge | Dodge Dealers, UAW | Evernham Motorsports | 383 | 0 | running | 73 | 67888 |
| 31 | 37 | 10 | Johnny Benson, Jr. | Pontiac | Valvoline | MBV Motorsports | 317 | 0 | running | 70 | 50490 |
| 32 | 38 | 6 | Mark Martin | Ford | Viagra, Pfizer | Roush Racing | 314 | 0 | running | 67 | 86681 |
| 33 | 25 | 22 | Ward Burton | Dodge | Caterpillar/USA | Bill Davis Racing | 304 | 0 | crash | 64 | 75315 |
| 34 | 8 | 14 | Ron Hornaday, Jr. | Pontiac | Conseco | A.J. Foyt Racing | 268 | 0 | crash | 61 | 42005 |
| 35 | 42 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Dodge | American Red Cross, Amoco, 1-800-HELP-NOW | Bill Davis Racing | 266 | 0 | crash | 58 | 41855 |
| 36 | 2 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Pontiac | Interstate Batteries, MBNA, Cal Ripken, Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | 258 | 1 | running | 60 | 94152 |
| 37 | 28 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Ford | Forever in our Hearts, United We Stand | Jasper Motorsports | 228 | 0 | crash | 52 | 49600 |
| 38 | 20 | 44 | Buckshot Jones | Dodge | Georgia-Pacific | Petty Enterprises | 203 | 0 | engine | 49 | 49475 |
| 39 | 27 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Chevrolet | NAPA Auto Parts/God Bless America | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | 199 | 0 | crash | 46 | 51350 |
| 40 | 36 | 96 | Andy Houston | Ford | McDonald's | PPI Motorsports | 165 | 0 | crash | 43 | 41200 |
| 41 | 43 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Ford | Sharpie, Rubbermaid, USA | Roush Racing | 115 | 0 | engine | 40 | 49075 |
| 42 | 7 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Ford | Mobil 1 | Penske Racing South | 54 | 0 | crash | 37 | 80234 |
| 43 | 21 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Dodge | Sprint | Petty Enterprises | 13 | 0 | engine | 34 | 41076 |
| Failed to qualify ||||||||||||
| 44 | | 27 | Rick Mast | Pontiac | Duke's Mayonnaise / Sauer's | Eel River Racing | | | | | |
| 45 | | 01 | Jason Leffler | Dodge | Cingular Wireless | Chip Ganassi Racing | | | | | |
| 46 | | 47 | Lance Hooper | Ford | J.J. Baker Custom Homes | Dark Horse Motorsports | | | | | |
| 47 | | 71 | Dave Marcis | Chevrolet | Team Realtree | Marcis Auto Racing | | | | | |

## Standings after the race

| Pos | Driver | Points | Differential |
| 1 | Jeff Gordon | 3928 | 0 |
| 2 | Ricky Rudd | 3716 | -212 |
| 3 | Tony Stewart | 3521 | -407 |
| 4 | Dale Jarrett | 3507 | -421 |
| 5 | Sterling Marlin | 3444 | -484 |
| 6 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 3429 | -499 |
| 7 | Kevin Harvick | 3380 | -548 |
| 8 | Rusty Wallace | 3355 | -573 |
| 9 | Bobby Labonte | 3327 | -601 |
| 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | 3168 | -760 |