The 2001 NASCAR Season Quiz / Test | NASCAR by Season

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The 2001 Daytona 500 is remembered because of its tragic end, but the race featured some great racing and an exciting finish occurred in front of the tragic wreck. Which driver was behind the wheel of the NAPA Chevrolet for his bittersweet, first career victory?

Answer: Michael Waltrip

Michael Waltrip's #15 NAPA Chevrolet held off his DEI teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr. as his owner Dale Earnhardt, Sr. wrecked behind them. His brother Darrell Waltrip was a commentator for the broadcast of the race. The celebration would be short lived however, as Earnhardt, Sr. was transported to Halifax Medical Center where he was pronounced dead just hours later.

2. Bobby Labonte, the defending Winston Cup Champion drove for Joe Gibbs Racing. What was the number of the Interstate Batteries Pontiac throughout the 2001 season?

Answer: 18

Bobby Labonte won two races during the 2001 season. At Pocono in July, Labonte wrestled the lead away from Dale Earnhardt, Jr. with just three laps to go to earn his 17th career Cup Series victory. Labonte's second win of the season came at Atlanta in November, in what was originally supposed to be the last race of the season.

However, the 9/11 terrorist attacks cancelled nearly all sporting events for the following week, and the race at London, New Hampshire was moved to the end of the season.

3. Just three races after Earnhardt, Sr.'s death at the Daytona 500 his old car, now sporting the number 29, was driven to a spectacular finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Which future NASCAR Champion earned his first of many wins by beating three time Winston Cup Champion Jeff Gordon?

Answer: Kevin Harvick

Harvick led 18 laps, and won the race by a slim .006 second margin. Along with Michael Waltrip, Harvick became the second driver to earn his first career win during the 2001 season, after only four races had been run. Harvick would go on to win one more race, when he won the first NASCAR Cup Series race ever held at Chicagoland Speedway.

4. Sometimes drivers get on a hot streak and start rattling off win after win. Which former NASCAR Champion showed early season dominance by winning three races in a span of four weeks?

Answer: Dale Jarrett

Dale Jarrett rattled off wins at Darlington, Texas, and Martinsville, to take the early season points lead over Jeff Gordon. The only race in the span of four that Jarrett failed to win was Bristol, which was won by Elliott Sadler of the Wood Brothers Racing Team.

5. The spring race at Talladega was interesting because it featured no cautions during the entire race. Which driver found victory lane after a grueling 188 laps, and ending a long winless drought?

Answer: Bobby Hamilton

In the first restrictor plate race following the death of Dale Earnhardt, Sr., and on his birthday nonetheless, the drivers prayed for nothing more than a safe clean race. When Hamilton won the caution-free race, he pulled into victory lane exited the car and having been physically drained from driving 500 miles in a 130 degree car, he sat down next to the car during his post race interview.

The win was the 4th victory of Hamilton's career and his first since a Martinsville win in April of 1998. Sadly, this would be Hamilton's last Cup series win as he passed away in January 2007 from cancer.

6. Tony Stewart's double duty was the big story during Memorial Day weekend, as Stewart competed in both the Indianapolis 500 in Indiana and then flew to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600 later that day. Which driver played spoiler to Stewart's big night by leading the most laps en route to his second Coca-Cola 600 win?

Answer: Jeff Burton

Stewart led 13 laps and finished sixth in the Indy 500, then flew in a helicopter to Charlotte, where he started in last place after missing the mandatory pre-race Driver's Meeting. He spun early in the race but eventually fought his way back to a third place finish and became the first person to complete all 1100 miles between the two races. Burton previously won the Coca-Cola 600 in 1999 and this victory marked his second win in three years, in what was the longest race of the 2001 season.

7. Two tracks held their first races during the 2001 season. Kevin Harvick won at Chicagoland Speedway in July. Which driver won the other debut race, which was held at Kansas Speedway in September?

Answer: Jeff Gordon

The Protection One 400 took place on September 30, 2001. Rusty Wallace led the 117 of the 267 laps in the race, but was unable to hold off Jeff Gordon who started second and managed to lead the final 22 laps to bring home his sixth win of 2001 and his 58th career win . This pushed Jeff Gordon even further into the points lead over Ricky Rudd.

8. Homestead-Miami Speedway saw an exciting race where Bill Elliott finally won again for the first time since the 1994 NASCAR season. What car number did Elliott drive to victory lane that day?

Answer: 9

Elliott drove the #9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Intrepid R/T from the pole position to winless streak spanning nearly seven years and 227 starts to earn his 41st NASCAR victory, and his first win ever in a Dodge. Elliott would go on to win three more races (two in 2002 and one in 2003), before retiring from NASCAR in 2012. Elliott was the 1988 Winston Cup Champion.

9. How many drivers earned their first career victory during the 2001 Winston Cup season?

Answer: 5

Michael Waltrip won the Daytona 500 to kick off the 2001 season. Kevin Harvick won at Atlanta and Chicagoland for his first two career victories. Elliott Sadler held off John Andretti to earn his first win in the spring race at Bristol. Ricky Craven had a dominant Monday afternoon when he won the Old Dominion 500 at Martinsville. Finally, Robby Gordon won at Loudon, New Hampshire on Thanksgiving weekend, in the race that was originally scheduled to be held September 16th, but had to be moved after NASCAR suspended operations for one week in response to the 9/11 attacks in New York City.

10. Which driver ultimately won the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Championship?

Answer: Jeff Gordon

Gordon won six races and cruised to his 4th Cup Series Championship by clinching the title at Atlanta.

Source: Author LeChampion14

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

The 2001 NASCAR Season Trivia Quiz

From the death of a legend to the introduction of two new race tracks, the year 2001, was certainly an interesting season of NASCAR.
This is a renovated/adopted version of an old quiz by author jumpin

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The 2001 NASCAR Season Trivia Quiz

From the death of a legend to the introduction of two new race tracks, the year 2001, was certainly an interesting season of NASCAR. This is a renovated/adopted version of an old quiz by author jumpin

From the death of a legend to the introduction of two new race tracks, the year 2001, was certainly an interesting season of NASCAR.
This is a renovated/adopted version of an old quiz by author jumpin