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2001 MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400

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2001 MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400
Race details
Race 27 of 36 in the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
2001 MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400 program cover
2001 MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400 program cover
Date September 23, 2001 (2001-09-23)
Location Dover Downs International Speedway
Course Permanent racing facility
1 mi (1.6 km)
Distance 400 laps, 400 mi (643.737 km)
Weather Mild with temperatures of 77 °F (25 °C); wind speeds of 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h)[1]
Average speed 101.559 miles per hour (163.443 km/h)
Pole position
Driver
Robert Yates Racing
Most laps led
Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Laps 193
Winner
No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Television in the United States
Network NBC
Announcers Allen Bestwick, Benny Parsons, Wally Dallenbach Jr.
Nielsen Ratings 4.5[2]

The 2001 MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series stock car race held on September 23, 2001, at Dover Downs International Speedway. The race was the 27th of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. The race is notable for being the first NASCAR Cup Series race run after the September 11 attacks.

Dale Jarrett of Robert Yates Racing won the pole position, while Dale Earnhardt, Inc.'s Dale Earnhardt Jr. led the most laps with 193 and won the race.

The race was the also first to be run against the National Football League regular season since the signing of the consolidated NASCAR TV contract which began in 2001.[2]

First race since September 11

[edit]
Dale Jarrett won the pole for the race. His car featured an American flag on the hood.
Ken Schrader's all-American flag car

Following the September 11 attacks, NASCAR moved the previously-upcoming New Hampshire 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway to late November. The Craftsman Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway was postponed to early October.[3] This schedule change made the MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400 the first race since the attacks.[4]

To honor those killed in the attacks, fans were given American flags. During pre-race ceremonies, Lee Greenwood sang "God Bless the USA", and Tanya Tucker sang "God Bless America" and the national anthem.[4] Greenwood praised the "raw emotion" felt from the fans, who sang along and chanted "U-S-A!" as he performed the song.[5]

Baseball great Cal Ripken Jr. served as the grand marshal and had the race named for him as he was to play in his final game on the evening of the race in nearby Baltimore, Maryland.[4] However, due to the attacks, his final game was postponed and was not on the same day of the race.

In a sense of patriotism, each car featured American flags. Ken Schrader removed every sponsor and decal from his car and completely painted the car as an American flag,[6] a process that sponsor M&M's would recreate ten years later for Kyle Busch in the 2011 Wonderful Pistachios 400 at Richmond Raceway.[5]

As a security measure, coolers, backpacks, and large bags were banned from the track, though concession prices were lowered in compensation.[7] Volunteers from Dover Air Force Base assisted in scanning and inspecting every spectator entering the track, while Dover encouraged teams to not fly to the track. NASCAR on NBC's helicopters were also prohibited from flying around the track.[5]

Entry list

[edit]
Car[8] Driver Team Manufacturer Sponsor
1 Kenny Wallace Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet Pennzoil
01 Jason Leffler Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge Cingular Wireless
2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Ford Miller Lite/USA
4 Kevin Lepage Morgan-McClure Motorsports Pontiac Kodak
5 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Kellogg's/USA
6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford Viagra, Pfizer
7 Mike Wallace Ultra Motorsports Ford NationsRent
8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet Budweiser/USA
9 Bill Elliott Evernham Motorsports Dodge Dodge Dealers, UAW
10 Johnny Benson Jr. MBV Motorsports Pontiac Valvoline
11 Brett Bodine Brett Bodine Racing Ford Ralph's, Red Cell Batteries
12 Jeremy Mayfield Penske Racing South Ford Mobil 1
13 Hermie Sadler Peak Performance Motorsports Chevrolet Little Trees
14 Ron Hornaday Jr. A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet Conseco
15 Michael Waltrip Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet NAPA Auto Parts/God Bless America
17 Matt Kenseth Roush Racing Ford DeWalt New Products/USA
18 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac Interstate Batteries, MBNA, Cal Ripken, Jr.
19 Casey Atwood Evernham Motorsports Dodge Dodge Dealers, UAW
20 Tony Stewart Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Home Depot/God Bless America
21 Elliott Sadler Wood Brothers Racing Ford Motorcraft/USA
22 Ward Burton Bill Davis Racing Pontiac Caterpillar/USA
24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet DuPont Automotive
25 Jerry Nadeau Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet UAW-Delphi
26 Jimmy Spencer Haas-Carter Motorsports Ford Kmart School Spirit/God Bless America
27 Rick Mast Eel River Racing Pontiac Duke's Mayonnaise/Sauer's
28 Ricky Rudd Robert Yates Racing Ford Texaco, Havoline
29 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet GM Goodwrench Service Plus/USA
31 Mike Skinner Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Lowe's
32 Ricky Craven PPI Motorsports Chevrolet Tide
33 Joe Nemechek Andy Petree Racing Chevrolet Oakwood Homes
36 Ken Schrader MB2 Motorsports Pontiac American Red Cross, 1-800-HELP-NOW
40 Sterling Marlin Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge Coors Light
43 John Andretti Petty Enterprises Dodge Cheerios
44 Buckshot Jones Petty Enterprises Dodge Georgia-Pacific
45 Kyle Petty Petty Enterprises Ford Sprint
47 Lance Hooper Dark Horse Motorsports Chevrolet J.J. Baker Custom Homes
55 Bobby Hamilton Andy Petree Racing Chevrolet USA/Square D
66 Todd Bodine Haas-Carter Motorsports Ford Kmart Blue Light Special
71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet Team Realtree
77 Robert Pressley Jasper Motorsports Ford Forever in our Hearts, United We Stand
88 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Ford UPS/USA
90 Hut Stricklin Donlavey Racing Ford Hills Brothers Coffee
92 Stacy Compton Melling Racing Dodge Kodiak/God Bless America
93 Dave Blaney Bill Davis Racing Dodge American Red Cross, Amoco, 1-800-HELP-NOW
96 Andy Houston PPI Motorsports Ford McDonald's
97 Kurt Busch Roush Racing Ford Sharpie, Rubbermaid, USA
99 Jeff Burton Roush Racing Ford Citgo Supergard/USA

Qualifying

[edit]

Dale Jarrett won the pole for the race with a lap time of 23.238 seconds and speed of 154.919 miles per hour (249.318 km/h), his first pole at Dover, while Bobby Labonte qualified second.[9] Rick Mast, Jason Leffler, Lance Hooper, and Dave Marcis failed to qualify.[10]

Pos.[11] Car Driver Manufacturer Time Avg. Speed
1 88 Dale Jarrett Ford 23.238 154.919
2 18 Bobby Labonte Pontiac 23.245 154.872
3 8 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Chevy 23.248 154.852
4 28 Ricky Rudd Ford 23.257 154.792
5 32 Ricky Craven Ford 23.321 154.367
6 1 Kenny Wallace Chevy 23.325 154.341
7 12 Jeremy Mayfield Ford 23.368 154.057
8 14 Ron Hornaday, Jr. Pontiac 23.402 153.833
9 66 Todd Bodine Ford 23.427 153.669
10 9 Bill Elliott Dodge 23.432 153.636
11 20 Tony Stewart Pontiac 23.435 153.616
12 92 Stacy Compton Dodge 23.438 153.597
13 36 Ken Schrader Pontiac 23.453 153.498
14 29 Kevin Harvick Chevy 23.461 153.446
15 2 Rusty Wallace Ford 23.472 153.374
16 33 Joe Nemechek Chevy 23.482 153.309
17 55 Bobby Hamilton Chevy 23.511 153.120
18 19 Casey Atwood Dodge 23.515 153.094
19 21 Elliott Sadler Ford 23.525 153.029
20 44 Buckshot Jones Dodge 23.526 153.022
21 45 Kyle Petty Dodge 23.531 152.990
22 99 Jeff Burton Ford 23.543 152.912
23 24 Jeff Gordon Chevy 23.551 152.860
24 4 Kevin Lepage Chevy 23.554 152.840
25 22 Ward Burton Dodge 23.575 152.704
26 40 Sterling Marlin Dodge 23.576 152.698
27 15 Michael Waltrip Chevy 23.584 152.646
28 77 Robert Pressley Ford 23.597 152.562
29 43 John Andretti Dodge 23.633 152.329
30 31 Mike Skinner Chevy 23.633 152.329
31 90 Hut Stricklin Ford 23.641 152.278
32 13 Hermie Sadler Chevy 23.668 152.104
33 5 Terry Labonte Chevy 23.678 152.040
34 7 Mike Wallace Ford 23.678 152.040
35 11 Brett Bodine Ford 23.680 152.027
36 96 Andy Houston Ford 23.704 151.873
Provisionals
37 10 Johnny Benson, Jr. Pontiac 0.000 0.000
38 6 Mark Martin Ford 0.000 0.000
39 26 Jimmy Spencer Ford 0.000 0.000
40 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 0.000 0.000
41 25 Jerry Nadeau Chevy 0.000 0.000
42 93 Dave Blaney Dodge 0.000 0.000
43 97 Kurt Busch Ford 0.000 0.000
Failed to qualify
44 27 Rick Mast Pontiac
45 01 Jason Leffler Dodge
46 47 Lance Hooper Ford
47 71 Dave Marcis Chevrolet

Race

[edit]

Bobby Labonte took the lead from Dale Jarrett on the first lap before Jarrett reclaimed it on lap two. Dale Earnhardt Jr. became the leader on lap three and led until the first caution came out for Labonte and Bill Elliott crashing in turn two. Ricky Craven inherited the lead, which he maintained until Earnhardt retook it on lap 41. On lap 56,[10] Jeremy Mayfield hit the turn two wall after his right front tire went down, causing him to lose consciousness. He was able to walk to the infield care center, suffering only a chipped tooth and minor bruises; NASCAR officials inspected Mayfield's car and found a partially torn left lap seat belt, which was damaged in the same fashion as Dale Earnhardt's in the Daytona 500 earlier that year, a major factor in his death. A Goodyear spokesman later stated Mayfield's tire was too damaged to determine what had happened.[12]

Ricky Rudd led during the nine caution laps following Mayfield's wreck, though Earnhardt became the leader for the restart on lap 65, which he would hold for 104 laps. During Earnhardt's run, three more cautions occurred: Brett Bodine spun on lap 71, oil was found on the track on lap 117, and Mark Martin, Johnny Benson Jr., Ron Hornaday Jr., and Ward Burton all crashed on the front stretch on lap 130. Earnhardt lost the lead to Elliott Sadler during caution laps on lap 169, when Andy Houston had an accident in turn two. Tony Stewart also led three laps under the yellow flag until Earnhardt was cycled back into the lead for the green flag on lap 173. On lap 184, Rudd took the lead, holding it for a race-high 161 laps. Between the start and end of Rudd's lead, three yellow flags were waved: Michael Waltrip wrecked on lap 201, Robert Pressley crashed in turn one, and Dave Blaney fell victim to a broken seat belt on lap 268.[10][12] With 140 laps remaining, Earnhardt had a slow pit stop and was relegated to eighth. He was able to recover from the error and was in third by lap 329.[13] On lap 345, Rudd spun after making contact with Rusty Wallace, bringing out the caution and making Jarrett the new leader until Earnhardt passed him on lap 362. With 11 laps to go, Jarrett also had problems of his own as he spun on the backstretch for the final yellow of the race.[10] Earnhardt held off Jerry Nadeau on the final restart to take the win.[14] During the final lap, the white flag was not waved to signify the refusal to surrender.[15] Nadeau finished second and Rudd in third, while Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart rounded out the top five.[10]

To honor the victims of the attack, Earnhardt drove a Polish victory lap with a large American flag. The win was described as the third time in 2001 in which Earnhardt had to "carry the emotional burden of the sport", after his father's death at the Daytona 500 and his victorious return to Daytona at the Pepsi 400.[5] In Victory Lane, he stated he would donate $75,000 to relief efforts.[15][16] Earnhardt added he would pledge $100 a lap and $10,000 for every pit stop under 14 seconds.[17]

Results

[edit]
Fin[18][19] St # Driver Make Sponsor Team Laps Led Status Pts Winnings
1 3 8 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Chevrolet Budweiser/USA Dale Earnhardt, Inc. 400 193 running 185 168858
2 41 25 Jerry Nadeau Chevrolet UAW-Delphi Hendrick Motorsports 400 0 running 170 104960
3 4 28 Ricky Rudd Ford Texaco, Havoline Robert Yates Racing 400 169 running 170 117507
4 23 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont Automotive Hendrick Motorsports 400 0 running 160 117832
5 11 20 Tony Stewart Pontiac Home Depot/God Bless America Joe Gibbs Racing 400 3 running 160 89270
6 14 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet GM Goodwrench/USA Richard Childress Racing 400 0 running 150 102167
7 16 33 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet Oakwood Homes Andy Petree Racing 400 0 running 146 85735
8 26 40 Sterling Marlin Dodge Coors Light Chip Ganassi Racing 400 0 running 142 73025
9 18 19 Casey Atwood Dodge Dodge Dealers, UAW Evernham Motorsports 400 0 running 138 53565
10 17 55 Bobby Hamilton Chevrolet USA/Square D Andy Petree Racing 400 0 running 134 66765
11 15 2 Rusty Wallace Ford Miller Lite/USA Penske Racing South 400 0 running 130 92305
12 1 88 Dale Jarrett Ford UPS/USA Robert Yates Racing 400 18 running 132 98142
13 39 26 Jimmy Spencer Ford Kmart School Spirit/God Bless America Haas-Carter Motorsports 400 0 running 124 65585
14 19 21 Elliott Sadler Ford Motorcraft/USA Wood Brothers Racing 400 1 running 126 73576
15 9 66 Todd Bodine Ford Kmart Blue Light Special Haas-Carter Motorsports 399 0 running 118 51665
16 24 4 Kevin Lepage Chevrolet Kodak Morgan-McClure Motorsports 399 0 running 115 53655
17 33 5 Terry Labonte Chevrolet Kellogg's/USA Hendrick Motorsports 398 0 running 112 81095
18 13 36 Ken Schrader Pontiac American Red Cross, 1-800-HELP-NOW MB2 Motorsports 398 0 running 109 59125
19 29 43 John Andretti Dodge Cheerios Petty Enterprises 398 0 running 106 82792
20 30 31 Mike Skinner Chevrolet Lowe's Richard Childress Racing 398 0 running 103 83939
21 22 99 Jeff Burton Ford Citgo Supergard/USA Roush Racing 398 0 running 100 90111
22 6 1 Kenny Wallace Chevrolet Pennzoil Dale Earnhardt, Inc. 397 0 running 97 73358
23 34 7 Mike Wallace Ford NationsRent Ultra Motorsports 396 0 running 94 54865
24 12 92 Stacy Compton Dodge Kodiak/God Bless America Melling Racing 396 0 running 91 46615
25 31 90 Hut Stricklin Ford Hills Brothers Coffee Donlavey Racing 396 0 running 88 44340
26 5 32 Ricky Craven Ford Tide PPI Motorsports 395 15 running 90 56290
27 32 13 Hermie Sadler Chevrolet Little Trees Peak Performance Motorsports 394 0 running 43140
28 35 11 Brett Bodine Ford Ralph's, Red Cell Batteries Brett Bodine Racing 391 0 suspension 79 45465
29 40 17 Matt Kenseth Ford DeWalt New Products/USA Roush Racing 390 0 running 76 50815
30 10 9 Bill Elliott Dodge Dodge Dealers, UAW Evernham Motorsports 383 0 running 73 67888
31 37 10 Johnny Benson, Jr. Pontiac Valvoline MBV Motorsports 317 0 running 70 50490
32 38 6 Mark Martin Ford Viagra, Pfizer Roush Racing 314 0 running 67 86681
33 25 22 Ward Burton Dodge Caterpillar/USA Bill Davis Racing 304 0 crash 64 75315
34 8 14 Ron Hornaday, Jr. Pontiac Conseco A.J. Foyt Racing 268 0 crash 61 42005
35 42 93 Dave Blaney Dodge American Red Cross, Amoco, 1-800-HELP-NOW Bill Davis Racing 266 0 crash 58 41855
36 2 18 Bobby Labonte Pontiac Interstate Batteries, MBNA, Cal Ripken, Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing 258 1 running 60 94152
37 28 77 Robert Pressley Ford Forever in our Hearts, United We Stand Jasper Motorsports 228 0 crash 52 49600
38 20 44 Buckshot Jones Dodge Georgia-Pacific Petty Enterprises 203 0 engine 49 49475
39 27 15 Michael Waltrip Chevrolet NAPA Auto Parts/God Bless America Dale Earnhardt, Inc. 199 0 crash 46 51350
40 36 96 Andy Houston Ford McDonald's PPI Motorsports 165 0 crash 43 41200
41 43 97 Kurt Busch Ford Sharpie, Rubbermaid, USA Roush Racing 115 0 engine 40 49075
42 7 12 Jeremy Mayfield Ford Mobil 1 Penske Racing South 54 0 crash 37 80234
43 21 45 Kyle Petty Dodge Sprint Petty Enterprises 13 0 engine 34 41076
Failed to qualify
44 27 Rick Mast Pontiac Duke's Mayonnaise / Sauer's Eel River Racing
45 01 Jason Leffler Dodge Cingular Wireless Chip Ganassi Racing
46 47 Lance Hooper Ford J.J. Baker Custom Homes Dark Horse Motorsports
47 71 Dave Marcis Chevrolet Team Realtree Marcis Auto Racing
Jeff Gordon led the points standings after the race.

Standings after the race

[edit]
Pos Driver Points Differential
1 Jeff Gordon 3928 0
2 Ricky Rudd 3716 -212
3 Increase Tony Stewart 3521 -407
4 Decrease Dale Jarrett 3507 -421
5 Sterling Marlin 3444 -484
6 Increase Dale Earnhardt Jr. 3429 -499
7 Increase Kevin Harvick 3380 -548
8 Increase Rusty Wallace 3355 -573
9 Decrease Bobby Labonte 3327 -601
10 Johnny Benson Jr. 3168 -760

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "2001 MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Archived from the original on May 26, 2024. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  2. ^ a b "TV RATINGS 2001". Jayski's Silly Season Site. Archived from the original on 2015-09-10. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  3. ^ "New Hampshire 300 Postponed". Motor Racing Network. September 13, 2001. Archived from the original on September 11, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c "MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400". Jayski's Silly Season Site. Archived from the original on September 16, 2012. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d McGee, Ryan (September 21, 2011). "Post-9/11 healing began at Dover". ESPN. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  6. ^ "The Sept. 23, 2001 "MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400″ NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race remembered". Dover International Speedway. June 18, 2012. Archived from the original on March 11, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  7. ^ "Fans react to ban on coolers for Dover Downs races". CNN Sports Illustrated. September 20, 2001. Archived from the original on February 26, 2003. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  8. ^ "2001 Nascar Cup Series MBNA Cal Ripken, Jr. 400 | Motorsport Stats". results.motorsportstats.com. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
  9. ^ Associated Press (September 22, 2001). "PLUS: AUTO RACING; Jarrett Wins Pole In Cal Ripken Jr. 40". The New York Times. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  10. ^ a b c d e "2001 MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  11. ^ "Starting line up: Dover". Crash. 2001-09-21. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
  12. ^ a b "Another Broken Seat Belt". Motor Racing Network. September 24, 2001. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  13. ^ Jenkins, Chris (September 23, 2001). "Earnhardt Jr. romps to Dover Downs triumph". USA Today. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  14. ^ "THROWBACK THURSDAY: DALE JR. WINS POST 9/11". NASCAR. September 26, 2013. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
  15. ^ a b Fitzgerald, Jim (September 29, 2012). "Dover's Place In NASCAR History". Insider Racing News. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  16. ^ Callahan, Terry (2001-09-25). "NASCAR WCUP: Dominant Day for Dale Jr. at Dover Downs". The Auto Channel. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  17. ^ McKee, Sandra (September 24, 2001). "Earnhardt Jr. delivers when it counts". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  18. ^ "2001 MBNA Cal Ripken, Jr. 400 - The Third Turn". www.thethirdturn.com. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
  19. ^ "2001 MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400 race results". Racing-Reference. Archived from the original on 2021-04-28.
[edit]
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