# 2001 New England 300

The 2001 New England 300 was the 19th stock car race of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the ninth iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, July 22, 2001, in Loudon, New Hampshire, at New Hampshire International Speedway, a 1.058-mile (1.703 km) permanent, oval-shaped, low-banked racetrack. The race took the scheduled 300 laps to complete. On the final restart with five to go, Dale Jarrett, driving for Robert Yates Racing, would perform a bump-and-run on teammate Ricky Rudd to pull away and win his 29th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his fourth and final win of the season. Rudd was credited with a third-place finish. To fill out the podium, Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would finish second.

## Background

New Hampshire International Speedway is a 1.058-mile (1.703 km) oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s, as well as an IndyCar weekend and the oldest motorcycle race in North America, the Loudon Classic. Nicknamed "The Magic Mile", the speedway is often converted into a 1.6-mile (2.6 km) road course, which includes much of the oval. The track was originally the site of Bryar Motorsports Park before being purchased and redeveloped by Bob Bahre. The track is currently one of eight major NASCAR tracks owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports.

### Entry list

* (R) denotes rookie driver.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Pennzoil |
| 01 | Jason Leffler (R) | 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 |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kellogg's |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Viagra |
| 7 | Mike Wallace | 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 | 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 | Sauer's, Duke's Mayonnaise |
| 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 | Schult Homes, Oakwood Homes |
| 36 | Ken Schrader | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | M&M's |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | Brooks & Dunn "Steers & Stripes" |
| 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Cheerios |
| 44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Georgia-Pacific Sparkle |
| 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Sprint PCS |
| 50 | Rick Mast | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | Blair |
| 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Square D |
| 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Kmart Blue Light Special |
| 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 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, July 20, at 10:55 AM EST. The session would last for two hours. Ken Schrader, driving for MB2 Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.918 and an average speed of 131.710 miles per hour (211.967 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 28.918 | 131.710 |
| 2 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 28.935 | 131.633 |
| 3 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 28.937 | 131.624 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Saturday, July 21, at 9:45 AM EST. The session would last for 45 minutes. Johnny Benson Jr., driving for MBV Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.416 and an average speed of 129.481 miles per hour (208.379 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.416 | 129.481 |
| 2 | 29 | Kevin Harvick (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.540 | 128.937 |
| 3 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.596 | 128.693 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Third and final practice

The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, July 21, at 11:00 AM EST. The session would last for 45 minutes. Johnny Benson Jr., driving for MBV Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.362 and an average speed of 129.719 miles per hour (208.762 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.362 | 129.719 |
| 2 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.460 | 129.287 |
| 3 | 29 | Kevin Harvick (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.483 | 129.186 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Friday, July 20, at 2:15 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.
Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would win the pole, setting a time of 28.905 and an average speed of 131.770 miles per hour (212.063 km/h).
Mike Bliss was the only driver to fail to qualify.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.905 | 131.770 |
| 2 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.915 | 131.724 |
| 3 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske Racing South | Ford | 28.917 | 131.715 |
| 4 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 29.008 | 131.302 |
| 5 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.068 | 131.031 |
| 6 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 29.071 | 131.017 |
| 7 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 29.076 | 130.995 |
| 8 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.092 | 130.923 |
| 9 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.097 | 130.900 |
| 10 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.110 | 130.842 |
| 11 | 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 29.112 | 130.833 |
| 12 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 29.139 | 130.711 |
| 13 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 29.141 | 130.702 |
| 14 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.159 | 130.622 |
| 15 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.169 | 130.577 |
| 16 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 29.200 | 130.438 |
| 17 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 29.228 | 130.313 |
| 18 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.229 | 130.309 |
| 19 | 50 | Rick Mast | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 29.247 | 130.229 |
| 20 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 29.249 | 130.220 |
| 21 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.264 | 130.153 |
| 22 | 7 | Mike Wallace | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | 29.288 | 130.046 |
| 23 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 29.315 | 129.927 |
| 24 | 29 | Kevin Harvick (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.318 | 129.913 |
| 25 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.329 | 129.865 |
| 26 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 29.344 | 129.798 |
| 27 | 19 | Casey Atwood (R) | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 29.353 | 129.758 |
| 28 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 29.358 | 129.736 |
| 29 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.369 | 129.688 |
| 30 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.391 | 129.591 |
| 31 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 29.412 | 129.498 |
| 32 | 97 | Kurt Busch (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.433 | 129.406 |
| 33 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 29.447 | 129.344 |
| 34 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 29.453 | 129.318 |
| 35 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.467 | 129.256 |
| 36 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.514 | 129.051 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 29.532 | 128.972 |
| 38 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.730 | 128.113 |
| 39 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 29.801 | 127.808 |
| 40 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge | 29.611 | 128.628 |
| 41 | 01 | Jason Leffler (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 29.593 | 128.706 |
| 42 | 4 | Kevin Lepage | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.520 | 129.024 |
| 43 | 44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 29.607 | 128.645 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 27 | Mike Bliss | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 29.673 | 128.576 |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 9 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 300 | 92 | running | 180 | $238,027 |
| 2 | 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 300 | 126 | running | 180 | $147,427 |
| 3 | 14 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 300 | 62 | running | 170 | $105,097 |
| 4 | 13 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 300 | 0 | running | 160 | $86,160 |
| 5 | 25 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 300 | 0 | running | 155 | $77,800 |
| 6 | 5 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 300 | 2 | running | 155 | $77,043 |
| 7 | 35 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 300 | 0 | running | 146 | $97,977 |
| 8 | 24 | 29 | Kevin Harvick (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 300 | 3 | running | 147 | $92,077 |
| 9 | 29 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 300 | 0 | running | 138 | $78,473 |
| 10 | 22 | 7 | Mike Wallace | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | 300 | 0 | running | 134 | $70,770 |
| 11 | 10 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 300 | 1 | running | 135 | $90,296 |
| 12 | 27 | 19 | Casey Atwood (R) | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 300 | 13 | running | 132 | $47,250 |
| 13 | 39 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 300 | 0 | running | 124 | $53,061 |
| 14 | 19 | 50 | Rick Mast | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 300 | 0 | running | 121 | $42,550 |
| 15 | 6 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 300 | 0 | running | 118 | $49,150 |
| 16 | 21 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 300 | 0 | running | 115 | $54,550 |
| 17 | 37 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 300 | 1 | running | 117 | $58,315 |
| 18 | 2 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 300 | 0 | running | 109 | $88,626 |
| 19 | 7 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 300 | 0 | running | 106 | $56,400 |
| 20 | 31 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 300 | 0 | running | 103 | $81,110 |
| 21 | 12 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 299 | 0 | running | 100 | $70,523 |
| 22 | 8 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 299 | 0 | running | 97 | $53,025 |
| 23 | 17 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 299 | 0 | running | 94 | $79,302 |
| 24 | 43 | 44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 299 | 0 | running | 91 | $52,025 |
| 25 | 36 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 299 | 0 | running | 88 | $76,999 |
| 26 | 26 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 299 | 0 | running | 85 | $40,525 |
| 27 | 41 | 01 | Jason Leffler (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 299 | 0 | running | 82 | $51,350 |
| 28 | 18 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 299 | 0 | running | 79 | $50,200 |
| 29 | 4 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 299 | 0 | running | 76 | $51,550 |
| 30 | 42 | 4 | Kevin Lepage | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 299 | 0 | running | 73 | $42,925 |
| 31 | 40 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge | 298 | 0 | running | 70 | $39,800 |
| 32 | 30 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 298 | 0 | running | 67 | $72,405 |
| 33 | 38 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 291 | 0 | crash | 64 | $47,550 |
| 34 | 11 | 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 258 | 0 | running | 61 | $39,425 |
| 35 | 16 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 255 | 0 | ignition | 58 | $39,300 |
| 36 | 15 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 232 | 0 | crash | 55 | $47,175 |
| 37 | 34 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 228 | 0 | running | 52 | $39,050 |
| 38 | 20 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 224 | 0 | engine | 49 | $38,925 |
| 39 | 3 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske Racing South | Ford | 211 | 0 | running | 46 | $79,659 |
| 40 | 33 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 165 | 0 | crash | 43 | $56,800 |
| 41 | 28 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 129 | 0 | crash | 40 | $67,020 |
| 42 | 32 | 97 | Kurt Busch (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 74 | 0 | overheating | 37 | $46,700 |
| 43 | 23 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 11 | 0 | engine | 34 | $83,791 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 27 | Mike Bliss | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||