The 2001 Harrah's 500 was the seventh stock car race of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the fifth iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, April 1, 2001, in Fort Worth, Texas at Texas Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent tri-oval shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 334 laps to complete. A call for four tires for Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett would prove to be instrumental as he would slice his way through the field on the final restart with 18 to go to win the race. The win was Jarrett's 27th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second of the season. To fill out the podium, Steve Park, driving for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., and Johnny Benson Jr., driving for MBV Motorsports, would finish second and third, respectively.

Background

Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in Fort Worth, Texas. The track measures around and is banked 24 degrees in the turns, and is of the oval design, where the front straightaway juts outward slightly. The track layout is similar to Charlotte Motor Speedway. The track is owned by Speedway Motorsports.

Entry list

(R) denotes rookie driver.

#DriverTeamMake1Steve ParkDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet01Jason Leffler (R)Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge2Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord4Kevin LepageMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet5Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6Mark MartinRoush RacingFord7Mike WallaceUltra MotorsportsFord8Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet9Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge10Johnny Benson Jr.MBV MotorsportsPontiac11Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord12Jeremy MayfieldPenske Racing SouthFord14Ron Hornaday Jr. (R)A. J. Foyt EnterprisesPontiac15Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet17Matt KensethRoush RacingFord18Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac19Casey Atwood (R)Evernham MotorsportsDodge20Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac21Elliott SadlerWood Brothers RacingFord22Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet25Jerry NadeauHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet26Jimmy SpencerHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord27Kenny WallaceEel River RacingPontiac28Ricky RuddRobert Yates RacingFord29Kevin Harvick (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet31Mike SkinnerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet32Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsFord33Joe NemechekAndy Petree RacingChevrolet36Ken SchraderMBV MotorsportsPontiac40Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge43John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesDodge44Buckshot JonesPetty EnterprisesDodge45Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge50Rick MastMidwest Transit RacingChevrolet55Bobby HamiltonAndy Petree RacingChevrolet66Todd BodineHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord77Robert PressleyJasper MotorsportsFord88Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord90Hut StricklinDonlavey RacingFord92Stacy ComptonMelling RacingDodge93Dave BlaneyBill Davis RacingDodge96Andy Houston (R)PPI MotorsportsFord97Kurt Busch (R)Roush RacingFord99Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFordOfficial entry list

Practice

First practice The first practice session was held on Friday, March 30, at 11:45 AM CST. The session would last for two hours. Steve Park, driving for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.266 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed11Steve ParkDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet28.266191.04228Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet28.302190.799355Bobby HamiltonAndy Petree RacingChevrolet28.334190.584Full first practice results

Final practice The final practice session was held on Saturday, March 31, at 10:00 AM CST. The session would last for one hour and 30 minutes. Johnny Benson Jr., driving for MBV Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.927 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed110Johnny Benson Jr.MBV MotorsportsPontiac28.927186.67728Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet29.014186.117324Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29.020186.079Full Final practice results

Qualifying Qualifying was held on Friday, March 30, at 3:00 PM CST. 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.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., driving for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., would win the pole, setting a time of 28.320 and an average speed of .

Two drivers would fail to qualify: Kyle Petty and Rick Mast.

Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed18Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet28.320190.678218Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac28.352190.463388Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord28.356190.436455Bobby HamiltonAndy Petree RacingChevrolet28.390190.20851Steve ParkDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet28.449189.813628Ricky RuddRobert Yates RacingFord28.476189.633715Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet28.536189.23586Mark MartinRoush RacingFord28.552189.129924Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet28.564189.0491019Casey Atwood (R)Evernham MotorsportsDodge28.572188.9961121Elliott SadlerWood Brothers RacingFord28.574188.9831296Andy Houston (R)PPI MotorsportsFord28.590188.8771336Ken SchraderMB2 MotorsportsPontiac28.613188.7251412Jeremy MayfieldPenske Racing SouthFord28.623188.6591566Todd BodineHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord28.626188.6401697Kurt Busch (R)Roush RacingFord28.664188.3901710Johnny Benson Jr.MBV MotorsportsPontiac28.700188.1531877Robert PressleyJasper MotorsportsFord28.786187.5911931Mike SkinnerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet28.786187.5912014Ron Hornaday Jr. (R)A. J. Foyt EnterprisesPontiac28.787187.5852190Hut StricklinDonlavey RacingFord28.796187.526227Mike WallaceUltra MotorsportsFord28.797187.5202326Jimmy SpencerHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord28.799187.5072444Buckshot JonesPetty EnterprisesDodge28.805187.4672511Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord28.813187.4152692Stacy ComptonMelling RacingDodge28.815187.4022717Matt KensethRoush RacingFord28.845187.2072822Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge28.856187.1362901Jason Leffler (R)Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge28.860187.1103033Joe NemechekAndy Petree RacingChevrolet28.875187.0133199Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord28.884186.9553232Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsFord28.885186.9483329Kevin Harvick (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet28.908186.800344Kevin LepageMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet28.923186.7033527Kenny WallaceEel River RacingPontiac28.923186.7033625Jerry NadeauHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet28.943186.574Provisionals3740Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge28.959186.471382Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord29.096185.593399Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge29.079185.7014043John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesDodge28.943186.5744120Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac29.029186.021425Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29.141185.3064393Dave BlaneyBill Davis RacingDodge29.020186.079Failed to qualify4445Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge28.998186.2204550Rick MastMidwest Transit RacingChevrolet29.201184.925Official qualifying results

Race results Fin#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings188Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord334122running185$444,52721Steve ParkDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet33479running175$270,443310Johnny Benson Jr.MBV MotorsportsPontiac33418running170$193,050497Kurt Busch (R)Roush RacingFord3340running160$162,150524Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet3340running155$165,502693Dave BlaneyBill Davis RacingDodge3340running150$102,050729Kevin Harvick (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet3340running146$137,77788Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet334107running147$135,57396Mark MartinRoush RacingFord3341running143$127,1761036Ken SchraderMB2 MotorsportsPontiac3340running134$108,685114Kevin LepageMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet3340running130$92,645122Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord3340running127$121,665135Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet3340running124$111,355149Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge3330running121$101,2481592Stacy ComptonMelling RacingDodge3330running118$84,6111621Elliott SadlerWood Brothers RacingFord3330running115$96,5901701Jason Leffler (R)Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge3320running112$84,3751855Bobby HamiltonAndy Petree RacingChevrolet3320running109$79,6001999Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord3320running106$112,7462017Matt KensethRoush RacingFord3320running103$80,7002122Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge3310running100$102,2352212Jeremy MayfieldPenske Racing SouthFord3310running97$106,1842320Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac3310running94$82,400247Mike WallaceUltra MotorsportsFord3300running91$71,8002527Kenny WallaceEel River RacingPontiac3300running88$62,3502690Hut StricklinDonlavey RacingFord3300running85$58,2002732Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsFord3300running82$55,7002811Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord3290running79$56,7002925Jerry NadeauHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet3270running76$62,7003031Mike SkinnerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet3260running73$83,7743143John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesDodge3220running70$84,0773296Andy Houston (R)PPI MotorsportsFord3170running67$47,9753344Buckshot JonesPetty EnterprisesDodge3160running64$54,9503440Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge2985crash66$53,9253566Todd BodineHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord2970engine58$44,9003619Casey Atwood (R)Evernham MotorsportsDodge2690running55$43,8503728Ricky RuddRobert Yates RacingFord2640engine52$73,0973826Jimmy SpencerHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord2570crash49$49,7253915Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet2270running46$51,6754014Ron Hornaday Jr. (R)A. J. Foyt EnterprisesPontiac2260running43$41,6254133Joe NemechekAndy Petree RacingChevrolet2040crash40$69,8454218Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac1492engine42$94,5524377Robert PressleyJasper MotorsportsFord330crash34$49,722Official race results

Standings after the race Pos Driver Points 1 Dale Jarrett 1,056 2 Jeff Gordon 981 (–75) 1 3 Johnny Benson Jr. 946 (–110) 1 4 Steve Park 933 (–123) 2 5 Sterling Marlin 889 (–167) 6 Rusty Wallace 879 (–177) 1 7 Bobby Hamilton 825 (–231) 1 8 Elliott Sadler 824 (–232) 1 9 Bill Elliott 822 (–234) 3 10 Kevin Harvick 811 (–245)

References