2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports was declared as the series champion for the fourth time in seven years.
The season was marred by a two-car collision at the end of the season-opening Daytona 500, which claimed the life of seven-time Series champion Dale Earnhardt.
Dodge returned to the sport for the first time since 1985 after DaimlerChrysler spent six years in the CART FedEx Championship Series via the Mercedes-Benz brand as an engine supplier.
Chevrolet captured the NASCAR Manufacturers' Championship with 16 wins and 248 points.
[1] The Budweiser Shootout, an invitational event for all recent Bud Pole winners, was held February 11 at Daytona International Speedway.
Bill Elliott and Stacy Compton started on pole for both races, respectively.
45) The UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 was held March 4 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
50) The Cracker Barrel Old Country Store 500 was held March 11 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
19) The Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 was held March 18 at Darlington Raceway.
71) The Food City 500 was held March 25 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Top Ten Results Failed to qualify: Jason Leffler (No.
49) The NAPA Auto Parts 500 was held April 29 at California Speedway.
This would be the very 1st running of the Winston that didn't feature Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt.
Waltrip retired in 2000 and would now call the race from the NASCAR on FOX broadcast booth.
With this win, Jeff Gordon would become only the second driver to score 3 victories in NASCAR's All-Star Race, joining Dale Earnhardt.
85) The MBNA Platinum 400 was held June 3 at Dover Downs International Speedway.
Dale Jarrett won the pole after qualifying was canceled because of rain.
44) The Pepsi 400 presented by Meijer was held August 19 at Michigan International Speedway.
85) The Mountain Dew Southern 500 was held September 2 at Darlington Raceway.
71) The Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 was held September 8 at Richmond International Raceway.
85) The MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400 was held September 23 at Dover Downs International Speedway.
14) The UAW-GM Quality 500 was held October 7 at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
71) The Checker Auto Parts 500 presented by Pennzoil was held October 28 at Phoenix International Raceway.
70) The Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 was held November 4 at North Carolina Speedway.
Top Ten Results (key) Bold - Pole position awarded by time.
Italics - Pole position set by owner's points standings.
Kevin Harvick emerged as the victor of the Rookie of the Year battle[7] despite not declaring for the award until the second race of the season, as he took over for Dale Earnhardt following his fatal crash.
Kurt Busch finished 2nd, despite only having one year of experience in a major NASCAR series and failing to qualify for one race.
Jason Leffler had a sub-par season that cost him his job with Chip Ganassi Racing, and Ron Hornaday Jr. was a disappointment after years of success in the Busch and Truck series.
The last-place driver was Andy Houston, another pre-season favorite who had a tough season, suffering from several DNQs and DNFs that resulted in his team closing after the Kansas race.
