# 2001 NAPA 500

The 2001 NAPA 500 was the 35th stock car race of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 42nd iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, November 18, 2001, in Hampton, Georgia at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a 1.54 miles (2.48 km) permanent asphalt quad-oval intermediate speedway. The race took the scheduled 325 laps to complete. On the final lap of the race, Jerry Nadeau, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would run out of fuel heading into turn 3, leading to Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte stealing the victory away from Nadeau. The win was Labonte's 18th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second and final victory of the season. To fill out the podium, Sterling Marlin, driving for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, and Kevin Harvick, driving for Richard Childress Racing, would finish second and third, respectively.
Meanwhile, sixth-place finisher, Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon, would clinch the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship after a dominant 2001 season, earning his fourth and final NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship.

## Background

Atlanta Motor Speedway (formerly Atlanta International Raceway) is a track in Hampton, Georgia, 20 miles (32 km) south of Atlanta. It is a 1.54-mile (2.48 km) quad-oval track with a seating capacity of 111,000. It opened in 1960 as a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) standard oval. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track. In 1997, to standardize the track with Speedway Motorsports' other two 1.5-mile (2.4 km) ovals, the entire track was almost completely rebuilt. The frontstretch and backstretch were swapped, and the configuration of the track was changed from oval to quad-oval. The project made the track one of the fastest on the NASCAR circuit.

### 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 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | 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 |
| 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 | Ralphs |
| 12 | Mike Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | Mobil 1 |
| 13 | Hermie Sadler | SCORE Motorsports | Chevrolet | Lotto South, Scientific Games |
| 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | Conseco |
| 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | NAPA AutoCare |
| 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 |
| 23 | Hut Stricklin | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | Hills Bros. Coffee |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | DuPont |
| 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | UAW, Delphi |
| 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Kmart, How the Grinch Stole Christmas |
| 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Texaco, Havoline |
| 29 | Kevin Harvick (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench |
| 30 | Jeff Green | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | America Online |
| 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, Charlie Daniels Band |
| 36 | Ken Schrader | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | M&M's |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | Coors Light |
| 41 | Mark Green | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | Conseco |
| 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Chex Party Mix |
| 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 |
| 47 | Lance Hooper | Dark Horse Motorsports | Chevrolet | Dark Horse Motorsports |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Lowe's Power of Pride |
| 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 | Bill Boruff Chrysler |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | UPS |
| 90 | Rick Mast | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Donlavey Racing |
| 92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge | Levi Garrett |
| 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, November 16, at 11:20 AM EST. The session would last for two hours. Dale Earnhardt Jr., driving for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.275 and an average speed of 189.377 miles per hour (304.773 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.275 | 189.377 |
| 2 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 29.276 | 189.370 |
| 3 | 23 | Hut Stricklin | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 29.332 | 189.009 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Saturday, November 17, at 10:00 AM EST. The session would last for 45 minutes. Tony Stewart, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.125 and an average speed of 184.033 miles per hour (296.172 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 30.125 | 184.033 |
| 2 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 30.180 | 183.698 |
| 3 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 30.196 | 183.600 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Third and final practice

The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, November 17, at 11:15 AM EST. The session would last for 45 minutes. Tony Stewart, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.373 and an average speed of 182.531 miles per hour (293.755 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 30.373 | 182.531 |
| 2 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 30.468 | 181.961 |
| 3 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 30.472 | 181.938 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Friday, November 16, at 3:00 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 Earnhardt Jr., driving for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., would win the pole, setting a time of 28.868 and an average speed of 192.047 miles per hour (309.070 km/h).
Eight drivers would fail to qualify: Mark Green, Robby Gordon, Jason Leffler, Kurt Busch, Rick Mast, Ron Hornaday Jr., Dave Marcis, and Frank Kimmel.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 28.868 | 192.047 |
| 2 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.108 | 190.463 |
| 3 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 29.195 | 189.896 |
| 4 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 29.211 | 189.792 |
| 5 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.222 | 189.720 |
| 6 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 29.231 | 189.662 |
| 7 | 7 | Kevin Lepage | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | 29.282 | 189.331 |
| 8 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.298 | 189.228 |
| 9 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge | 29.298 | 189.228 |
| 10 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 29.300 | 189.215 |
| 11 | 23 | Hut Stricklin | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 29.301 | 189.209 |
| 12 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.305 | 189.183 |
| 13 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 29.368 | 188.777 |
| 14 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 29.382 | 188.687 |
| 15 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 29.416 | 188.469 |
| 16 | 1 | Kenny Wallace | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.425 | 188.411 |
| 17 | 30 | Jeff Green | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.477 | 188.079 |
| 18 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 29.487 | 188.015 |
| 19 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 29.496 | 187.958 |
| 20 | 44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 29.501 | 187.926 |
| 21 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.502 | 187.919 |
| 22 | 19 | Casey Atwood (R) | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 29.514 | 187.843 |
| 23 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.521 | 187.799 |
| 24 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.538 | 187.690 |
| 25 | 13 | Hermie Sadler | SCORE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.538 | 187.690 |
| 26 | 85 | Carl Long | Mansion Motorsports | Dodge | 29.542 | 187.665 |
| 27 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 29.551 | 187.608 |
| 28 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 29.556 | 187.576 |
| 29 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.558 | 187.563 |
| 30 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 29.590 | 187.361 |
| 31 | 12 | Mike Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 29.601 | 187.291 |
| 32 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 29.602 | 187.285 |
| 33 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.608 | 187.247 |
| 34 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.609 | 187.240 |
| 35 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 29.620 | 187.171 |
| 36 | 47 | Lance Hooper | Dark Horse Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.620 | 187.171 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.964 | 185.022 |
| 38 | 29 | Kevin Harvick (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.628 | 187.120 |
| 39 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.628 | 187.120 |
| 40 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.702 | 186.654 |
| 41 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.634 | 187.082 |
| 42 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 29.648 | 186.994 |
| 43 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.093 | 184.229 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 41 | Mark Green | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 29.630 | 187.108 |
| 45 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.642 | 187.032 |
| 46 | 01 | Jason Leffler (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 29.722 | 186.528 |
| 47 | 97 | Kurt Busch (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.734 | 186.453 |
| 48 | 90 | Rick Mast | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 29.766 | 186.253 |
| 49 | 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 29.870 | 185.604 |
| 50 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 30.015 | 184.708 |
| 51 | 46 | Frank Kimmel | Larry Clement Racing | Ford | 30.015 | 184.708 |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 39 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 325 | 13 | running | 180 | $233,227 |
| 2 | 28 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 325 | 2 | running | 175 | $142,460 |
| 3 | 38 | 29 | Kevin Harvick (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 325 | 0 | running | 165 | $135,477 |
| 4 | 41 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 325 | 41 | running | 165 | $110,100 |
| 5 | 4 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 325 | 0 | running | 155 | $113,435 |
| 6 | 24 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 325 | 31 | running | 155 | $113,352 |
| 7 | 1 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 325 | 171 | running | 156 | $122,123 |
| 8 | 33 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 325 | 0 | running | 142 | $103,702 |
| 9 | 12 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 325 | 33 | running | 143 | $78,650 |
| 10 | 34 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 325 | 3 | running | 139 | $105,821 |
| 11 | 11 | 23 | Hut Stricklin | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 325 | 0 | running | 130 | $54,950 |
| 12 | 27 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 325 | 0 | running | 127 | $98,390 |
| 13 | 31 | 12 | Mike Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 325 | 1 | running | 129 | $86,634 |
| 14 | 6 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 325 | 0 | running | 121 | $81,448 |
| 15 | 29 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 325 | 0 | running | 118 | $66,945 |
| 16 | 14 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 325 | 2 | running | 120 | $62,736 |
| 17 | 23 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 325 | 0 | running | 112 | $63,275 |
| 18 | 9 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge | 325 | 0 | running | 109 | $59,265 |
| 19 | 7 | 7 | Kevin Lepage | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | 325 | 3 | running | 111 | $65,675 |
| 20 | 22 | 19 | Casey Atwood (R) | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 324 | 0 | running | 103 | $57,775 |
| 21 | 42 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 324 | 0 | running | 100 | $61,550 |
| 22 | 2 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 324 | 0 | running | 97 | $69,225 |
| 23 | 8 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 324 | 0 | running | 94 | $60,900 |
| 24 | 15 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 323 | 0 | running | 91 | $70,575 |
| 25 | 35 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 323 | 0 | running | 88 | $88,177 |
| 26 | 5 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 323 | 0 | running | 85 | $58,925 |
| 27 | 19 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 323 | 0 | running | 82 | $59,900 |
| 28 | 16 | 1 | Kenny Wallace | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 323 | 0 | running | 79 | $77,918 |
| 29 | 21 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 322 | 0 | running | 76 | $48,600 |
| 30 | 32 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 322 | 1 | running | 78 | $49,125 |
| 31 | 40 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 322 | 0 | running | 70 | $59,450 |
| 32 | 43 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 321 | 0 | running | 67 | $83,575 |
| 33 | 20 | 44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 319 | 0 | running | 64 | $56,250 |
| 34 | 17 | 30 | Jeff Green | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 319 | 0 | running | 61 | $48,175 |
| 35 | 37 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 319 | 0 | running | 58 | $78,397 |
| 36 | 18 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 316 | 0 | running | 55 | $48,025 |
| 37 | 25 | 13 | Hermie Sadler | SCORE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 316 | 0 | running | 52 | $47,975 |
| 38 | 13 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 268 | 8 | transmission | 54 | $48,725 |
| 39 | 10 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 266 | 0 | vibration | 46 | $76,145 |
| 40 | 30 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 260 | 0 | vibration | 43 | $55,800 |
| 41 | 3 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 181 | 16 | handling | 45 | $49,850 |
| 42 | 36 | 47 | Lance Hooper | Dark Horse Motorsports | Chevrolet | 104 | 0 | engine | 37 | $47,700 |
| 43 | 26 | 85 | Carl Long | Mansion Motorsports | Dodge | 15 | 0 | crash | 34 | $47,904 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 41 | Mark Green | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | | | | | |
| 45 | | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 46 | | 01 | Jason Leffler (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | | | | | |
| 47 | | 97 | Kurt Busch (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| 48 | | 90 | Rick Mast | Donlavey Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| 49 | | 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | | | | | |
| 50 | | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 51 | | 46 | Frank Kimmel | Larry Clement Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||