# 2001 Harrah's 500 (NASCAR)

The 2001 Harrah's 500 was the seventh stock car race of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the fifth iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, April 1, 2001, in Fort Worth, Texas at Texas Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent tri-oval shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 334 laps to complete. A call for four tires for Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett would prove to be instrumental as he would slice his way through the field on the final restart with 18 to go to win the race. The win was Jarrett's 27th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second of the season. To fill out the podium, Steve Park, driving for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., and Johnny Benson Jr., driving for MBV Motorsports, would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas. The track measures 1.5 miles (2.4 km) around and is banked 24 degrees in the turns, and is of the oval design, where the front straightaway juts outward slightly. The track layout is similar to Atlanta Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway (formerly Lowe's Motor Speedway). The track is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., the same company that owns Atlanta and Charlotte Motor Speedway, as well as the short-track Bristol Motor Speedway.

### 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 |
| 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 | Eagle One |
| 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 | Eel River Racing |
| 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 | Joe Nemechek | 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 | Hot Wheels |
| 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Sprint PCS |
| 50 | Rick Mast | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | Midwest Transit |
| 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 |
| 96 | Andy Houston (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | McDonald's |
| 97 | Kurt Busch (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | Roush Racing |
| 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | Citgo Supergard |
| Official entry list |||||

## Practice
### First practice

The first practice session was held on Friday, March 30, at 11:45 AM CST. The session would last for two hours. Steve Park, driving for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.266 and an average speed of 191.042 miles per hour (307.452 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 28.266 | 191.042 |
| 2 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 28.302 | 190.799 |
| 3 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 28.334 | 190.584 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second and final practice

The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, March 31, at 10:00 AM CST. The session would last for one hour and 30 minutes. Johnny Benson Jr., driving for MBV Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.927 and an average speed of 186.677 miles per hour (300.428 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 28.927 | 186.677 |
| 2 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.014 | 186.117 |
| 3 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.020 | 186.079 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Friday, March 30, at 3:00 PM CST. 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 28.320 and an average speed of 190.678 miles per hour (306.866 km/h).
Two drivers would fail to qualify: Kyle Petty and Rick Mast.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 28.320 | 190.678 |
| 2 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 28.352 | 190.463 |
| 3 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 28.356 | 190.436 |
| 4 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 28.390 | 190.208 |
| 5 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 28.449 | 189.813 |
| 6 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 28.476 | 189.633 |
| 7 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 28.536 | 189.235 |
| 8 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.552 | 189.129 |
| 9 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.564 | 189.049 |
| 10 | 19 | Casey Atwood (R) | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 28.572 | 188.996 |
| 11 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 28.574 | 188.983 |
| 12 | 96 | Andy Houston (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 28.590 | 188.877 |
| 13 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 28.613 | 188.725 |
| 14 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske Racing South | Ford | 28.623 | 188.659 |
| 15 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 28.626 | 188.640 |
| 16 | 97 | Kurt Busch (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.664 | 188.390 |
| 17 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 28.700 | 188.153 |
| 18 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 28.786 | 187.591 |
| 19 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 28.786 | 187.591 |
| 20 | 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 28.787 | 187.585 |
| 21 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 28.796 | 187.526 |
| 22 | 7 | Mike Wallace | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | 28.797 | 187.520 |
| 23 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 28.799 | 187.507 |
| 24 | 44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 28.805 | 187.467 |
| 25 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 28.813 | 187.415 |
| 26 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge | 28.815 | 187.402 |
| 27 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.845 | 187.207 |
| 28 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 28.856 | 187.136 |
| 29 | 01 | Jason Leffler (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 28.860 | 187.110 |
| 30 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 28.875 | 187.013 |
| 31 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.884 | 186.955 |
| 32 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 28.885 | 186.948 |
| 33 | 29 | Kevin Harvick (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 28.908 | 186.800 |
| 34 | 4 | Kevin Lepage | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.923 | 186.703 |
| 35 | 27 | Kenny Wallace | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 28.923 | 186.703 |
| 36 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.943 | 186.574 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 28.959 | 186.471 |
| 38 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 29.096 | 185.593 |
| 39 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 29.079 | 185.701 |
| 40 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 28.943 | 186.574 |
| 41 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.029 | 186.021 |
| 42 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.141 | 185.306 |
| 43 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 29.020 | 186.079 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 28.998 | 186.220 |
| 45 | 50 | Rick Mast | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 29.201 | 184.925 |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 3 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 334 | 122 | running | 185 | $444,527 |
| 2 | 5 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 334 | 79 | running | 175 | $270,443 |
| 3 | 17 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 334 | 18 | running | 170 | $193,050 |
| 4 | 16 | 97 | Kurt Busch (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 334 | 0 | running | 160 | $162,150 |
| 5 | 9 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 334 | 0 | running | 155 | $165,502 |
| 6 | 43 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 334 | 0 | running | 150 | $102,050 |
| 7 | 33 | 29 | Kevin Harvick (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 334 | 0 | running | 146 | $137,777 |
| 8 | 1 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 334 | 107 | running | 147 | $135,573 |
| 9 | 8 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 334 | 1 | running | 143 | $127,176 |
| 10 | 13 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 334 | 0 | running | 134 | $108,685 |
| 11 | 34 | 4 | Kevin Lepage | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 334 | 0 | running | 130 | $92,645 |
| 12 | 38 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 334 | 0 | running | 127 | $121,665 |
| 13 | 42 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 334 | 0 | running | 124 | $111,355 |
| 14 | 39 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 333 | 0 | running | 121 | $101,248 |
| 15 | 26 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge | 333 | 0 | running | 118 | $84,611 |
| 16 | 11 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 333 | 0 | running | 115 | $96,590 |
| 17 | 29 | 01 | Jason Leffler (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 332 | 0 | running | 112 | $84,375 |
| 18 | 4 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 332 | 0 | running | 109 | $79,600 |
| 19 | 31 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 332 | 0 | running | 106 | $112,746 |
| 20 | 27 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 332 | 0 | running | 103 | $80,700 |
| 21 | 28 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 331 | 0 | running | 100 | $102,235 |
| 22 | 14 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske Racing South | Ford | 331 | 0 | running | 97 | $106,184 |
| 23 | 41 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 331 | 0 | running | 94 | $82,400 |
| 24 | 22 | 7 | Mike Wallace | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | 330 | 0 | running | 91 | $71,800 |
| 25 | 35 | 27 | Kenny Wallace | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 330 | 0 | running | 88 | $62,350 |
| 26 | 21 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 330 | 0 | running | 85 | $58,200 |
| 27 | 32 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 330 | 0 | running | 82 | $55,700 |
| 28 | 25 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 329 | 0 | running | 79 | $56,700 |
| 29 | 36 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 327 | 0 | running | 76 | $62,700 |
| 30 | 19 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 326 | 0 | running | 73 | $83,774 |
| 31 | 40 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 322 | 0 | running | 70 | $84,077 |
| 32 | 12 | 96 | Andy Houston (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 317 | 0 | running | 67 | $47,975 |
| 33 | 24 | 44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 316 | 0 | running | 64 | $54,950 |
| 34 | 37 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 298 | 5 | crash | 66 | $53,925 |
| 35 | 15 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 297 | 0 | engine | 58 | $44,900 |
| 36 | 10 | 19 | Casey Atwood (R) | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 269 | 0 | running | 55 | $43,850 |
| 37 | 6 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 264 | 0 | engine | 52 | $73,097 |
| 38 | 23 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 257 | 0 | crash | 49 | $49,725 |
| 39 | 7 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 227 | 0 | running | 46 | $51,675 |
| 40 | 20 | 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 226 | 0 | running | 43 | $41,625 |
| 41 | 30 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 204 | 0 | crash | 40 | $69,845 |
| 42 | 2 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 149 | 2 | engine | 42 | $94,552 |
| 43 | 18 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 33 | 0 | crash | 34 | $49,722 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | | | | | |
| 45 | | 50 | Rick Mast | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||

## Standings after the race

| | Pos | Driver | Points |
| | 1 | Dale Jarrett | 1,056 |
| | 2 | Jeff Gordon | 981 (–75) |
| 1 | 3 | Johnny Benson Jr. | 946 (–110) |
| 1 | 4 | Steve Park | 933 (–123) |
| 2 | 5 | Sterling Marlin | 889 (–167) |
| | 6 | Rusty Wallace | 879 (–177) |
| 1 | 7 | Bobby Hamilton | 825 (–231) |
| 1 | 8 | Elliott Sadler | 824 (–232) |
| 1 | 9 | Bill Elliott | 822 (–234) |
| 3 | 10 | Kevin Harvick | 811 (–245) |