2001 Protection One 400

2001 Protection One 400

Race details
Race 28 of 36 in the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
2001 Protection One 400 program cover
Date	September 30, 2001 (2001-09-30)
Location	Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kansas
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	1.5 miles (2.4 km)
Distance	267 laps, 400 mi (644.542 km)
Weather	Mild with temperatures of 73.9 °F (23.3 °C); wind speeds 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
Time	30.595
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, At the same time, other items like purses and binoculars were subject to inspection. Meanwhile, in the 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]

The race was filled with caution flags; the first caution flag flew on the first lap when Casey Atwood, 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,^[8] and a red flag stopped the race for eleven minutes.^[9] Meanwhile, Wallace dominated the race, leading a race-high 117 laps. However, he was eventually penalized for speeding on the pit road.^[10] 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.^[11] Rudd, Wallace, and Sterling Marlin closed out the top five.^[12]

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