2001 Pocono 500

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. Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, and Dale Jarrett, driving for Robert Yates Racing, would finish second and third, respectively. == Background == The race was held at Pocono Raceway, which is a three-turn superspeedway located in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Pocono is one of a very few NASCAR tracks not owned by either Speedway Motorsports or NASCAR. === Entry list === (R) denotes rookie driver. == Practice == === 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. 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 mph (273.146 km/h). === Second practice === The second practice session was held on Saturday, June 16, at 9:00 AM EST. The session would last for 45 minutes. 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 mph (266.086 km/h). === Final practice === The final practice session was held on Saturday, June 16, at 11:15 AM EST. The session would last for one hour. 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 mph (265.146 km/h). == Qualifying == 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. 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. Ricky Rudd, driving for Robert Yates Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 52.785 and an average speed of 170.503 mph (274.398 km/h). === Full qualifying results === == Race results == == References ==