Random Recap: The 2001 NAPA Auto Parts 500
Welcome to Random Recaps, our new weekly feature at From The Marbles. In this space, we’ll recap a race from the past at the track the where Sprint Cup Series is racing next.
This week’s race is the 2001 NAPA Auto Parts 500. Need to know how Random Recap works? Click here.
Rusty Wallace held off Jeff Gordon by 0.27 seconds at Caifornia Speedway. for his 54th career victory.
Wallace led 95 of the race’s 250 laps and led the final 47, including maintaining the lead on a lap 232 restart. The caution was brought out by a turn four crash by Mark Martin and Ward Burton.
Wallace had the lead before a cycle of green flag pit stops and regained the lead after everyone pitted. He held the lead through a caution for a spin by Jerry Nadeau and then the final caution.
Gordon’s chances of catching Wallace took a huge hit when the green flag waved with 19 laps to go. Wallace got a great jump and was able to put a lapped car between he and Gordon. While Gordon was able to close in as the laps wound down, the gap Wallace built immediately after the caution was more than enough.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished third while Tony Stewart was fourth. Jeremy Mayfield, Wallace’s teammate, finished fifth.
Perhaps a bit improbably, Nadeau finished eighth, climbing through the field in less than 40 green flag laps after his spin.
Despite a 24th-place finish, Dale Jarrett retains the points lead through 10 of 36 races. He has a 66-point lead over Gordon while Wallace is fourth in the standings, 119 points behind Jarrett and eight points behind Johnny Benson for third.
Epilogue: The win ended up being Wallace’s next-to-last victory. His final one came at Martinsville in the spring of 2004. Gordon went on to win the 2001 championship, passing Jarrett in the standings while winning at Michigan in June.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
