# 2001 Pontiac Excitement 400

The 2001 Pontiac Excitement 400 was the 11th stock car race of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 47th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, May 5, 2001, in Richmond, Virginia, at Richmond International Raceway, a 0.75 miles (1.21 km) D-shaped oval. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete. At race's end, Tony Stewart, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would hold off the field on the final restart with two to go to win his 10th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his first of the season. To fill out the podium, Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, and Rusty Wallace, driving for Penske Racing South, would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

Richmond International Raceway (RIR) is a 3/4-mile (1.2 km), D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series. Known as "America's premier short track", it formerly hosted a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, an IndyCar Series race, and two USAC sprint car races.

### 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 | Valvoline |
| 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | RedCell / Ralphs |
| 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske Racing South | Ford | Mobil 1 |
| 13 | Hermie Sadler | SCORE Motorsports | Chevrolet | Virginia Lottery |
| 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 | GEICO Direct |
| 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 | Georgia-Pacific Sparkle |
| 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 Brothers 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, May 4, at 12:00 PM EST. 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 21.580 and an average speed of 125.116 miles per hour (201.355 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 21.580 | 125.116 |
| 2 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 21.593 | 125.041 |
| 3 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Ford | 21.638 | 124.780 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second and final practice

The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Friday, May 4, at 5:50 PM EST. The session would last for one hour and 30 minutes. Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 22.114 and an average speed of 122.095 miles per hour (196.493 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 22.114 | 122.095 |
| 2 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 22.145 | 121.924 |
| 3 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 22.169 | 121.792 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Friday, May 4, at 3:30 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.
Mark Martin, driving for Roush Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 21.667 and an average speed of 124.613 miles per hour (200.545 km/h).
Three drivers would fail to qualify: Buckshot Jones, Hermie Sadler, and Hut Stricklin.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 21.667 | 124.613 |
| 2 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 21.670 | 124.596 |
| 3 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 21.688 | 124.493 |
| 4 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 21.763 | 124.064 |
| 5 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 21.764 | 124.058 |
| 6 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 21.781 | 123.961 |
| 7 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 21.799 | 123.859 |
| 8 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 21.815 | 123.768 |
| 9 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 21.825 | 123.711 |
| 10 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 21.828 | 123.694 |
| 11 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 21.831 | 123.677 |
| 12 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 21.862 | 123.502 |
| 13 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 21.874 | 123.434 |
| 14 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 21.878 | 123.412 |
| 15 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 21.907 | 123.248 |
| 16 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 21.920 | 123.175 |
| 17 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 21.921 | 123.170 |
| 18 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 21.931 | 123.113 |
| 19 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 21.949 | 123.012 |
| 20 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 21.957 | 122.968 |
| 21 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 21.961 | 122.945 |
| 22 | 50 | Rick Mast | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 21.976 | 122.861 |
| 23 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 21.979 | 122.845 |
| 24 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 21.985 | 122.811 |
| 25 | 27 | Kenny Wallace | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 21.988 | 122.794 |
| 26 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 21.992 | 122.772 |
| 27 | 4 | Kevin Lepage | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 22.006 | 122.694 |
| 28 | 01 | Jason Leffler (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 22.029 | 122.566 |
| 29 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 22.030 | 122.560 |
| 30 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 22.040 | 122.505 |
| 31 | 97 | Kurt Busch (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 22.044 | 122.482 |
| 32 | 29 | Kevin Harvick (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 22.059 | 122.399 |
| 33 | 7 | Mike Wallace | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | 22.080 | 122.283 |
| 34 | 96 | Andy Houston (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 22.081 | 122.277 |
| 35 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske Racing South | Ford | 22.093 | 122.211 |
| 36 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 22.096 | 122.194 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 22.100 | 122.172 |
| 38 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 22.134 | 121.984 |
| 39 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 22.170 | 121.786 |
| 40 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge | 22.159 | 121.847 |
| 41 | 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 22.120 | 122.061 |
| 42 | 19 | Casey Atwood (R) | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 22.139 | 121.957 |
| 43 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 22.217 | 121.529 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 22.228 | 121.468 |
| 45 | 13 | Hermie Sadler | SCORE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 22.327 | 120.930 |
| 46 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 22.357 | 120.768 |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 7 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 400 | 93 | running | 180 | $150,175 |
| 2 | 6 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 400 | 0 | running | 170 | $133,827 |
| 3 | 2 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 400 | 276 | running | 175 | $117,740 |
| 4 | 4 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 400 | 0 | running | 160 | $95,493 |
| 5 | 3 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 400 | 27 | running | 160 | $93,297 |
| 6 | 11 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 400 | 0 | running | 150 | $57,350 |
| 7 | 14 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 400 | 1 | running | 151 | $75,348 |
| 8 | 19 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 400 | 0 | running | 142 | $52,475 |
| 9 | 21 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 400 | 0 | running | 138 | $61,235 |
| 10 | 9 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 400 | 0 | running | 134 | $98,152 |
| 11 | 15 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 400 | 0 | running | 130 | $62,995 |
| 12 | 42 | 19 | Casey Atwood (R) | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 400 | 0 | running | 127 | $38,950 |
| 13 | 1 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 400 | 3 | running | 129 | $87,126 |
| 14 | 17 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 400 | 0 | running | 121 | $84,521 |
| 15 | 20 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 400 | 0 | running | 118 | $85,712 |
| 16 | 5 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 399 | 0 | running | 115 | $55,911 |
| 17 | 32 | 29 | Kevin Harvick (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 399 | 0 | running | 112 | $82,427 |
| 18 | 31 | 97 | Kurt Busch (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 399 | 0 | running | 109 | $48,650 |
| 19 | 37 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 399 | 0 | running | 106 | $68,195 |
| 20 | 22 | 50 | Rick Mast | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 398 | 0 | running | 103 | $39,575 |
| 21 | 10 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 398 | 0 | running | 100 | $72,185 |
| 22 | 16 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 398 | 0 | running | 97 | $35,725 |
| 23 | 36 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 398 | 0 | running | 94 | $61,215 |
| 24 | 24 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 398 | 0 | running | 91 | $70,699 |
| 25 | 33 | 7 | Mike Wallace | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | 397 | 0 | running | 88 | $49,600 |
| 26 | 28 | 01 | Jason Leffler (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 397 | 0 | running | 85 | $46,400 |
| 27 | 27 | 4 | Kevin Lepage | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 397 | 0 | running | 82 | $37,675 |
| 28 | 26 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 396 | 0 | running | 79 | $45,450 |
| 29 | 40 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge | 396 | 0 | running | 76 | $37,225 |
| 30 | 43 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 396 | 0 | running | 73 | $37,600 |
| 31 | 41 | 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 394 | 0 | running | 70 | $36,550 |
| 32 | 23 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 393 | 0 | running | 67 | $42,000 |
| 33 | 38 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 388 | 0 | crash | 64 | $33,950 |
| 34 | 39 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 387 | 0 | running | 61 | $68,927 |
| 35 | 12 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 364 | 0 | running | 58 | $43,850 |
| 36 | 35 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske Racing South | Ford | 359 | 0 | running | 55 | $73,084 |
| 37 | 8 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 342 | 0 | running | 52 | $58,473 |
| 38 | 30 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 329 | 0 | rear end | 49 | $66,430 |
| 39 | 18 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 327 | 0 | running | 46 | $33,625 |
| 40 | 25 | 27 | Kenny Wallace | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 322 | 0 | engine | 43 | $33,550 |
| 41 | 29 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 257 | 0 | crash | 40 | $41,500 |
| 42 | 34 | 96 | Andy Houston (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 206 | 0 | engine | 37 | $33,455 |
| 43 | 13 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 165 | 0 | crash | 34 | $33,654 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | | | | | |
| 45 | | 13 | Hermie Sadler | SCORE Motorsports | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 46 | | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||

## Standings after the race

| | Pos | Driver | Points |
| | 1 | Dale Jarrett | 1,559 |
| | 2 | Jeff Gordon | 1,545 (–14) |
| 1 | 3 | Rusty Wallace | 1,497 (–62) |
| 1 | 4 | Johnny Benson Jr. | 1,480 (–79) |
| | 5 | Sterling Marlin | 1,421 (–138) |
| | 6 | Ricky Rudd | 1,411 (–148) |
| 2 | 7 | Tony Stewart | 1,392 (–167) |
| | 8 | Steve Park | 1,387 (–172) |
| 2 | 9 | Bobby Hamilton | 1,309 (–250) |
| | 10 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 1,302 (–257) |