 | ||
Date June 3, 2001 (2001-06-03) Course Permanent racing facility1 mi (1.6 km) Distance 400 laps, 400 mi (804.6 km) Weather Temperatures reaching up to 71.6 °F (22.0 °C); wind speeds approaching 15 miles per hour (24 km/h) Average speed 120.361 miles per hour (193.702 km/h) | ||
The 2001 MBNA Platinum 400 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event held on June 3, 2001, at Dover Downs International Speedway in Dover, Delaware.
Contested over 400 laps, it was the thirteenth race of the 2001 season. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports took his second win of the season leading 381 out of the 400 laps, while Steve Park finished second and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finished third. Jarrett retained his points lead but was reduced from 75 points to 50.
Sixteen lead changes were made in this 199-minute event. While the average green flag run was almost 62 laps, more than 7% of the race was held under a caution flag.
Background
Dover Downs International Speedway, now called Dover International Speedway is one of five short tracks to hold NASCAR races; the others are Bristol Motor Speedway, Richmond International Raceway, Martinsville Speedway, and Phoenix International Raceway. The NASCAR race makes use of the track's standard configuration, a four-turn short track oval that is 1 mile (1.6 km) long. The track's turns are banked at twenty-four degrees, and both the front stretch (the location of the finish line) and the backstretch are banked at nine degrees.