2001 Protection One 400

2001 Protection One 400
Race details
Race 28 of 36 in the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
Layout of Kansas Speedway
Date	September 30, 2001 (2001-09-30)
Location	Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kansas
Course	Permanent racing facility 1.5 mi (2.4 km)
Distance	267 laps, 400 mi (644.542 km)
Weather	Mild with temperatures approaching 73.9 °F (23.3 °C); wind speeds reaching a velocity of 7 miles per hour (11 km/h)^[1]
Average speed	110.576 mph (177.955 km/h)
Pole position
Driver	Jason Leffler	Chip Ganassi Racing
Most laps led
Driver	Rusty Wallace	Penske Racing
Laps	117
Winner
No. 24	Jeff Gordon	Hendrick Motorsports
Television in the United States
Network	NBC
Announcers	Allen Bestwick, Benny Parsons, Wally Dallenbach, Jr.
Nielsen Ratings	4.7^[2]

The 2001 Protection One 400 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series stock car race held on September 30, 2001, at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. The race was the 28th of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. The race was the inaugural Cup race held at the 1.5-mile (2.4 km) track.^[3] Jason Leffler from Chip Ganassi Racing won his first career pole position with a qualifying speed of 176.499 miles per hour (284.048 km/h). Penske Racing's Rusty Wallace led the most laps with 117, while Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports won the race.^[4]

Due to the September 11 attacks happening earlier in the month, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a no-fly zone, prohibiting aircraft from flying within three miles of any sporting event area, which also includes an altitude of 300 feet. To increase security, coolers and large bags were banned from the track, while other items like purses and binoculars were subject to inspection. Meanwhile, in a sense of patriotism after the attacks, Sterling Marlin ran a "God Bless America" paint scheme, which had not been prepared in time for the 2001 MBNA Cal Ripken, Jr. 400 the week before. To support victims of the attacks, Marlin's sponsor Coors Brewing Company donated $10 for every lap completed at the race by Marlin.^[4]

Race

The race was filled with caution flags; the caution flag flew on the first lap, when John Andretti and Ricky Craven made contact in turn 2. A total of 13 caution flags were flown along with 70 laps were run under caution, both track highs,^[5] and a red flag stopped the race for eleven minutes.^[6] Meanwhile, Wallace dominated the race, leading a race-high 117 laps. However, he was eventually penalized for speeding on the pit road.^[7] Gordon then took the lead and held off Ryan Newman for his sixth win of the season, also giving him a 222-point advantage over Ricky Rudd in the championship standings.^[8] Rudd, Wallace, and Sterling Marlin closed out the top five.^[9]

Results

Race winner Jeff Gordon led the points standings after the race.

Top ten finishers

Pos^[9]	Grid	No.	Driver	Manufacturer	Laps
1	2	24	Jeff Gordon	Chevrolet	267
2	17	02	Ryan Newman	Ford	267
3	8	28	Ricky Rudd	Ford	267
4	11	2	Rusty Wallace	Ford	267
5	19	40	Sterling Marlin	Dodge	267
6	23	6	Mark Martin	Ford	267
7	37	77	Robert Pressley	Ford	267
8	7	20	Tony Stewart	Pontiac	267
9	40	97	Kurt Busch	Ford	267
10	21	93	Dave Blaney	Dodge	267

Standings after the race

Pos	Driver	Points	Differential
1	Jeff Gordon	4108	0
2	Ricky Rudd	3886	-222
3	Tony Stewart	3663	-445
4	Sterling Marlin	3604	-504
5	Dale Jarrett	3580	-528
6	Rusty Wallace	3525	-583
7	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	3498	-610
8	Kevin Harvick	3495	-613
9	Bobby Labonte	3403	-705
10	Johnny Benson, Jr.	3220	-888

References

↑ Weather information for the 2001 Protection One 400 at The Old Farmers' Almanac. Accessed 2013-07-10. Archived 2013-07-13.
↑ "TV RATINGS 2001". Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
↑ "NASCAR set to debut at Kansas Speedway". CNN Sports Illustrated. 2001-09-26. Retrieved 2013-07-01.
1 2 "2001 Protection One 400". Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved 2013-07-01.
↑ Beaver, Dan (2012-10-19). "NASCAR Picks Pack: Kansas". CBS Sports. Retrieved 2013-07-01.
↑ "PLUS: AUTO RACING; Gordon Captures Crash-Filled Race". The New York Times. 2001-10-01. Retrieved 2013-07-01.
↑ "NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Look Back: Gordon win takes Kansas by storm in 2001". Kansas Speedway. 2011-04-01. Retrieved 2013-07-01.
↑ "2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Recap". HowStuffWorks. Retrieved 2013-07-01.
1 2 "2001 Protection One 400". Racing-Reference. Retrieved 2013-07-01.

Previous race: 2001 MBNA Cal Ripken, Jr. 400	NASCAR Winston Cup Series 2001 season	Next race: 2001 UAW-GM Quality 500

2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series

Points races	Daytona 500 Dura Lube 400 UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 Cracker Barrel Old Country Store 500 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 Food City 500 Harrah's 500 Virginia 500 Talladega 500 NAPA Auto Parts 500 Pontiac Excitement 400 Coca-Cola 600 MBNA Platinum 400 Kmart 400 Pocono 500 Dodge/Save Mart 350 Pepsi 400 Tropicana 400 New England 300 Pennsylvania 500 Brickyard 400 Global Crossing at the Glen Pepsi 400 Presented by Meijer Sharpie 500 Mountain Dew Southern 500 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. Protection One 400 UAW-GM Quality 500 Old Dominion 500 EA Sports 500 Checker Auto Parts 500 Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 Pennzoil Freedom 400 NAPA 500 New Hampshire 300

Exhibition races	Budweiser Shootout Gatorade 125s The Winston

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