2001 Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200

October 2025 IndyCar race held in Avondale, Arizona USA Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200 2001 Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200.jpg March 18 2001 Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200 2000 Excite 500 2001 Infiniti Grand Prix of Miami Indy Racing Northern Light Series 1 13 Phoenix International Raceway, Avondale, Arizona Permanent racing facility 1.000 1.609 200 200.000 321.869 Greg Ray Team Menard 20.2631 USA Billy Boat Curb-Agajanian-Beck Motorsports 21.3309 93 USA Sam Hornish Jr. Panther Racing USA Eliseo Salazar A. J. Foyt Racing CHI Buddy Lazier Hemelgarn Racing USA The 2001 Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200 was an Indy Racing Northern Light Series motor race held on March 18, 2001, in Avondale, Arizona at Phoenix International Raceway. It was the first round of the 2001 Indy Racing Northern Light Series. Panther Racing driver Sam Hornish Jr. won the 200-lap race. Eliseo Salazar of A. J. Foyt Racing finished second and Buddy Lazier finished third for Hemelgarn Racing. Greg Ray won the pole position by posting the fastest lap of qualifying. Second-place qualifier Hornish Jr. quickly passed him and held the first position until Ray reclaimed the lead on lap 68. Ray made a pit stop on lap 74 and relinquished the lead to Gil de Ferran, who crashed while entering pit road three laps later. After Hélio Castroneves and Scott Sharp made their stops, Ray took the lead once again. By lap 119, Ray began experiencing engine issues, allowing Stéphan Grégoire to take the lead. Hornish Jr. moved into the first position by virtue of a quick pit stop, and after Grégoire crashed on lap 132, he led the remaining laps to earn the victory. There were five cautions and seven lead changes among six drivers during the race. The victory was Hornish Jr.'s first of his career, and he became the youngest winner in Indy Racing Northern Light Series history (a record which was broken in 2006). After the race, Hornish Jr. held a twelve-point lead in the Drivers' Championship over Salazar. Oldsmobile also had the Manufacturers' Championship by four points over Nissan. Background 2001 Indy Racing League#Teams and drivers left|thumb|250x250px|Phoenix International Raceway (pictured in 2011), where the race was held. The Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200 was the first of 13 scheduled open-wheel races for the 2001 Indy Racing Northern Light Series.September 12, 2000 Final 2001 Northern Light Series Schedule Set At 13 Races http://www.indyracingleague.com/press/2000/series/schedule-09122000.php3 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20001030105937/http://www.indyracingleague.com/press/2000/series/schedule-09122000.php3 October 30, 2000 October 26, 2025 Indy Racing League It was held on March 18, 2001, in Avondale, Arizona, United States, at Phoenix International Raceway, a four-turn 1 mi km on paved oval track with 11-degree banking in the first two turns and 9-degree banking in the last two turns, marking the fifty-sixth American open-wheel car race at the track dating back to 1964, and contested over 200 laps and 200 mi km out.March 6, 2001 Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200 Fast Facts http://www.indyracing.com/press/2001/phoenix/fastfacts-03062001.php3 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20010715021035/http://www.indyracing.com/press/2001/phoenix/fastfacts-03062001.php3 July 15, 2001 October 26, 2025 Indy Racing League To prepare for the race, the Indy Racing League (IRL) conducted a test, named the "Test of the West," for the series' entrants at Phoenix International Raceway on February 9–10. Both sessions began at 9:00 AM Mountain Standard Time (MST) and concluded at 5:00 PM.IRL: Test in the West: fast facts https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-test-in-the-west-fast-facts-2008-03-27/1858698/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251027235000/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-test-in-the-west-fast-facts-2008-03-27/1858698/ October 27, 2025 October 27, 2025 Motorsport.com Stéphan Grégoire was fastest of the 12 drivers who took part in the incident-free session on February 9 with a top speed of 176.808 mph km/h on.February 9, 2001 IRL: Gregoire fastest on first day of Test in the West https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-gregoire-fastest-on-first-day-of-test-in-the-west/1859462/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251028003016/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-gregoire-fastest-on-first-day-of-test-in-the-west/1859462/ October 28, 2025 October 28, 2025 Motorsport.com Fourteen drivers participated in the session on February 10, which also went without any accidents and was led by Greg Ray with a top speed of 174.906 mph km/h on.February 10, 2001 IRL: Ray fastest Saturday; Gregoire stays on top overall https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-ray-fastest-saturday-gregoire-stays-on-top-overall/1859574/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251028004333/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-ray-fastest-saturday-gregoire-stays-on-top-overall/1859574/ October 28, 2025 October 28, 2025 Motorsport.com Twenty-seven cars were entered for the race, represented by two different chassis manufacturers and two different engine manufacturers.March 6, 2001 Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200 - Entry List http://indyracingleague.com/press/2001/phoenix/entrylist-03062001.php3 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20010822172137/http://indyracingleague.com/press/2001/phoenix/entrylist-03062001.php3 August 22, 2001 October 27, 2025 Indy Racing League Among those who partook in the race were Team Penske drivers Gil de Ferran and Hélio Castroneves, both of whom were regulars in the rivaling CART FedEx Championship Series and used the race as a warm-up for the forthcoming Indianapolis 500.Crowley Joe January 18, 2001 Team Penske Returning To Indy, Racing In Opener At Phoenix http://indy500.com/press/2001/penske-01182001.php3 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20010411142054/http://indy500.com/press/2001/penske-01182001.php3 April 11, 2001 October 27, 2025 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Buddy Lazier, who entered the season as the defending champion of the race and the series,ISM Raceway http://www.champcarstats.com/tracks/phoenixpaved.htm live https://web.archive.org/web/20250416230436/http://www.champcarstats.com/tracks/phoenixpaved.htm April 16, 2025 October 26, 2025 ChampCarStats.comJanuary 19, 2001 IRL: Lazier to keep No. 91 during title defense in 2001 https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-lazier-to-keep-no-91-during-title-defense-in-2001/1856306/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251027204144/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-lazier-to-keep-no-91-during-title-defense-in-2001/1856306/ October 27, 2025 October 27, 2025 Motorsport.com aimed to win the season-opener by focusing on his late-race performance.Reininger David March 15, 2001 IRL: Buddy Lazier ready to defend title https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-buddy-lazier-ready-to-defend-title/1866243/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251028202709/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-buddy-lazier-ready-to-defend-title/1866243/ October 28, 2025 October 28, 2025 Motorsport.com Phoenix, Arizona With two rookie drivers—Casey Mears and Didier André—joining Al Unser Jr. at Galles Racing, Unser Jr. predicted that the season would be "unbelievable" for him and his team.IRL: Galles Phoenix preview https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-galles-phoenix-preview/1865639/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251028205304/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-galles-phoenix-preview/1865639/ October 28, 2025 October 28, 2025 Motorsport.com Despite Sam Hornish Jr.'s poor finishes at the circuit, he hoped to win in his first race with Panther Racing.March 9, 2001 IRL: Phoenix preview quotes https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-preview-quotes/1864639/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251029014423/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-preview-quotes/1864639/ October 29, 2025 October 29, 2025 Motorsport.com Phoenix, Arizona Eddie Cheever believed his new Infiniti Indy 35A engine would bring him success in the season so long as it "progressed" well throughout the races.IRL: Cheever Phoenix preview https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-cheever-phoenix-preview/1866171/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251029015521/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-cheever-phoenix-preview/1866171/ October 29, 2025 October 29, 2025 Motorsport.com Practice and qualifying Three practice sessions preceded the race on Sunday, two on Friday and one on Saturday. The first and third sessions lasted 90 minutes and the second lasted 60 minutes. For each session, the race's entrants were split into two groups who received equal track time.IRL: Phoenix Copper World Indy 200 Schedule https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-copper-world-indy-200-schedule/1862178/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251029195313/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-copper-world-indy-200-schedule/1862178/ October 29, 2025 October 29, 2025 Motorsport.com Hornish Jr. led the first practice session on Friday morning with a time of 20.7551 seconds, besting Eliseo Salazar, Stan Wattles, Ray, and Sarah Fisher.IRL: Phoenix Friday AM Practice Times https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-friday-am-practice-times/1866539/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251029205709/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-friday-am-practice-times/1866539/ October 29, 2025 October 29, 2025 Motorsport.com Mark Dismore and Cheever both suffered mechanical issues, while debris came off of André's car.March 16, 2001 Day 1 - Friday, March 16, 2001 http://www.indyracingleague.com/press/2001/phoenix/notes-03162001.php3 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20020826175551/http://www.indyracingleague.com/press/2001/phoenix/notes-03162001.php3 August 26, 2002 October 29, 2025 Indy Racing League Later that day, Wattles was fastest in the second practice session with a time of 20.9074 seconds, ahead of Cheever, Lazier, Billy Boat, and Salazar.IRL: Phoenix Friday PM Practice Times https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-friday-pm-practice-times/1866543/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251029235415/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-friday-pm-practice-times/1866543/ October 29, 2025 October 29, 2025 Motorsport.com Ray lapped the quickest time of the third practice session on Saturday morning at 20.3917 seconds, with de Ferran, Lazier, Grégoire, and Hornish Jr. rounding out the top-five.IRL: Phoenix Saturday practice https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-saturday-practice/1866859/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251030000349/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-saturday-practice/1866859/ October 30, 2025 October 30, 2025 Motorsport.com Hornish Jr. caused a five-minute stoppage in the session after spinning on the blend line in turn two, although he did not receive any damage.March 17, 2001 Day 2 - Saturday, March 17, 2001 http://www.indyracingleague.com/press/2001/phoenix/notes-03172001.php3 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20020826175230/http://www.indyracingleague.com/press/2001/phoenix/notes-03172001.php3 August 26, 2002 October 30, 2025 Indy Racing League "Team Menard loves to start first. This is a good group of guys working hard. New team, new manager, new engineer, a lot of new mechanics. It's a whole new group of guys. We have a great chemistry. Everybody is working together. I really need to focus on having a lot better races this year. I really make it no secret that I enjoy qualifying. I love that single speed event. But it does nothing for the championship." Greg Ray, following the qualifying session. left 30% Qualifying began on Saturday under sunny conditions. Each driver was required to complete two timed laps, with the fastest of the two laps determining their starting position. Ray earned the tenth pole position of his career, and his third consecutive at Phoenix, with a time of 20.2631 seconds and was joined on the grid's front row by Hornish Jr., who was nearly one tenth of a second slower.IRL: Phoenix qualifying times https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-qualifying-times/1866907/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251030004427/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-qualifying-times/1866907/ October 30, 2025 October 30, 2025 Motorsport.comMittman Dick March 17, 2001 Ray Makes His Point With Third Straight Pole At Phoenix http://indyracingleague.com/press/2001/phoenix/gray-03172001.php3 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20010418051306/http://indyracingleague.com/press/2001/phoenix/gray-03172001.php3 April 18, 2001 October 30, 2025 Indy Racing League Jeff Ward qualified third in his first race with the new Heritage Motorsports teamHeritage Motorsports, Ward can win at Phoenix https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-heritage-motorsports-ward-can-win-at-phoenix/1865607/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251030005250/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-heritage-motorsports-ward-can-win-at-phoenix/1865607/ October 30, 2025 October 30, 2025 Motorsport.com and Grégoire occupied fourth place, the best qualifying effort of his career.Stephan Gregoire - NTT IndyCar Series Results (races) https://www.racing-reference.info/rquery?id=gregost01&trk=t0&series=O live https://web.archive.org/web/20230306195306/https://www.racing-reference.info/rquery?id=gregost01&trk=t0&series=O March 6, 2023 October 30, 2025 Racing-Reference.info NASCAR Digital Media Positions fifth through tenth were occupied by de Ferran, Lazier, Boat, Robbie Buhl, Felipe Giaffone, and Scott Sharp.2001 Phoenix Indycars https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/2001-phoenix-indycars/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250419151341/https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/2001-phoenix-indycars/ April 19, 2025 October 30, 2025 Motorsport Magazine Buzz Calkins experienced oversteer during his qualifying run and was the fastest driver not to qualify inside the top ten.March 17, 2001 IRL: Calkins grids 11th for series opener https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-calkins-grids-11th-for-series-opener/1867279/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251030012907/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-calkins-grids-11th-for-series-opener/1867279/ October 30, 2025 October 30, 2025 Motorsport.com Heavy winds during the qualifying session prevented Cheever from qualifying higher than 12th,IRL: Cheever solid in qualifying https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-cheever-solid-in-qualifying/1866991/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251030210829/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-cheever-solid-in-qualifying/1866991/ October 30, 2025 October 30, 2025 Motorsport.com Phoenix, Arizona while Salazar and Wattles, starting from 13th and 14th, used too much downforce for their liking. Mark Dismore qualified 15th after lifting off the accelerator pedal in turns three and four,March 17, 2001 IRL: Phoenix qualifying notes https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-qualifying-notes/1866847/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251030211724/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-qualifying-notes/1866847/ October 30, 2025 October 30, 2025 Motorsport.com with Robby McGehee in 16th and Castroneves in 17th.2001 Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200 https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/2001_Pennzoil_Copper_World_Indy_200/O live https://web.archive.org/web/20210613002253/https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/2001_Pennzoil_Copper_World_Indy_200/O/ June 13, 2021 October 30, 2025 Racing-Reference.info NASCAR Digital Media The final ten starting positions were claimed by Airton Daré, Tyce Carlson, Davey Hamilton, Sarah Fisher, Jeret Schroeder, Unser Jr., Shigeaki Hattori, Mears, Brandon Erwin, and André.Phoenix starting line up https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-starting-line-up/1866911/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251030213233/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-starting-line-up/1866911/ October 30, 2025 October 30, 2025 Motorsport.com Boat, McGehee, and Fisher were each limited to one timed lap due to failing pre-qualifying technical inspection. Qualifying classification Pos Position No. Car Number Driver Team Time Time in seconds Speed Speed in MPH Grid Final starting grid position 1 2 USA Greg Ray Team Menard 20.2631 177.6631 24 USA Sam Hornish Jr. Panther Racing 20.3619 176.8012 335 USA Jeff Ward Heritage Motorsports 20.4883 175.7103 47 FRA Stéphan Grégoire Dick Simon Racing 20.6372 174.4424 566 BRA Gil de Ferran Team Penske 20.6897 174.0005 691 USA Buddy Lazier Hemelgarn Racing 20.6966 173.9426 798 USA Billy Boat Curb-Agajanian-Beck Motorsports 20.7898 173.1627 824 USA Robbie Buhl Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 20.7955 173.1148 921 BRA Felipe Giaffone Treadway-Hubbard Racing 20.8034 173.0499 108 USA Scott Sharp Kelley Racing 20.8097 172.99610 1112 USA Buzz Calkins Bradley Motorsports 20.8352 172.78511 1251 USA Eddie Cheever Cheever Indy Racing 20.8501 172.66112 1314 CHI Eliseo Salazar A. J. Foyt Racing 20.8547 172.62313 1492 USA Stan Wattles Hemelgarn Racing 20.8560 172.61214 1528 USA Mark Dismore Kelley Racing 20.8666 172.52515 1610 USA Robby McGehee Cahill Racing 20.9064 172.19616 1768 BRA Hélio Castroneves Team Penske 20.9285 172.01417 1888 BRA Airton Daré Team Xtreme Racing 21.2188 169.66118 196 USA Tyce Carlson TriStar Motorsports 21.2304 169.56819 2099 USA Davey Hamilton Sam Schmidt Motorsports 21.2618 169.31820 2115 USA Sarah Fisher Walker Racing 21.3209 168.84821 229 USA Jeret Schroeder PDM Racing 21.3531 168.59422 233 USA Al Unser Jr. Galles Racing 21.6883 165.98823 2455 JAP Shigeaki Hattori Vertex-Cunningham Racing 21.7637 165.41324 2531 USA Casey Mears Galles Racing 21.8585 164.69625 2630 USA Brandon Erwin McCormack Motorsports 22.3791 160.86426 2732 FRA Didier André Galles Racing 22.8211 157.74927 Sources: Warm-up The drivers took to the track on Sunday at 10:00 AM MST for a thirty-minute warm-up session. Lazier posted the fastest lap of the session at 170.891 mph km/h on, beating Grégoire, Sharp, Hornish Jr., and Salazar. Wattles spun in the first turn eleven minutes into the session but did not receive any damage.March 18, 2001 Day 3 - Sunday, March 18, 2001 http://www.indyracingleague.com/press/2001/phoenix/notes-03182001.php3 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20021108034948/http://www.indyracingleague.com/press/2001/phoenix/notes-03182001.php3 November 8, 2002 October 31, 2025 Indy Racing League Race Live television coverage of the race began at 2:00 PM MST on ABC in the United States.March 14, 2001 IRL: Phoenix Copper World happenings https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-copper-world-happenings/1865843/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251031195427/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-copper-world-happenings/1865843/ October 31, 2025 October 31, 2025 Motorsport.com Commentary was provided by Bob Jenkins, Larry Rice, and Jason Priestley.Green Ron March 17, 2001 New Faces, Telemetry, Cameras Added To Indy Racing Telecasts http://www.indyracingleague.com/press/2001/phoenix/telecast-03172001.php3 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20020826180110/http://www.indyracingleague.com/press/2001/phoenix/telecast-03172001.php3 August 26, 2002 October 31, 2025 Indy Racing League Around the start of the race, weather conditions were sunny, with air temperatures at 77 F C on and track temperatures at 117 F C on. Mark Wingler of the IRL Ministry began prerace ceremonies with an invocation. The national anthem was performed by trumpeter Jesse McGuire and actor Verne Troyer commanded the drivers to start their engines. Ward initially struggled to fire his engine, but joined the track after his team fixed his issue. The green flag was waved by Bob Bove, president of the Arizonian division of Jiffy Lube, to signify the start of the race. Hornish Jr. pulled ahead of Ray in the first turn to take the lead on the first lap. Carlson slowed on the front stretch that same lap but eventually managed to pick up his pace. On lap 20, the first caution flag was issued when Erwin spun in turn two. Several drivers made pit stops during the caution. Hornish Jr. remained on the track and led on the lap-24 restart, followed by Ray and Grégoire. On lap 30, Grégoire had gotten by Ray for second place. Hornish Jr. opened up a 5.8-second lead by the 42nd lap, but his gap had shortened to 1.9 seconds three laps later as he maneuvered around lapped drivers. Ray overtook Grégoire for second on lap 59. left|thumb|238x238px|Sam Hornish Jr. (pictured in 2015) earned his first Indy Racing Northern Light Series win. Green-flag pit stops began on the 62nd lap. On lap 68, Hornish Jr. was passed for the lead by Ray and made a pit stop for new tires and fuel. Lazier nearly collided into Hornish Jr. as he entered his pit stall. Ray made his stop six laps later, giving the first position to de Ferran. On the 77th lap, Schroeder hit the rear end of de Ferran's car as de Ferran slowed into pit road; the two drivers spun into the turn-four wall, collecting Dismore in the process, and triggered the second caution. Castroneves and Sharp assumed the top two positions before making their stops on lap 82,Mittman Dick March 18, 2001 Hornish earns historic win at Phoenix http://www.indyracingleague.com/press/2001/phoenix/hornish-03182001.php3 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20030227012657/http://www.indyracingleague.com/press/2001/phoenix/hornish-03182001.php3 February 27, 2003 November 1, 2025 Indy Racing League Phoenix, Arizona allowing Ray to lead the field back up to speed at the lap-90 restart, with Grégoire in second and Castroneves third. On the 102nd lap, Lazier passed teammate Wattles for sixth place. By lap 115, Hornish Jr. moved into the fourth position. Three laps later, Ray's 1.2-second lead had diminished as he and Grégoire drove alongside each other in turn two while passing a lapped driver. The battle ended as Grégoire drove to the left of Ray and took the lead in the first turn. Two laps later, a cloud of smoke trailed from Ray's engine and he drove into pit road, retiring from the race. The third caution was necessitated to clean the oil that spilled from Ray's engine onto the track. All the leaders, including Grégoire, elected to make pit stops. As a result of a quick pit stop, Hornish Jr. moved into the lead for the restart on lap 131. The fourth caution was issued shortly thereafter when Lazier struggled to shift his gears and Grégoire, who slowed to avoid colliding into Lazier, was hit from behind by Buhl and spun into the turn-two wall.March 19, 2001 Youth edges experience as Hornish wins Phoenix https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/youth-edges-experience-as-hornish-wins-phoenix-5010364/5010364/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20221126181611/https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/youth-edges-experience-as-hornish-wins-phoenix-5010364/5010364/ November 26, 2022 November 1, 2025 Autosport Cheever came into pit road under the caution with a blown engine. None of the leaders made stops during the caution and Hornish Jr. led the field at the restart on lap 138, ahead of Castroneves and Lazier. Salazar took third place from Lazier on lap 140, and moved into the second position a lap later as Castroneves suffered an engine failure. Fisher experienced catastrophic engine troubles as her car caught on fire on the 148th lap; she parked the car at the exit of pit road and no caution was issued. Salazar, meanwhile, closed Hornish Jr.'s gap to a measly 0.1 seconds by lap 150, although Hornish Jr. opened a 2.4-second gap over Salazar two laps later. The fifth caution was prompted on the 159th lap when Wattles spun at the exit of turn two and slammed the inside back stretch retaining wall with such force that it cracked open. The race resumed on lap 167 with Hornish Jr. leading Salazar and Sharp. Lazier quickly passed Sharp for third, but on lap 170, he relayed to his team that his car was stuck in fourth gear. Hornish Jr., on the other hand, maintained the lead for the remaining 33 laps and earned his first win in the Indy Racing Northern Light Series, becoming the youngest winner in series history and second-youngest winner in American open-wheel car racing at 21 years, 8 months, and 16 days old. His record was later broken by Marco Andretti in 2006.ALL TIME INDY CAR RECORDS (1946-2014) https://www.indycar.com/-/media/Files/2014/News/IndyCar_Historical_Record_Book_2015-All-Time-Records.pdf?la=en live https://web.archive.org/web/20250921004732/https://www.indycar.com/-/media/Files/2014/News/IndyCar_Historical_Record_Book_2015-All-Time-Records.pdf?la=en September 21, 2025 November 1, 2025 IndyCar Hornish Jr. finished 1.3786 seconds ahead of Salazar in second; Lazier finished third, Sharp was fourth, and Boat came in fifth. Giaffone, Ward, McGehee, Calkins, and Daré completed the top-ten finishers. The last four classified finishers were Buhl, Hamilton, Hattori, and Erwin.IRL: Phoenix - Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200 results https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-pennzoil-copper-world-indy-200-results/1867343/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251101195220/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-pennzoil-copper-world-indy-200-results/1867343/ November 1, 2025 November 1, 2025 Motorsport.com The race had five cautions and seven lead changes among six different drivers. Hornish Jr.'s total of 140 laps led was the most of any competitor in the race. Post-race Hornish Jr. appeared in victory lane to celebrate his first win, which earned him $124,300. Hornish Jr. was delighted with the victory, saying: "What else could you ask for? To come to the first race and get all the jitters gone, it’s great. I hope we have a lot more of these." In the post-race press conference, Hornish Jr. thanked his team for providing him a car which he felt he "could drive anywhere on the track".March 18, 2001 IRL: Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200 post-race quotes https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-pennzoil-copper-world-indy-200-post-race-quotes/1867323/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251101201218/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-pennzoil-copper-world-indy-200-post-race-quotes/1867323/ November 1, 2025 November 1, 2025 Motorsport.com Second-place finisher Salazar joked about his result: "I told my wife that I’ve finished every place but second. I had to get second. That’s nice enough." He also felt that the cars were so "evenly matched" that it was hard to pass other drivers.Plotkin Ken Reininger David March 18, 2001 IRL: Phoenix race report https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-race-report-3/1867359/ live November 1, 2025 Motorsport.com Lazier was grateful to finished third despite being hindered by his faulty gearbox, saying: "Of course, it hurt us but at the same time how can you complain? We're on the podium. This is a great way to start the season in defense of the championship. We're really blessed." Despite de Ferran and Castroneves' poor finishes, they both expressed anticipation for the Indianapolis 500. Their team owner Roger Penske was also pleased with the race, saying: "I think we learned a lot. We obviously need to get reliability up to where it needs to be. Hopefully we got our bad luck out of the way today."March 19, 2001 Penske: no points, but priceless experience https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/penske-no-points-but-priceless-experience-5010344/5010344/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251101233805/https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/penske-no-points-but-priceless-experience-5010344/5010344/ November 1, 2025 November 1, 2025 Autosport Schroeder, who crashed into de Ferran, explained that he thought de Ferran was defending his position. PDM Racing owner Paul Diatlovich was quick to defend Schroeder, stating: "Jeret drove a flawless race and had already moved up 10 positions when this unfortunate incident occurred. We were looking forward to a top-10 finish at least."March 18, 2001 IRL: Schroeder Phoenix race notes https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-schroeder-phoenix-race-notes/1867395/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251101234434/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-schroeder-phoenix-race-notes/1867395/ November 1, 2025 November 1, 2025 Motorsport.com Ray was left disappointed with his early retirement: "This is really disappointing for Team Menard. It was handling well, and I could run anywhere on the track I wanted. About 30 laps ago, I started to lose power. I think the fuel pressure went low, and I cracked my block." He also praised Hornish Jr. for his performance in the race, admitting he was "a little jealous" of his success at his young age.Harris Mike March 22, 2001 IRL hopes to hitch its star to Sam Hornish Jr. https://books.google.com/books?id=N2UiAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA6&dq=sam+hornish+jr+phoenix&article_id=6514,1792286&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjmvLzS29GQAxXxM1kFHZgrGZQ4ChDoAXoECAkQAw#v=onepage&q=sam%20hornish%20jr%20phoenix&f=false live November 1, 2025 The Argus-Press 6 As this was the first race of the season, Hornish Jr.'s win allowed him to assume the lead in the Drivers' Championship with 52 points, twelve more than Salazar in second and seventeen more than Lazier in third. Sharp took fourth on 32 points and Boat was fifth with 30 points. In the Manufacturers' Championship, Oldsmobile earned 11 points, four more than second-place Nissan.March 18, 2001 IRL: Hornish and Olds Win Phoenix IRL https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-hornish-and-olds-win-phoenix-irl/1867319/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251101235717/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-hornish-and-olds-win-phoenix-irl/1867319/ November 1, 2025 November 1, 2025 Motorsport.com Race classification Pos PositionNo. Car NumberDriverTeamLapsTime/RetiredGrid Final starting grid positionPts. Points14USA Sam Hornish Jr.Panther Racing2001:36:56.70512521 1214CHI Eliseo SalazarA. J. Foyt Racing200 +1.37861340391USA Buddy LazierHemelgarn Racing200 +1.896063548USA Scott SharpKelley Racing200 +4.85191032598USA Billy BoatCurb-Agajanian-Beck Motorsports200 +16.7453 730621BRA Felipe GiaffoneTreadway-Hubbard Racing199 +1 lap928735USA Jeff WardHeritage Motorsports 199 +1 lap326810USA Robby McGeheeCahill Racing198 +2 laps1624912USA Buzz CalkinsBradley Motorsports197 +3 laps11221088BRA Airton DaréTeam Xtreme Racing197 +3 laps18201124USA Robbie BuhlDreyer & Reinbold Racing196 +4 laps8191299USA Davey Hamilton Sam Schmidt Motorsports192 +8 laps20181355JAP Shigeaki HattoriVertex-Cunningham Racing192 +8 laps24171430USA Brandon ErwinMcCormack Motorsports 185 +15 laps2616156USA Tyce CarlsonTriStar Motorsports 162 Handling19151692USA Stan WattlesHemelgarn Racing157 Accident14141715USA Sarah FisherWalker Racing145 Engine21131868BRA Hélio CastronevesTeam Penske142 Engine17121951USA Eddie CheeverCheever Indy Racing133Throttle link12112031USA Casey MearsGalles Racing133Electrical2510217FRA Stéphan GrégoireDick Simon Racing131Accident49222USA Greg RayTeam Menard121Engine18233USA Al Unser Jr.Galles Racing101Engine2372466BRA Gil de FerranTeam Penske76Accident562528USA Mark DismoreKelley Racing75Accident155269USA Jeret SchroederPDM Racing74Accident2242732FRA Didier AndréGalles Racing53Handling273Sources:IRL: Phoenix results https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-results-1/1867307/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251102002851/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-results-1/1867307/ November 2, 2025 November 2, 2025 Motorsport.comMarch 18, 2001 OFFICIAL BOX SCORE - Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200 at Phoenix International Raceway http://www.indyracingleague.com/press/2001/phoenix/pirboxscore.pdf dead https://web.archive.org/web/20030503041245/http://www.indyracingleague.com/press/2001/phoenix/pirboxscore.pdf May 3, 2003 November 2, 2025 Indy Racing League Notes 1 1 — Includes two bonus points for leading the most laps. Championship standings after the race + Drivers' Championship standings Pos. Position Driver Points10px|alt=Unchanged1 USA Sam Hornish Jr. 5210px|alt=Unchanged2 CHI Eliseo Salazar 40 (–12)10px|alt=Unchanged3 USA Buddy Lazier 35 (–17)10px|alt=Unchanged4 USA Scott Sharp 32 (–20)10px|alt=Unchanged5 USA Billy Boat 30 (–22) Sources: + Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos. Position Manufacturer Points10px|alt=Unchanged1 USA Oldsmobile 1110px|alt=Unchanged2 JAP Nissan 7 (–4) Source: Note: Only the top five positions are included. References Phoenix Indy 200 2001 2000 Excite 500 2001 Infiniti Grand Prix of Miami 2000 MCI Worldcomm Indy 200 2002 Bombardier ATV Copper World Indy 200 Category:2001 in IndyCar Category:March 2001 sports events in the United States Category:2001 in sports in Arizona