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The 2001 Pocono 500 was the 15th stock car race of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 20th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 17, 2001, in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, at Pocono Raceway, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) triangular permanent course. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. At race's end, Ricky Rudd, driving for Robert Yates Racing, would take over the final stages of the race to win his 21st career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his first of the season. The win also broke a 88-race winless streak for Rudd.[1][2][3] Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, and Dale Jarrett, driving for Robert Yates Racing, would finish second and third, respectively.
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 15 of 36 in the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 The 2001 Pocono 500 program cover. | |||
| Date | June 17, 2001 | ||
| Official name | 20th Annual Pocono 500 | ||
| Location | Long Pond, Pennsylvania, Pocono Raceway | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.5 mi (4.0 km) | ||
| Distance | 200 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 200 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km) | ||
| Average speed | 134.389 miles per hour (216.278 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Robert Yates Racing | ||
| Time | 52.785 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Laps | 86 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | FOX | ||
| Announcers | Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds, Darrell Waltrip | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
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The race was held at Pocono Raceway, which is a three-turn superspeedway located in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The track hosts two annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, as well as one Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series event. Until 2019, the track also hosted an IndyCar Series race.
Pocono Raceway is one of a very few NASCAR tracks not owned by either Speedway Motorsports, Inc. or International Speedway Corporation. It is operated by the Igdalsky siblings Brandon, Nicholas, and sister Ashley, and cousins Joseph IV and Chase Mattioli, all of whom are third-generation members of the family-owned Mattco Inc, started by Joseph II and Rose Mattioli.
Outside of the NASCAR races, the track is used throughout the year by Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and motorcycle clubs as well as racing schools and an IndyCar race. The triangular oval also has three separate infield sections of racetrack – North Course, East Course and South Course. Each of these infield sections use a separate portion of the tri-oval to complete the track. During regular non-race weekends, multiple clubs can use the track by running on different infield sections. Also some of the infield sections can be run in either direction, or multiple infield sections can be put together – such as running the North Course and the South Course and using the tri-oval to connect the two.
Entry list
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
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First practice
The first practice session was held on Friday, June 15, at 11:30 AM EST. The session would last for two hours and 30 minutes.[4] Ricky Rudd, driving for Robert Yates Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 53.027 and an average speed of 169.725 miles per hour (273.146 km/h).[5]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 53.027 | 169.725 |
| 2 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 53.431 | 168.442 |
| 3 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 53.495 | 168.240 |
| Full first practice results | ||||||
Second practice
The second practice session was held on Saturday, June 16, at 9:00 AM EST. The session would last for 45 minutes.[4] Ricky Rudd, driving for Robert Yates Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 54.434 and an average speed of 165.338 miles per hour (266.086 km/h).[6]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 54.434 | 165.338 |
| 2 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | 54.499 | 165.141 |
| 3 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 54.533 | 165.038 |
| Full second practice results | ||||||
Third and final practice
The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, June 16, at 11:15 AM EST. The session would last for one hour.[4] Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 54.627 and an average speed of 164.754 miles per hour (265.146 km/h).[7]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 54.627 | 164.754 |
| 2 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 54.730 | 164.444 |
| 3 | 7 | Ted Musgrave | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | 54.972 | 163.720 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results | ||||||
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Qualifying was held on Friday, June 15, at 3:00 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.[4] 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.[8]
Ricky Rudd, driving for Robert Yates Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 52.785 and an average speed of 170.503 miles per hour (274.398 km/h).
Full qualifying results
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