# 2001 UAW-GM Quality 500

The 2001 UAW-GM Quality 500 was the 29th stock car race of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 42nd iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, October 7, 2001, in Concord, North Carolina, at Lowe's Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent quad-oval. The race took the scheduled 334 laps to complete. At race's end, Sterling Marlin, driving for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, would dominate the late stages of the race to win his eighth career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second and final victory of the season. To fill out the podium, Tony Stewart, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, and Ward Burton, driving for Bill Davis Racing, would finish second and third, respectively. This race marked the official debut of Jimmie Johnson in the Cup Series.
The race was interrupted from its broadcast on NBC due to then-president George W. Bush announcing the United States invasion of Afghanistan, moving the race to TNT.

## Background

Lowe's Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, as well as the UAW-GM Quality 500. The speedway was built in 1959 by Bruton Smith and is considered the home track for NASCAR with many race teams located in the Charlotte area. The track is owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI) with Marcus G. Smith (son of Bruton Smith) as track president.

### 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 |
| 02 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing South | Ford | Alltel |
| 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, Spider-Man |
| 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 |
| 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, Spider-Man |
| 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, The Mummy Returns |
| 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 Power of Pride |
| 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | Tide Give Kids The World |
| 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Oakwood Homes, Charlie Daniels Band |
| 36 | Ken Schrader | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | M&M's Halloween |
| 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 |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Lowe's Power of Pride |
| 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Square D |
| 57 | Derrike Cope | Team CLR | Ford | Calcium Lime Rust |
| 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Kmart Blue Light Special |
| 75 | Stuart Kirby | Bob Schacht Motorsports | Ford | Combos |
| 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 85 | Carl Long | Mansion Motorsports | Ford | Noopco, Motorsports Designs |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | UPS |
| 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Hills Bros. Coffee |
| 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

Originally, three practice sessions were planned to be held, with one on Thursday, October 4, and two on Saturday, October 6. However, due to rain, the AM session on Saturday was cancelled.

### First practice

The first practice session was held on Thursday, October 4, at 3:30 PM EST. The session would last for two hours. Ryan Newman, driving for Penske Racing South, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.472 and an average speed of 183.225 miles per hour (294.872 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 02 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing South | Ford | 29.472 | 183.225 |
| 2 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 29.614 | 182.346 |
| 3 | 1 | Kenny Wallace | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.623 | 182.291 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second and final practice

The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, October 6, at 4:00 PM EST. The session would last for one hour. Ken Schrader, driving for MB2 Motorsports, and Tony Stewart, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would both set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.368 and an average speed of 177.819 miles per hour (286.172 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 30.368 | 177.819 |
| 2 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 30.368 | 177.819 |
| 3 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.413 | 177.556 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Friday, October 4, at 7:00 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.
Jimmy Spencer, driving for Haas-Carter Motorsports, would win the pole, setting a time of 29.166 and an average speed of 185.147 miles per hour (297.965 km/h).
Six drivers would fail to qualify: Kyle Petty, Derrike Cope, Jeff Green, Robby Gordon, Buckshot Jones, and Frank Kimmel.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 29.166 | 185.147 |
| 2 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 29.270 | 184.489 |
| 3 | 1 | Kenny Wallace | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.342 | 184.037 |
| 4 | 02 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing South | Ford | 29.349 | 183.993 |
| 5 | 7 | Kevin Lepage | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | 29.383 | 183.780 |
| 6 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.400 | 183.673 |
| 7 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.449 | 183.368 |
| 8 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.449 | 183.368 |
| 9 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.455 | 183.331 |
| 10 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.464 | 183.275 |
| 11 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.470 | 183.237 |
| 12 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 29.487 | 183.132 |
| 13 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 29.507 | 183.007 |
| 14 | 29 | Kevin Harvick (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.514 | 182.964 |
| 15 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.517 | 182.945 |
| 16 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge | 29.556 | 182.704 |
| 17 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 29.586 | 182.519 |
| 18 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 29.590 | 182.494 |
| 19 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.594 | 182.469 |
| 20 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.626 | 182.272 |
| 21 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.628 | 182.260 |
| 22 | 75 | Stuart Kirby | Bob Schacht Motorsports | Ford | 29.629 | 182.254 |
| 23 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.632 | 182.235 |
| 24 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 29.634 | 182.223 |
| 25 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.649 | 182.131 |
| 26 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 29.656 | 182.088 |
| 27 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 29.657 | 182.082 |
| 28 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 29.671 | 181.996 |
| 29 | 19 | Casey Atwood (R) | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 29.677 | 181.959 |
| 30 | 85 | Carl Long | Mansion Motorsports | Dodge | 29.685 | 181.910 |
| 31 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 29.702 | 181.806 |
| 32 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.708 | 181.769 |
| 33 | 01 | Jason Leffler (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 29.712 | 181.745 |
| 34 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.721 | 181.690 |
| 35 | 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 29.730 | 181.635 |
| 36 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 29.751 | 181.507 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.998 | 180.012 |
| 38 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 29.858 | 180.856 |
| 39 | 12 | Mike Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 29.875 | 180.753 |
| 40 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 29.844 | 180.941 |
| 41 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 29.762 | 181.439 |
| 42 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.107 | 179.360 |
| 43 | 97 | Kurt Busch (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 30.003 | 179.982 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 29.794 | 181.245 |
| 45 | 57 | Derrike Cope | Team CLR | Ford | 29.802 | 181.196 |
| 46 | 30 | Jeff Green | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.858 | 180.856 |
| 47 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.949 | 180.307 |
| 48 | 44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 29.969 | 180.186 |
| 49 | 46 | Frank Kimmel | Larry Clement Racing | Ford | 30.172 | 178.974 |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 13 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 334 | 135 | running | 185 | $196,360 |
| 2 | 6 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 334 | 130 | running | 175 | $131,100 |
| 3 | 26 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 334 | 14 | running | 170 | $119,185 |
| 4 | 9 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 334 | 0 | running | 160 | $104,923 |
| 5 | 37 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 334 | 0 | running | 155 | $110,746 |
| 6 | 25 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 334 | 0 | running | 150 | $97,707 |
| 7 | 24 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 334 | 0 | running | 146 | $92,330 |
| 8 | 14 | 29 | Kevin Harvick (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 334 | 0 | running | 142 | $91,607 |
| 9 | 8 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 334 | 0 | running | 138 | $88,381 |
| 10 | 7 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 334 | 0 | running | 134 | $101,657 |
| 11 | 1 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 334 | 9 | running | 135 | $87,350 |
| 12 | 32 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 334 | 1 | running | 132 | $52,440 |
| 13 | 5 | 7 | Kevin Lepage | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | 333 | 0 | running | 124 | $60,301 |
| 14 | 34 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 333 | 0 | running | 121 | $55,170 |
| 15 | 18 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 333 | 0 | running | 118 | $68,903 |
| 16 | 20 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 333 | 0 | running | 115 | $83,982 |
| 17 | 2 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 333 | 37 | running | 117 | $53,580 |
| 18 | 21 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 332 | 0 | running | 109 | $46,205 |
| 19 | 4 | 02 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing South | Ford | 332 | 0 | running | 106 | $38,375 |
| 20 | 12 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 331 | 3 | running | 108 | $72,170 |
| 21 | 19 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 331 | 0 | running | 100 | $69,772 |
| 22 | 43 | 97 | Kurt Busch (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 331 | 0 | running | 97 | $46,580 |
| 23 | 3 | 1 | Kenny Wallace | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 331 | 1 | running | 99 | $68,138 |
| 24 | 29 | 19 | Casey Atwood (R) | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 330 | 0 | running | 91 | $37,855 |
| 25 | 28 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 330 | 0 | running | 88 | $49,100 |
| 26 | 31 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 330 | 0 | running | 85 | $72,652 |
| 27 | 42 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 329 | 0 | running | 82 | $69,655 |
| 28 | 27 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 328 | 0 | running | 79 | $36,625 |
| 29 | 30 | 85 | Carl Long | Mansion Motorsports | Dodge | 328 | 0 | running | 76 | $36,425 |
| 30 | 17 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 328 | 0 | running | 73 | $33,800 |
| 31 | 36 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 321 | 0 | running | 70 | $43,675 |
| 32 | 16 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge | 302 | 0 | transmission | 67 | $33,050 |
| 33 | 23 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 296 | 0 | engine | 64 | $32,975 |
| 34 | 39 | 12 | Mike Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 281 | 0 | engine | 61 | $62,189 |
| 35 | 40 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 235 | 0 | crash | 58 | $32,850 |
| 36 | 11 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 230 | 4 | engine | 60 | $41,605 |
| 37 | 38 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 223 | 0 | running | 52 | $50,765 |
| 38 | 35 | 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 221 | 0 | engine | 49 | $32,730 |
| 39 | 15 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 192 | 0 | crash | 46 | $32,695 |
| 40 | 10 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 167 | 0 | crash | 43 | $40,965 |
| 41 | 41 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 111 | 0 | crash | 40 | $32,635 |
| 42 | 22 | 75 | Stuart Kirby | Bob Schacht Motorsports | Ford | 46 | 0 | crash | 37 | $32,605 |
| 43 | 33 | 01 | Jason Leffler (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 44 | 0 | crash | 34 | $40,835 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | | | | | |
| 45 | | 57 | Derrike Cope | Team CLR | Ford | | | | | |
| 46 | | 30 | Jeff Green | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 47 | | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 48 | | 44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | | | | | |
| 49 | | 46 | Frank Kimmel | Larry Clement Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||