# 2001 Dodge/Save Mart 350

The 2001 Dodge/Save Mart 350 was the 16th stock car race of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 13th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 24, 2001, in Sonoma, California, at the club layout in Sears Point Raceway, a 2 miles (3.2 km) permanent road course layout. The race took the scheduled 112 laps to complete. In the final stages of the race, Tony Stewart, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would take an advantage of an angry Robby Gordon, who was focused on lapping Kevin Harvick, and slip by to win his 11th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his second of the season. Robby Gordon, who was driving for Ultra Motorsports, would earn a second-place finish. To fill out the podium, Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would finish third.

## Background

Infineon Raceway is one of two road courses to hold NASCAR races, the other being Watkins Glen International. The standard road course at Infineon Raceway is a 12-turn course that is 2.52 miles (4.06 km) long; the track was modified in 1998, adding the Chute, which bypassed turns 5 and 6, shortening the course to 1.95 miles (3.14 km). The Chute was only used for NASCAR events such as this race, and was criticized by many drivers, who preferred the full layout. In 2001, it was replaced with a 70-degree turn, 4A, bringing the track to its current dimensions of 1.99 miles (3.20 km).

### Entry list

* (R) denotes rookie driver.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Pennzoil |
| 01 | Dorsey Schroeder | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | Cingular Wireless, Special Olympics |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | Miller Lite |
| 4 | Kevin Lepage | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kodak |
| 04 | Jason Leffler (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | Cingular Wireless, Special Olympics |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kellogg's |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Viagra |
| 7 | Robby Gordon | 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 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 |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | AT&T Broadband, 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 |
| 27 | Kenny Wallace | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | Duke's Mayonnaise, Ultimate TV |
| 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Texaco, Havoline |
| 29 | Kevin Harvick (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench |
| 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
| 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | Tide |
| 33 | Scott Pruett | 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, Unisource |
| 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Sprint, Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America |
| 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Square D |
| 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Kmart Blue Light Special |
| 68 | Anthony Lazzaro | TWC Motorsports | Chevrolet | TWC Motorsports |
| 77 | Boris Said | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 87 | Ron Fellows | NEMCO Motorsports | Chevrolet | Nortel |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | UPS |
| 90 | Brian Simo | 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 (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | McDonald's |
| 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, June 22, at 10:30 AM PST. The session would last for two hours and 30 minutes. Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:16.648 and an average speed of 93.936 miles per hour (151.175 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1:16.648 | 93.936 |
| 2 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 1:17.066 | 93.426 |
| 3 | 87 | Ron Fellows | NEMCO Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1:17.081 | 93.408 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Saturday, June 23, at 9:30 AM PST. The session would last for one hour and 30 minutes. Ron Fellows, driving for NEMCO Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:17.421 and an average speed of 92.998 miles per hour (149.666 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 87 | Ron Fellows | NEMCO Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1:17.421 | 92.998 |
| 2 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1:17.665 | 92.706 |
| 3 | 7 | Robby Gordon | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | 1:17.685 | 92.682 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Third and final practice

The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, June 23, after the preliminary NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series race. Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:17.124 and an average speed of 93.356 miles per hour (150.242 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1:17.124 | 93.356 |
| 2 | 87 | Ron Fellows | NEMCO Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1:17.348 | 93.086 |
| 3 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 1:17.609 | 92.773 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Friday, June 22, at 2:00 PM PST. Drivers would each have one lap to set a lap time. 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.
Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would win the pole, setting a time of 1:16.842 and an average speed of 93.699 miles per hour (150.794 km/h).
Four drivers would fail to qualify: Andy Houston, Kenny Wallace, Anthony Lazzaro, and Jason Leffler.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1:16.842 | 93.699 |
| 2 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 1:17.074 | 93.417 |
| 3 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 1:17.387 | 93.039 |
| 4 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 1:17.511 | 92.890 |
| 5 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 1:17.605 | 92.777 |
| 6 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1:17.681 | 92.687 |
| 7 | 7 | Robby Gordon | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | 1:17.756 | 92.597 |
| 8 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1:17.801 | 92.544 |
| 9 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 1:17.836 | 92.502 |
| 10 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 1:17.932 | 92.388 |
| 11 | 33 | Scott Pruett | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 1:17.987 | 92.323 |
| 12 | 29 | Kevin Harvick (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 1:18.011 | 92.295 |
| 13 | 87 | Ron Fellows | NEMCO Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1:18.022 | 92.282 |
| 14 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 1:18.026 | 92.277 |
| 15 | 90 | Brian Simo | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 1:18.062 | 92.234 |
| 16 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 1:18.071 | 92.224 |
| 17 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 1:18.115 | 92.172 |
| 18 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 1:18.120 | 92.166 |
| 19 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 1:18.193 | 92.080 |
| 20 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 1:18.205 | 92.066 |
| 21 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 1:18.207 | 92.063 |
| 22 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 1:18.270 | 91.989 |
| 23 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 1:18.542 | 91.671 |
| 24 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 1:18.549 | 91.662 |
| 25 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 1:18.560 | 91.650 |
| 26 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 1:18.572 | 91.636 |
| 27 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 1:18.631 | 91.567 |
| 28 | 19 | Casey Atwood (R) | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 1:18.653 | 91.541 |
| 29 | 44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 1:18.654 | 91.540 |
| 30 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge | 1:18.775 | 91.400 |
| 31 | 4 | Kevin Lepage | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1:18.824 | 91.343 |
| 32 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 1:18.903 | 91.251 |
| 33 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 1:19.019 | 91.117 |
| 34 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 1:19.137 | 90.981 |
| 35 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 1:19.161 | 90.954 |
| 36 | 01 | Dorsey Schroeder | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 1:19.210 | 90.898 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 1:19.261 | 90.839 |
| 38 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 1:21.611 | 88.223 |
| 39 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | - | - |
| 40 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske Racing South | Ford | 1:20.478 | 89.465 |
| 41 | 97 | Kurt Busch (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 1:35.671 | 75.258 |
| 42 | 77 | Boris Said | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 1:19.947 | 90.060 |
| 43 | 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 1:19.416 | 90.662 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 96 | Andy Houston (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 1:19.670 | 90.373 |
| 45 | 27 | Kenny Wallace | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 1:19.855 | 90.163 |
| 46 | 68 | Anthony Lazzaro | TWC Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1:19.953 | 90.053 |
| 47 | 04 | Jason Leffler (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 1:22.285 | 87.501 |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 3 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 112 | 11 | running | 180 | $139,875 |
| 2 | 7 | 7 | Robby Gordon | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | 112 | 20 | running | 175 | $114,035 |
| 3 | 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 112 | 55 | running | 175 | $129,277 |
| 4 | 22 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 112 | 0 | running | 160 | $98,847 |
| 5 | 2 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 112 | 0 | running | 155 | $94,780 |
| 6 | 5 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 112 | 0 | running | 150 | $88,975 |
| 7 | 4 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 112 | 0 | running | 146 | $106,267 |
| 8 | 26 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 112 | 0 | running | 142 | $93,186 |
| 9 | 18 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 112 | 0 | running | 138 | $74,713 |
| 10 | 38 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 112 | 0 | running | 134 | $96,036 |
| 11 | 42 | 77 | Boris Said | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 112 | 0 | running | 130 | $64,695 |
| 12 | 11 | 33 | Scott Pruett | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 112 | 0 | running | 127 | $77,020 |
| 13 | 25 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 112 | 1 | running | 129 | $53,811 |
| 14 | 12 | 29 | Kevin Harvick (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 112 | 0 | running | 121 | $89,877 |
| 15 | 10 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 112 | 0 | running | 118 | $56,850 |
| 16 | 9 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 112 | 0 | running | 115 | $46,300 |
| 17 | 27 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 112 | 3 | running | 117 | $67,865 |
| 18 | 43 | 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 112 | 0 | running | 109 | $44,850 |
| 19 | 37 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 112 | 0 | running | 106 | $75,718 |
| 20 | 19 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 112 | 1 | running | 108 | $54,560 |
| 21 | 20 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 112 | 0 | running | 100 | $53,200 |
| 22 | 33 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 112 | 0 | running | 97 | $40,840 |
| 23 | 41 | 97 | Kurt Busch (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 112 | 0 | running | 94 | $52,205 |
| 24 | 30 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge | 112 | 0 | running | 91 | $47,100 |
| 25 | 36 | 01 | Dorsey Schroeder | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 112 | 0 | running | 88 | $52,805 |
| 26 | 35 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 112 | 0 | running | 85 | $85,702 |
| 27 | 39 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 112 | 1 | running | 87 | $51,740 |
| 28 | 16 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 112 | 0 | running | 79 | $51,555 |
| 29 | 14 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 112 | 0 | running | 76 | $51,535 |
| 30 | 21 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 111 | 0 | crash | 73 | $78,522 |
| 31 | 6 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 111 | 0 | running | 70 | $48,425 |
| 32 | 17 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 111 | 0 | running | 67 | $40,365 |
| 33 | 23 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 111 | 0 | running | 64 | $40,340 |
| 34 | 24 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 111 | 0 | running | 61 | $72,624 |
| 35 | 29 | 44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 111 | 0 | running | 58 | 78,280 |
| 36 | 8 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 110 | 0 | crash | 55 | $72,990 |
| 37 | 32 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 104 | 0 | running | 52 | $48,240 |
| 38 | 13 | 87 | Ron Fellows | NEMCO Motorsports | Chevrolet | 101 | 20 | crash | 54 | $40,195 |
| 39 | 40 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske Racing South | Ford | 97 | 0 | running | 46 | $79,459 |
| 40 | 34 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 93 | 0 | running | 43 | $66,373 |
| 41 | 28 | 19 | Casey Atwood (R) | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 41 | 0 | engine | 40 | $40,110 |
| 42 | 15 | 90 | Brian Simo | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 30 | 0 | transmission | 37 | $40,090 |
| 43 | 31 | 4 | Kevin Lepage | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 2 | 0 | engine | 34 | $40,317 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 27 | Kenny Wallace | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | | | | | |
| 45 | | 96 | Andy Houston (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 46 | | 68 | Anthony Lazzaro | TWC Motorsports | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 47 | | 04 | Jason Leffler (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||