Team Terrier

2001 NAPA Auto Parts 500

These pictures were taken 4/29/01 at the California Speedway in Fontana, CA. The race is the NAPA Auto Parts 500. Click on any thumbnail and a new window will open with a larger version so you can see the details.

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This is me Thursday night at the California Speedway "After Dark" party. Jeff Green is my favorite Busch driver.
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Me again with Tony Stewart's show car.
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Bobby & Terry are my favorite Winston Cup drivers.
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Fans continue to sign Dale's trailer. There are all kinds of messages and prayers written everywhere. It's amazing how high up on the trailer some fans have managed to sign.
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Along the white stripe. Michael wrote
Forever
Mike Davis
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Unocal was giving out Friday pit passes with any fill-up. So we took them up on it and spent most of Friday in the pits. We got some great close up shots of the cars.
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Now doesn't this car look good streaking down the track?
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Friday morning practice before qualifying. You can see how much tape they put on the front grill.
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Working on set up - they run a few laps then come in for adjustments.
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Here's the "famous" Hollywood Hotel.
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Rusty Wallace
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Kyle Petty
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Kurt Busch with his new Sharpie paint scheme.
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Johnny Benson
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Section 8, Row 37, seats 17 & 18 - that's us! Just about where the yellow star is. Great seats - but it's a long climb.
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Here's Terry Labonte going out for morning practice. I love his new paint scheme.
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Tony Stewart coming back out after a few adjustments
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Ken Schrader in one of his Mars Candy paint schemes.
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Mark Martin's new 2001 colors of Viagra.
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Sterling Marlin had a special John Wayne paint scheme.
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The Taladega Race winner from the prior week - Bobby Hamiltom.
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While the Cup guys were doing morning practice, the Busch guys were getting lined up to qualify. Here's Kevin Harvick's team putting the final finishes on his Busch ride.
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John Andretti
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Jeff Burton
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Mike Skinner
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OK - it's silly - but here I am standing in front of Bobby Labonte's race tires. The security people sure kept an eye on me when I stopped for the picture!
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Here are all the Cup guys, after qualifying, lined up for "Happy Hour". Bobby Labonte as the pole sitter gets to go out first!
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Gordon, Jarrett & Wallace stop for a tire check. They open Jarrett's hood to look at something.
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Wallace, Rudd & Nadeau. Tire temps are important to tire wear.
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Nadeau, Mayfield and Spencer with his Mummy 2 paint scheme.
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Craven and Terry Labonte.
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Kevin Harvick with Bill Elliott driving by at the 55 mile pit speed.
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Joe Nemechek and Kevin Harvick
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Everybody stops two or three time to check tire pressure and temps. Gotta watch how much or how little pressure builds up.
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Also check the spark plugs.
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Happy Hour is over and everybody heads for the garage.
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Head for the barn and talk to your crew about what you've learned.
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Hope you learned something that will help on Sunday.
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It's all in the hand of the crew now. They's look and the notes and make final setup decisions.
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We were invited to a Sunday tailgate party by DotComRacers Fantasy Race League. Great bunch of people and they have some cool garage shots on their website.
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Sunday morning of race day. Great skydive team.
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Bobby Labonte accepts the Bud Pole Award.
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Driver introductions - Terry Labonte
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Jeff Gordon walks across to the cars for a lap around the track.
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NAPA logo and flags.
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Drivers head for their cars to buckle in. Clear the grid - it's time to go racing!
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The scoring pylon shows the starting grid.
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Pace laps - Kurt Busch is coming into the pits - he needs to change a tire, but also gets gas which is a NO NO.
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Pace car pulls in and we're goin' racin'!
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Bobby Labonte leads them to the green.
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First round of pit stops begins about Lap 40. Sterling Marlin was pitted right across from us.
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As was Terry Labonte - we saw way too much of him in the pits!
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At 55 mile pit speed - Bobby Labonte goes by in a blur.
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Tony Stewart, Jery Nadeau and Jason Leffler were also easy to see from where we sat.
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Little "E" was just a couple pits behind Terry.
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Looks like a 4 tire change.
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Cloud of smoke and he's back to racing - crew makes sure no tires get away. Bobby Hamilton is just on the way to his pit.
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Spencer is in as Jeff Gordon and Dale Jarrett head for their puts.
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1st caution Lap 58 - Bobby Labonte spun though the grass near start/finish line. This was his second spin of the weekend. His first was Saturday.
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Pits get very busy under caution. Here comes Bobby - he managed not to hit anything but he surely needs tires!
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Restart with Jeff Gordon in the lead. Terry is the first car one lap down.
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You'd think his teammate would cut him a break - but - no deal.
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Next round of pit stops under green around Lap 107.
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Lap 222 Bobby spins across the race logo for the 2nd time today. This completed his spin "hat trick" for the weekend.
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Lap 222 Mark Martin and Ward Burton wreck coming into turn 3. Martin drove his battered car to the garage.
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Another trip to the pits in hope of last minute adjustments to improve your finish. Up against the wall between turn 3 and 4 you can see Ward's car surrounded by emergency equipment.
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It was several scary minutes before Ward climbed out. He took a hard hit. His car came back to the garage on a hook. Ward was taken to Loma Linds Hospital for observation. He was released on Tuesday morning.
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Rusty Wallace takes the checkered flag for his 1st win of the 2001 season.
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Scoring Pylon tells the tale of who finished where.
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As Rusty stopped at the Start/Finish line, a crewmen brought him a Dale Earnhardt flag. He made his victory lap carrying the flag as a tribute to his fallen friend and competitor. He would have liked Richard Childress to have been able to take the lap with him.
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All the other drivers head for the garage with hopes of a better day next week.
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Surrounded my friends, crew and the media Rusty climbs out of the car in shower of confetti to celebrate the win.

In another irony of this unusual season - on what would have been his father's 50th birthday - Dale Earnhardt, Jr started 38th and finished 3rd.

Race Stats
Time of the race 3 hours, 29 minutes, 37 seconds.
Average Speed 143.118 mph
Margin of Victory 0.270 seconds
Cautions six for a total of 29 laps.
Twenty-three lead changes among 14 drivers.

Site Map HOME Driver Lists Race Winners Driver's Finishes Points Desktops/Wallpapers
Race Pics B. Labonte T. Labonte D. Earnhardt K. Irwin Adam Petty Trading Cards for Sale Links
Races Victories Champ&Rookie E. T. Annie Marineland Vacation Pics San Simeon

This page created on a Macintosh using PhotoPage by John A. Vink.