2001 Lehigh Valley Grand Prix

February 2025 40.728 -75.319 region:US-PA_type:landmark title Motor race held in Nazareth, PennsylvaniaJune 2026 USA Lehigh Valley Grand Prix Nazareth Speedway Trackmap.png Layout of Nazareth Speedway May 6 2001 CART Lehigh Valley Grand Prix Presented by Toyota 4 21 Nazareth SpeedwayNazareth, Pennsylvania, United States Permanent racing facility 0.946 1.522 225 212.850 342.450 Sunny Bruno Junqueira Chip Ganassi Racing 19.700 BRA Tony Kanaan Mo Nunn Racing 21.170 196 BRA Scott Dixon PacWest Racing NZL Kenny Bräck Team Rahal SWE Paul Tracy Team Green CAN 2001 Firestone Firehawk 500 Firestone Firehawk 600 The 2001 Lehigh Valley Grand Prix Presented by Toyota was a Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) open-wheel race that was held on May 6, 2001, at Nazareth Speedway in Nazareth, Pennsylvania before 25,000 spectators. It was the fourth round of the 2001 CART FedEx Championship Series and the 15th running of the event. Scott Dixon of PacWest Racing won the 225-lap race; Team Rahal's Kenny Bräck finished second, while Paul Tracy took third for Team Green. Bruno Junqueira recorded the fastest time of qualifying and earned his first career pole position. He was quickly overtaken by Bräck, who went on to lead the first 125 laps while Dixon and others made pit stops on the 116th lap with the intention of saving fuel to make it to the end. After Bräck pitted, Tony Kanaan assumed the lead for the next 64 laps. He made his last stop on lap 190, allowing Dixon to take the lead. Because Bräck struggled to garner speed at the exit of the corners, Dixon was able to pull away and score his first (and only) CART win in his third start. He became the youngest winner in CART history at 20 years, nine months, and 14 days old.age The lead was swapped twice between three different drivers, and six caution flags were issued. With 17 races remaining in the 2001 season, Tracy tied with Cristiano da Matta for the Drivers' Championship lead, and Jimmy Vasser tied with defending series champion Gil de Ferran for third in the standings. Reynard maintained their lead in the Constructors' Cup, while Toyota overtook Honda for the lead in the Manufacturers' Cup standings. This was the last CART race at Nazareth Speedway; from 2002 to 2004, the event was sanctioned by the Indy Racing League. Background The Lehigh Valley Grand Prix was a motor race that had been held on an annual basis since 1987 under the sanctioning of Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART).May 2, 2001 CART Nazareth Preview http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=489 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20021225174521/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=489 December 25, 2002 June 6, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams Detroit The 15th edition of the event was included as the fourth of 21 open-wheel races for CART's 2001 FedEx Championship Series schedule.2001 FedEx Championship Series Schedule https://speedcenter.com/archive/races01/01schedule.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20230929060754/https://www.speedcenter.com/archive/races01/01schedule.html September 29, 2023 June 6, 2026 Speedcenter It was held at Nazareth Speedway, a four-turn, 0.946 mi km on tri-oval track, in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, United States, over a distance of 225 laps and 212.85 mi km on. The USAC Silver Bullet Series and the Atlantic Championship hosted support races during the weekend. Gil de Ferran was the defending race winner.Nazareth Speedway http://www.champcarstats.com/tracks/nazareth.htm live https://web.archive.org/web/20260304174345/http://www.champcarstats.com/tracks/nazareth.htm March 4, 2026 June 6, 2026 Champ Car Stats Firestone provided seven sets of tires per car for the weekend.May 4, 2001 Firestone Firehawk Fast Facts http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=497 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20030123191058/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=497 January 23, 2003 June 6, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams Heading into the race, Cristiano da Matta led the Drivers' Championship with 37 points, seven more than second-place de Ferran and ten ahead of third-place Hélio Castroneves. Paul Tracy stood fourth on 26 points, and Jimmy Vasser was fifth on 18. In the Constructors' Cup, Reynard held the lead with 39 points, while Lola trailed them by one.Standings as of Firestone Firehawk 600 Presented by Pioneer (postponed due to safety concerns) http://www.cart.com/Standings.asp?EventID=3 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20010610032507/http://www.cart.com/Standings.asp?EventID=3 June 10, 2001 June 6, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams Honda was leading the Manufacturers' Cup standings with 38 points; Toyota placed second with 37 points, and Ford-Cosworth was third on 15.CHAMPCAR/CART: Nazareth Toyota fast facts https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/champcar-cart-nazareth-toyota-fast-facts/1878139/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20260606025026/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/champcar-cart-nazareth-toyota-fast-facts/1878139/ June 6, 2026 June 6, 2026 motorsport.com The race weekend was overshadowed by the controversy of the previous round, the Firestone Firehawk 600 at Texas Motor Speedway, which had been postponed because the g-forces that drivers were experiencing on the circuit were deemed too excessive and unsafe.April 29, 2001 Texas Event Postponed http://www.speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/03cart/010429b.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20011115172914/http://www.speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/03cart/010429b.html November 15, 2001 June 6, 2026 Speedvision Fort Worth, TexasMcFadin Daniel April 29, 2016 CART and the Race that Never Was https://www.nbcsports.com/motor-sports/news/cart-and-the-race-that-never-was live https://web.archive.org/web/20260218223617/https://www.nbcsports.com/motor-sports/news/cart-and-the-race-that-never-was February 18, 2026 June 6, 2026 NBC Sports NBC Universal Although officials of the track and CART discussed options over possible dates later in the year,Mauk Eric May 1, 2001 CART Looking At A Texas Season Finale? http://speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/03CART/010501a.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20010505205348/http://speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/03CART/010501a.html May 5, 2001 June 6, 2026 Speedvision Detroit, Michigan Texas Motor Speedway issued a statement on May 2 confirming that the race had been officially cancelled. It had also been determined that this was to be the last CART race at Nazareth Speedway, which track president and general manager Craig Rust confirmed in November 2000. The track's contract with the series expired in May 2001, and CART's board of directors chose not to renew it.November 29, 2000 CART to drop Nazareth after 2001 https://www.autoweek.com/news/a2129086/cart-drop-nazareth-after-2001/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20230325115640/https://www.autoweek.com/news/a2129086/cart-drop-nazareth-after-2001/ March 25, 2023 June 6, 2026 Autoweek Hearst Autos With Nazareth removed from the schedule, the series was left without a presence in the Northeastern United States after having previously hosted races in the Meadowlands, Pocono, and New Hampshire.Kirby Gordon May 4, 2001 GK on CART's last curtain call at Nazareth https://www.autosport.com/general/news/gk-on-carts-last-curtain-call-at-nazareth-5006292/5006292/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20230203130530/https://www.autosport.com/general/news/gk-on-carts-last-curtain-call-at-nazareth-5006292/5006292/ February 3, 2023 June 6, 2026 Autosport Motorsport Network Team owner Roger Penske, who owned Nazareth Speedway from 1987 to 1999, felt that the track acted as "(CART's) east coast anchor" and encouraged CART to settle on a consistent race date, namely in May prior to the Indianapolis 500.Phillips David May 5, 2001 Roger Penske Defends Nazareth http://www.speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/03CART/010505c.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20010905165754/http://www.speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/03CART/010505c.html September 5, 2001 June 6, 2026 Speedvision Nazareth, Pennsylvania On the day of the race, CART president Joseph Heitzler issued a statement that the series would be reviewing its options after the race in Japan and make a decision then: ...[O]ne of the things that has become clear to me in my five months at CART is that we must develop a process that allows us to more effectively determine where we conduct races. We have established more definitive criteria than were used in the past and are now approaching where we race in a more formal manner. This approach applies directly to the situation we face in the Lehigh Valley.May 6, 2001 CART Statement On Nazareth Speedway http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=553 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20021118072355/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=553 November 18, 2002 June 6, 2026 Championship Auto Racing TeamsBecause of driver complaints that the aerodynamic package used in oval races the year before had caused too much turbulence and reduced the amount of on-track passing, CART introduced a low-downforce version of the Hanford device on the cars instead of the high-downforce version that was used previously. This configuration debuted at Nazareth and was intended to slow the cars down in the corners enough to encourage passing.https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/champcar-cart-nazareth-speedway-preview/ CHAMPCAR/CART: Nazareth Speedway preview Motorsport.com May 19, 2017 en https://web.archive.org/web/20191127202935/https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/champcar-cart-nazareth-speedway-preview/62829/ November 27, 2019 dead Another rule that was implemented in this race was the requirement for all teams to use a single-point refueling system to fuel their cars.March 5, 2001 FedEx Championship Series Opens Record 21-Event Season With Tecate Telmex Monterrey Grand Prix Presented By Herdez http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=52 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20030325011645/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=52 March 25, 2003 June 6, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams Detroit Of the 26 full-time drivers in the series, the only driver who did not compete in the race was Maurício Gugelmin, who withdrew from the race following the death of his six-year-old son, Giuliano, who succumbed to respiratory complications on May 3.Gugelmin Withdraws Following Loss of Son Championship Auto Racing Teams May 4, 2001 http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=500 August 17, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20030325013926/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=500 March 25, 2003 Gugelmin had not missed a CART race since his debut at Mid-Ohio in 1993; his streak of 130 consecutive races had been the longest of all active drivers in the series. PacWest Racing decided not to replace him for the weekend and withdrew his No. Car number 17 car.Oreovicz John May 4, 2001 Nazareth Friday Notebook http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=510 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20030123184956/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=510 January 23, 2003 June 6, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams The Nextel sponsorship on Gugelmin's car was resultantly placed onto that of his teammate, Scott Dixon.May 4, 2001 Dixon Car To Carry Nextel Logo http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=501 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20030123191712/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=501 January 23, 2003 June 6, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams Nazareth, Pennsylvania Practice Three practice sessions preceded the race on Sunday, two on Friday and one on Saturday. The first session lasted 120 minutes, and the second and third sessions lasted 105 minutes. Bruno Junqueira topped the time sheets during the first practice session on Friday morning with a 20.485-second lap.2001 Lehigh Valley Grand Prix Presented by Toyota - Practice 1 Results http://www.cart.com/Results/SessionResults.asp?ID=14 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20020804104158/http://www.cart.com/Results/SessionResults.asp?ID=14 August 4, 2002 June 6, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teamshttp://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=496 Junqueira Leads First Practice in Nazareth May 4, 2001 https://web.archive.org/web/20030627153406/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=496 June 27, 2003 dead May 19, 2017 Championship Auto Racing Teams He and Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Nicolas Minassian previously tested at the track in November 2000 and in April 2001, the latter of which was for a rookie test that Dixon and Tora Takagi also participated in.http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=522 CART Friday Practice Summary May 4, 2001 https://web.archive.org/web/20030627163543/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=522 June 27, 2003 dead May 19, 2017 Championship Auto Racing TeamsPhillips David May 4, 2001 Junqueira Tops Friday Nazareth Practice http://www.speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/03CART/010503a.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20011124141420/http://www.speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/03CART/010503a.html November 24, 2001 June 6, 2026 Speedvision Nazareth, Pennsylvania Hélio Castroneves was second-quickest, just under two tenths of a second slower than Junqueira,May 4, 2001 Junqueira shock fastest in Nazareth practice https://www.autosport.com/general/news/junqueira-shock-fastest-in-nazareth-practice-5006194/5006194/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20230326022140/https://www.autosport.com/general/news/junqueira-shock-fastest-in-nazareth-practice-5006194/5006194/ March 26, 2023 June 6, 2026 Autosport Motorsport Network while Kenny Bräck was third, Max Papis was fourth, and Michel Jourdain Jr. was fifth. Although the high temperatures on Friday afternoon were expected to decrease speeds,May 4, 2001 Lehigh Valley Grand Prix Presented by Toyota - Friday Afternoon Press Notes http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=509 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20021225174521/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=509 December 25, 2002 June 6, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams many drivers set their fastest times of the day during the second practice session, which was led by Papis with a time of 20.653 seconds.2001 Lehigh Valley Grand Prix Presented by Toyota - Practice 2 Results http://www.cart.com/Results/SessionResults.asp?ID=15 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20020804080403/http://www.cart.com/Results/SessionResults.asp?ID=15 August 4, 2002 June 6, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams Bräck, Castroneves, Gil de Ferran, and Paul Tracy were second-through-fifth fastest in the session. Junqueira remained the fastest overall driver on Friday with his morning session time. For the third practice session on Saturday morning, the 25 drivers were split into two groups based on their position in the Drivers' Championship standings and were each allotted 45 minutes of on-track time.Rule 6.6.1C A 15-minute break separated the two groups. The session, which ended prematurely because of rain showers,May 5, 2001 Lehigh Valley Grand Prix Presented By Toyota--Saturday Afternoon Press Notes http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=532 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20030123191942/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=532 January 23, 2003 June 6, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams was led by Bräck with a 19.926-second lap; he and Castroneves, who was five hundredths of a second slower, were the only two drivers to post times below 20 seconds.http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=524 Brack Leads Morning Practice At Nazareth As Speeds Increase May 5, 2001 https://web.archive.org/web/20030325013645/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=524 March 25, 2003 dead May 19, 2017 Championship Auto Racing Teams2001 Lehigh Valley Grand Prix Presented by Toyota - Practice 3 Results http://www.cart.com/Results/SessionResults.asp?ID=16 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20020804150708/http://www.cart.com/Results/SessionResults.asp?ID=16 August 4, 2002 June 6, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams Junqueira, Oriol Servià, and Papis were third-, fourth-, and fifth-fastest, respectively. Papis caused the only stoppage of the session when he spun while exiting turn four.Miller Robin May 5, 2001 Nazareth Saturday Notebook http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=534 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20030123192028/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=534 January 23, 2003 June 6, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams Qualifying thumb|293x293px|Bruno Junqueira (pictured in 2009) earned his first career pole position. During the qualifying session, held on Saturday afternoon, each driver was allowed up to four warm-up laps before completing two timed laps, the fastest of which would determine their starting position. The start of the session was delayed by eight minutes so that track marshals could dry the track's surface after the rainfall subsided. Junqueira earned his first pole position in his third start in CART with a time of 19.700 seconds,May 5, 2001 Qualifying: Junqueira takes Nazareth pole https://www.autosport.com/general/news/qualifying-junqueira-takes-nazareth-pole-5005813/5005813/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20210922180709/https://www.autosport.com/general/news/qualifying-junqueira-takes-nazareth-pole-5005813/5005813/ September 22, 2021 June 6, 2026 Autosport Motorsport Network becoming the first rookie to win a pole in the series since Alex Tagliani in the 2000 Rio 200. It also marked Chip Ganassi Racing's third consecutive pole at Nazareth Speedway.May 5, 2001 CART Nazareth Qualifying Summary http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=550 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20021121105034/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=550 November 21, 2002 June 6, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams Bräck continued his streak of four front-row qualifying efforts with a lap that was 0.038 seconds slower than Junqueira.2001 Lehigh Valley Grand Prix Presented by Toyota - Qualifying Results http://www.cart.com/Results/SessionResults.asp?ID=17 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20020804150902/http://www.cart.com/Results/SessionResults.asp?ID=17 August 4, 2002 June 6, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams Michel Jourdain Jr. took third place, the best qualifying result of his career thus far,http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=539 Herdez Bettenhausen Qualifying Quotes May 5, 2001 https://web.archive.org/web/20030502071442/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=539 May 2, 2003 dead May 19, 2017 Championship Auto Racing Teams while Servià qualified fourth to complete a top-four sweep for Lola chassis.Shaw Jeremy May 5, 2001 Junqueira Storms to Nazareth Pole http://www.speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/03CART/010505a.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20011124143812/http://www.speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/03CART/010505a.html November 24, 2001 June 6, 2026 Speedvision Nazareth, PennsylvaniaCipolloni Mark May 5, 2001 Bruno Junqueira wins pole position for Nazareth http://www.autoracing1.com/htmfiles/2001/CART/0505NazarethPole.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/20010508004557/http://www.autoracing1.com/htmfiles/2001/CART/0505NazarethPole.htm May 8, 2001 June 6, 2026 AutoRacing1 The top ten positions were rounded out by Castroneves, Adrián Fernández, Bryan Herta, Tracy, Cristiano da Matta, and Tony Kanaan. Jimmy Vasser struggled with understeer and qualified 11th,May 5, 2001 Patrick Racing Qualifying Report http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=537 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20021117223021/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=537 November 17, 2002 June 6, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams ahead of Dario Franchitti in 12th and Michael Andretti in 13th. Papis accelerated too early and looped his car one and a half times in turn four, but managed to avoid hitting anything.http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=543 Lola Racing Report 2001-05-05 https://web.archive.org/web/20030404011945/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=543 2003-04-04 dead 2017-05-19 Championship Auto Racing Teams He was limited to one timed lap in his second qualifying attempt and took the 14th position. De Ferran started 15th with an understeering car; Roberto Moreno, Christian Fittipaldi, Tora Takagi, Shinji Nakano, and Tagliani rounded out the top-20. Alex Zanardi resorted to a backup car because of mechanical issues in the morning practice session and started 21st,May 5, 2001 Alex Zanardi Nazareth Qualifying Notes & Quotes http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=548 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20021117223147/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=548 November 17, 2002 June 6, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams with Patrick Carpentier in 22nd, Scott Dixon in 23rd, and Max Wilson in 24th. Nicolas Minassian was the only driver who did not complete his qualifying attempt. In the second turn, Minassian slammed the outside wall with such force that an oil line ruptured, causing his car to burst into flames. Minassian was uninjured, but was forced to switch to a backup car for the race and occupy the 25th and final position on the starting grid. Qualifying classification + Final qualifying results Pos. Position No. Car Number Driver Team Time Speed Speed in miles per hour Grid Final starting grid position1 4BRA Bruno JunqueiraChip Ganassi Racing19.700172.873 12 8SWE Kenny BräckTeam Rahal19.738172.540 23 16MEX Michel Jourdain Jr.Bettenhausen Racing19.950170.707 34 22ESP Oriol ServiàSigma Autosport19.996170.314 45 3BRA Hélio CastronevesTeam Penske20.007170.220 56 51MEX Adrián FernándezFernández Racing20.059169.779 67 77USA Bryan HertaForsythe Racing20.064169.737 78 26CAN Paul TracyTeam Green20.148169.029 89 6BRA Cristiano da MattaNewman/Haas Racing20.162168.912 910 55BRA Tony KanaanMo Nunn Racing20.187168.703 1011 40USA Jimmy VasserPatrick Racing20.191168.669 1112 27GBR Dario FranchittiTeam Green20.201168.586 1213 39USA Michael AndrettiTeam Motorola20.205168.552 1314 7ITA Max PapisTeam Rahal20.297167.788 1415 1BRA Gil de FerranTeam Penske20.319167.607 1516 20BRA Roberto MorenoPatrick Racing20.353 167.327 1617 11BRA Christian FittipaldiNewman/Haas Racing20.406166.892 1718 5JAP Toranosuke TakagiWalker Racing20.414166.827 1819 52JAP Shinji NakanoFernández Racing20.455166.492 1920 33CAN Alex TaglianiForsythe Racing20.459166.460 2021 66ITA Alex ZanardiMo Nunn Racing20.505166.086 2122 32CAN Patrick CarpentierForsythe Racing20.549165.731 2223 18NZL Scott DixonPacWest Racing20.681164.673 2324 25BRA Max WilsonArciero-Brooke Racing21.117161.273 2425 12FRA Nicolas MinassianChip Ganassi Racing—— 25 Sources: Warm-up The drivers took to the track at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (UTC−05:00) on Sunday for a 30-minute warm-up session. Bräck posted the fastest time of the session at 20.894 seconds, with Castroneves in second, Takagi third, Junqueira fourth, and Carpentier fifth.May 6, 2001 Brack Leads Morning Warmup At Nazareth http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=551 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20021225174521/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=551 December 25, 2002 June 6, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams2001 Lehigh Valley Grand Prix Presented by Toyota - Warm-up Results http://www.cart.com/Results/SessionResults.asp?ID=18 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20011215175801/http://www.cart.com/Results/SessionResults.asp?ID=18 December 15, 2001 June 6, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams Papis' left-rear tire was punctured, causing CART to issue a caution flag to inspect the track. Later in the session, Dixon and Wilson both spun on the front stretch in separate incidents.May 6, 2001 Lehigh Valley Grand Prix Presented By Toyota--Sunday Morning Press Notes http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=554 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20030325015346/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=554 March 25, 2003 June 6, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams Race thumb|288x288px|Kenny Bräck (pictured in 2011) led the most laps, but finished in second place. The cloudy weather that dampened Saturday's track activities gave way for sunny skies on Sunday. Air temperatures were recorded from 67 to 68 F on, while track temperatures ranged from 112 to 114 F on.May 6, 2001 Firestone Nazareth Race Report http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=557 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20021117222952/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=557 November 17, 2002 June 6, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams Approximately 25,000 spectators attended the race.Phillips David May 6, 2001 David Phillips’ Sunday Nazareth Notebook http://www.speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/03CART/010506c.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20010905172634/http://www.speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/03CART/010506c.html September 5, 2001 June 6, 2026 Speedvision Roger Penske commanded the drivers to start their engines.April 11, 2001 Penske Named Grand Marshal For CART Nazareth Race http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=333 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20030325012825/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=333 March 25, 2003 June 6, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams The drivers lined up two-by-two for a rolling start and the race began at 1:05 p.m.http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=565 Lehigh Valley Grand Prix Presented by Toyota - Sunday Afternoon Press Notes May 6, 2001 https://web.archive.org/web/20030627145124/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=565 June 27, 2003 dead May 19, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams Bräck pulled ahead of Junqueira in the first turn to take the lead, as did Servià to Jourdain for third place.Shaw Jeremy May 6, 2001 Dixon Takes Maiden Champ Car Win http://www.speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/03CART/010506a.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20011124145403/http://www.speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/03CART/010506a.html November 24, 2001 June 6, 2026 Speedvision Nazareth, Pennsylvania Shortly after, the first caution flag of the race was flown when Bryan Herta spun to the inside of the track and sustained minimal front wing damage. As the field prepared to restart on lap four, Castroneves spun in the third turn and lost six positions, causing the second caution to be thrown. Meanwhile, Servià overtook Junqueira for second place. During the caution period, Dixon made a pit stop for 3 U.S.gal L on of fuel as part of his race strategy. Green-flag racing resumed on the tenth lap, with Bräck, Servià, Junqueira, Jourdain, and Fernández in the top-five. Carpentier's car experienced an engine failure on lap 29, forcing him to retire from the race. As for leader Bräck, his advantage over Servià had grown to five seconds by the 30th lap. It began to dwindle, however, as Bräck struggled to maneuver around Dixon, who was also stuck behind Alex Zanardi. When Dixon finally passed Zanardi on the 48th lap, Zanardi aggressively blocked Bräck in the first turn. It took 20 laps for Bräck to lap Zanardi. On lap 73, the third caution was issued for Jourdain, who spun from fourth place on the front stretch. Though his car was undamaged, he dropped a lap down. All of the leaders chose to make pit stops under the caution; Bräck and Servià maintained their top-two positions, while Cristiano da Matta improved from sixth to third and Junqueira fell from third to 11th. Tracy also lost several positions as he was inadvertently blocked in by da Matta's crew. Papis, meanwhile, retired from the race with a gearbox malfunction. The race restarted on lap 82, and Bräck took off from the rest of the field once again, gaining a 2.4-second lead ahead of Servià over the next 30 laps. Castroneves also managed to climb his way up to the fifth position on the restart. On lap 113, Takagi spun coming out of the fourth corner, bringing out the caution for the fourth time. He managed to keep the car off the wall and drove off without stopping.May 6, 2001 Walker Racing Report http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=575 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20021117223154/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=575 November 17, 2002 June 6, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams Vasser, Tracy, Junqueira, Dixon, and four other drivers pitted for tires and fuel on the 116th lap while the leaders stayed on track. A restart on lap 119 was followed two laps later by the race's fifth caution flag. De Ferran attempted to pass Tagliani entering turn three, but Tagliani did not see de Ferran and steered into his path, causing both cars to crash into the wall.Cipolloni Mark May 6, 2001 Scott Dixon gets 1st CART win at Nazareth http://www.autoracing1.com/htmfiles/2001/CART/0506NazarethRace.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/20010607094616/http://www.autoracing1.com/htmfiles/2001/CART/0506NazarethRace.htm June 7, 2001 June 6, 2026 AutoRacing1 The caution was prolonged to allow safety crews to extract Tagliani from his car. He complained of muscle soreness on the left side of his back and was transported to the CART medical center, where he was examined by Dr. Stephen Olvey.http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=568 Team Players Nazareth Report May 6, 2001 https://web.archive.org/web/20030627151913/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=568 June 27, 2003 dead May 19, 2017 Championship Auto Racing Teams During the caution period, the top four drivers (Bräck, Servià, da Matta, and Fernández) stopped for tires and fuel on the 124th lap. Bräck was the first to exit pit road and rejoined the race in tenth, which allowed Tony Kanaan, Dario Franchitti, Shinji Nakano, Tracy, Dixon, Jimmy Vasser, Christian Fittipaldi, Jourdain, and Junqueira to assume the top-nine positions. The first three drivers would be forced to pit after having remained on the track since lap 76, while drivers in positions four-through-nine would have to rely on fuel-saving measures to make it to the end of the race without stopping. Franchitti was the first of the three leaders to pit on lap 141; by the time he exited pit road, he had fallen to 16th place. Nine laps earlier, Herta retired from the race because of a mechanical issue. left|thumb|240x240px|Scott Dixon (pictured in 2007) earned his first and only CART win. Kanaan led the field back up to speed on the 143rd lap. Bräck immediately began climbing up the running order, jumping from ninth to seventh on the restart.Miller Robin Robin Miller (journalist) May 6, 2001 Sunday Nazareth Notebook http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=564 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20030325015418/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=564 March 25, 2003 June 7, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams As Nakano made several unsuccessful attempts to overtake Kanaan for the lead, Bräck passed Fittipaldi for sixth on the 161st lap and Vasser for fifth on the 164th lap, while Dixon got by Tracy for the third position. Tracy was then passed by Bräck on lap 167, dropping him to fifth. One lap later, Zanardi was handed a stop-and-go penalty for speeding on pit road. Nakano gave up the second position to pit for fuel on the 182nd lap and lost a lap to the leaders. Fernández pulled into pit road on lap 187 with an electrical issue that kept him from completing any more laps. On lap 190, Kanaan relinquished the lead to Dixon for fuel, but not before nearly colliding into Bräck as he steered to pit road. As Bräck struggled to gain pace exiting the corners, Dixon opened a 0.9-second gap over him by the 210th lap. The sixth caution of the race was prompted on lap 215 when Jourdain lost control of his car in the fourth turn and nearly collected Fittipaldi as he spun down the track. With no drivers electing to make a pit stop, the race was restarted three laps later with Dixon leading ahead of Bräck, Tracy, Vasser, and Fittipaldi. Dixon held onto the lead for the last seven laps and earned his first career win in his third CART race.May 6, 2001 CART Sunday Race Summary http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=574 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20030125184022/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=574 January 25, 2003 June 7, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams He became the youngest winner in the series' history at the age of 20 years, nine months, and 14 days old.The record was previously held by Greg Moore, who was 22 years, one month, and 10 days old when he won the 1997 Miller 200 at the Milwaukee Mile. It was later broken by Nelson Philippe, who was 20 years, two months, and 29 days old when he won the 2006 Lexmark Indy 300 at the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit.CHAMPCAR/CART: Philippe scores maiden victory at Surfers Paradise Motorsport.com Motorsport Network https://motorsport.com/indycar/news/champcar-cart-philippe-scores-maiden-victory-at-surfers-paradise/ June 7, 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20160730005402/https://motorsport.com/indycar/news/champcar-cart-philippe-scores-maiden-victory-at-surfers-paradise/ July 30, 2016 age It also marked PacWest Racing's first win in CART since the 1997 Marlboro 500 at California Speedway. Bräck finished second, 0.366 seconds behind Dixon, and Tracy came in third. The remaining points-scoring positions were occupied by Vasser, Fittipaldi, Andretti, Junqueira, Franchitti, Servià, da Matta, Castroneves, and Moreno. Jourdain, Takagi, Nakano, Kanaan, Wilson, and Minassian were the final classified finishers. During the course of the race, the lead was swapped twice between three different drivers. Bräck led a race-high 125 laps, while winner Dixon led once for a total of 36 laps.2001 Lehigh Valley Grand Prix https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/2001_Lehigh_Valley_Grand_Prix/R live https://web.archive.org/web/20240908074028/https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/2001_Lehigh_Valley_Grand_Prix/R September 8, 2024 June 7, 2026 Racing-Reference NASCAR Digital Media Post-race During a press conference after the race, Dixon discussed how he managed to successfully save fuel to the end: "Our car was very good exiting the corners. There was a lot of radio communication with the team to see if I could go the distance on fuel quite happily. I saved fuel early in the run and was able to run full rich at the end. I think Kenny and Paul had to conserve a little, and I was able to build a cushion."May 6, 2001 Race: Dixon takes shock win at Nazareth https://www.autosport.com/general/news/race-dixon-takes-shock-win-at-nazareth-5005624/5005624/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20230129123625/https://www.autosport.com/general/news/race-dixon-takes-shock-win-at-nazareth-5005624/5005624/ January 29, 2023 June 7, 2026 Autosport Motorsport Network He admitted he was unsure how the win would affect the team following the death of Maurício Gugelmin's son, but stated that it is "just the lift they’ve needed."Mauk Eric May 7, 2001 Nazareth Post-Race Spin http://speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/03CART/010507a.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20020203191945/http://speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/03CART/010507a.html February 3, 2002 June 7, 2026 Speedvision Concord, North Carolina PacWest Racing owner Bruce McCaw likened the weekend to a "roller coaster," but praised Dixon for driving "a smart race." Though Dixon never won again in CART, he went on to earn 58 more victories in American open-wheel car racing, all of which came in the Indy Racing League (IRL) IndyCar Series, which rank him second on the all-time wins list as of 2026.Scott Dixon https://www.racing-reference.info/driver/Scott_Dixon/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20240908074028/https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/2001_Lehigh_Valley_Grand_Prix/R September 8, 2024 June 7, 2026 Racing-Reference NASCAR Digital Media This was also the fifth and final win for PacWest Racing before they shut down in May 2002.May 16, 2002 PWR Championship Racing News http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=3332 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20030630164707/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=3332 June 30, 2003 June 7, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams Bräck was left disappointed with his runner-up finish and desired to win "one, at least one", saying: "We did a good job all race today. I really don’t know how we got into this position. I’m still surprised where I ended up. I have to look at the replay to see what happened. Scott did a great job because I tried everything." He later stated that he was unable to reel Dixon in because "he didn't make a mistake and there wasn't any traffic at the end to bog him down." Tracy, in third, said that he and his team expected Dixon to pit one more time for fuel, and explained: "I got a little angry on the (third) restart, got the fire in my eyes and got by a couple of guys."May 6, 2001 Honda Racing Report http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=571 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20021117223632/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=571 November 17, 2002 June 7, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams Although Junqueira's seventh-place finish was the best of his career at the time, he spoke on the many mistakes he made throughout the race and hoped to learn from them in order to improve on his oval racing skills. Jourdain was displeased by his 13th-place result and voiced his frustrations about Herta, who he blamed for his spin on lap 73: "I don't know if Bryan had a problem with his car or what, but he was a lap down. At the time I was in fourth place and he let the first three cars go by him with no problem. [...] But he balked me and sent me into the grass."May 6, 2001 Herdez Bettenhausen Post-Race Notes http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=567 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20021117222757/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=567 November 17, 2002 June 7, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams Tagliani, who underwent a medical examination at his hometown, Montreal, explained his side of his and de Ferran's lap-121 accident: "I knew Gil was coming up on the inside pretty fast. I gave him some room but I needed to make the turn. That's when his front right wheel caught my back left tire and sent me sliding somewhat backwards into the wall." De Ferran had a different opinion of the incident, claiming that Tagliani "decided to close the door on me." After the race, he and Team Penske teammate Castroneves traveled to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to practice for the upcoming Indianapolis 500. The final race result meant that da Matta and Tracy had tied for the Drivers' Championship lead, with both having scored 40 points.May 6, 2001 Tracy Ties For Championship Lead At Nazareth http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=570 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20021118030357/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=570 November 18, 2002 June 7, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams Vasser also shared the third position with de Ferran as they were tied on 30 points. Castroneves rounded out the top-five with one less point than Vasser and de Ferran. Reynard continued leading the Constructors' Cup standings with 58 points, but Lola was still only one point away. By earning a total of 58 points, Toyota took the lead in the Manufacturers' Cup standings; Honda trailed by six points, while Ford-Cosworth was 26 points in arrears with 17 races left in the season.Standings after Lehigh Valley Grand Prix Presented by Toyota http://www.cart.com/Standings.asp?EventID=4 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20011222083555/http://www.cart.com/Standings.asp?EventID=4 December 22, 2001 June 7, 2026 Championship Auto Racing Teams Despite CART's efforts to return to Nazareth Speedway,May 7, 2001 CART boss says Nazareth could gain reprieve https://www.autosport.com/general/news/cart-boss-says-nazareth-could-gain-reprieve-5005626/5005626/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20230208110546/https://www.autosport.com/general/news/cart-boss-says-nazareth-could-gain-reprieve-5005626/5005626/ February 8, 2023 June 7, 2026 Autosport Motorsport Network this would ultimately be the series' last race at the track. The event was included in the rivaling IRL schedule from 2002 to 2004. Race classification Drivers who scored championship points are denoted in bold. + Final race resultsPos. PositionNo. Car numberDriverTeamLaps Laps completedTime/RetiredGrid Final starting grid positionPoints1 18NZL Scott DixonPacWest Racing2251:51:12.419 23 202 8Sweden Kenny BräckTeam Rahal225 +0.366 2 171 13 26Canada Paul TracyTeam Green225 +1.344 8 144 40USA Jimmy VasserPatrick Racing225 +1.744 11 125 11Brazil Christian FittipaldiNewman-Haas Racing225 +4.225 17 106 39USA Michael AndrettiTeam Motorola225 +6.401 13 87 4Brazil Bruno JunqueiraChip Ganassi Racing225 +9.193 1 72 28 27UK Dario FranchittiTeam Green225 +9.292 12 59 22Spain Oriol ServiàSigma Autosport225 +12.321 4 410 6Brazil Cristiano da MattaNewman-Haas Racing225 +12.557 9 311 3Brazil Hélio CastronevesTeam Penske225 +13.379 5 212 20Brazil Roberto MorenoPatrick Racing225 +14.207 16 113 16Mexico Michel Jourdain Jr.Bettenhausen Racing224 +1 lap 314 5Japan Toranosuke TakagiWalker Racing224 +1 lap 1815 52Japan Shinji NakanoFernández Racing224 +1 lap 1916 55Brazil Tony KanaanMo Nunn Racing224 +1 lap 1017 25Brazil Max WilsonArciero-Brooke Racing222 +3 laps 2418 12France Nicolas MinassianChip Ganassi Racing220 +5 laps 2519 51Mexico Adrián FernándezFernández Racing186Electrical 620 66Italy Alex ZanardiMo Nunn Racing167Gearbox 2121 77USA Bryan HertaForsythe Racing132Clutch 722 33Canada Alex TaglianiForsythe Racing120Contact 2023 1Brazil Gil de FerranTeam Penske120Contact 1524 7Italy Max PapisTeam Rahal76Gear Cable 1425 32Canada Patrick CarpentierForsythe Racing28Electronics 22 Sources:2001 Lehigh Valley Grand Prix Presented by Toyota - Race Results Championship Auto Racing Teams http://www.cart.com/Results/SessionResults.asp?ID=19 August 4, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20030702000511/http://www.cart.com/Results/SessionResults.asp?ID=19 July 2, 2003 Notes 1 1 – Includes one bonus point for leading the most laps.http://www.cart.com:80/About/RuleBook2001.pdf CART FedEx Championship Series - 2001 Rule Book March 2001 https://web.archive.org/web/20030401080437/http://www.cart.com:80/About/RuleBook2001.pdf April 1, 2003 dead June 6, 2026 Championship Auto Racing TeamsRule 7.1 2 2 – Includes one bonus point for being the fastest qualifier.Rule 7.1 Broadcasting In the United States, the race was broadcast live on ABC. Paul Page was the play-by-play commentator, and former CART driver Parker Johnstone provided driver analysis. Jon Beekhuis and Gary Gerould reported from pit road.Nazareth 225 May 6, 2001 Television production en ABC Nazareth, Pennsylvania ABC Sports Page, Paul, Johnstone, Parker (commentators) The broadcast received a 1.3 overnight rating, a 1.1 final national rating, and a 4 share. The qualifying session, which was shown tape-delayed on ESPN2, had a national rating of 0.1.King Bill May 11, 2001 TV – Who Watched What, May 4-7 http://www.speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/08inews/010509b.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20010602050007/http://www.speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/08inews/010509b.html June 2, 2001 June 6, 2026 Speedvision New York, New York Championship standings after the race + Drivers' Championship standings +/- Pos. Position Driver Points 10px1Brazil Cristiano da Matta40 10px 22Canada Paul Tracy40 (–0) 10px 23USA Jimmy Vasser30 (–10) 10px 14Brazil Gil de Ferran30 (–10) 10px 25Brazil Hélio Castroneves29 (–11)Sources: + Constructors' Cup standings +/- Pos. Position Constructor Points 10px1UK Reynard 58 10px2UK Lola 54 (–4)Source: + Manufacturers' Cup standings +/- Pos. Position Constructor Points 10px 11JPN Toyota 58 10px 12JPN Honda 52 (–6) 10px3UK Ford-Cosworth 32 (–25)Source: Notes References Lehigh Valley Grand Prix 2001 2001 Firestone Firehawk 600 2001 Firestone Firehawk 500 2000 Lehigh Valley Grand Prix 2002 Firestone Indy 225(Indy Racing League event) Lehigh Valley Grand Prix, 2001 Category:Nazareth Speedway Category:May 2001 sports events in North America