2001 Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400

Race details
Race 33 of 36 in the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
The 2001 Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 program cover.
Date	November 4, 2001
Official name	37th Annual Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400
Location	Rockingham, North Carolina, North Carolina Speedway
Course	Permanent racing facility 1.017 mi (1.636 km)
Distance	393 laps, 399.681 mi (643.224 km)
Scheduled Distance	393 laps, 399.681 mi (643.224 km)
Average speed	128.941 miles per hour (207.510 km/h)
Pole position
Driver	Kenny Wallace	Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Time	23.668
Most laps led
Driver	Joe Nemechek	Andy Petree Racing
Laps	196
Winner
No. 33	Joe Nemechek	Andy Petree Racing
Television in the United States
Network	TNT
Announcers	Allen Bestwick, Benny Parsons, Wally Dallenbach Jr.
Radio in the United States
Radio	Motor Racing Network

The 2001 Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 was the 33rd stock car race of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 37th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, November 4, 2001, in Rockingham, North Carolina, at North Carolina Speedway, a 1.017 miles (1.637 km) permanent high-banked racetrack. The race took the scheduled 393 laps to complete. At race's end, Joe Nemechek, driving for Andy Petree Racing, managed to dominate the late stages of the race to win his second career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season.^[1][2][3] The other podium finishers were Kenny Wallace, driving for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., and Johnny Benson Jr., driving for MBV Motorsports, who placed second and third respectively.

North Carolina Speedway was opened as a flat, one-mile oval on October 31, 1965. In 1969, the track was extensively reconfigured to a high-banked, D-shaped oval just over one mile in length. In 1997, North Carolina Motor Speedway merged with Penske Motorsports, and was renamed North Carolina Speedway. Shortly thereafter, the infield was reconfigured, and competition on the infield road course, mostly by the SCCA, was discontinued. Currently, the track is home to the Fast Track High Performance Driving School.^[4]

• (R) denotes rookie driver.

The first practice session was held on Friday, November 2, at 11:20 AM EST. The session lasted for two hours.^[5] Casey Atwood, driving for Evernham Motorsports, set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 23.848 and an average speed of 153.522 miles per hour (247.070 km/h).^[6]

The second session was held on Saturday, November 3, at 10:15 AM EST. The session lasted for 45 minutes.^[5] Rusty Wallace, driving for Penske Racing South, set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 24.455 and an average speed of 149.773 miles per hour (241.036 km/h).^[7]

The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, November 3, at 12:00 PM EST. The session lasted 45 minutes.^[5] Jeff Burton, driving for Roush Racing, set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 24.475 and an average speed of 149.589 miles per hour (240.740 km/h).^[8]

Qualifying was held on Friday, November 2, at 3:05 PM EST. Each driver had two laps to set a fastest time; the fastest of the two counted as their official qualifying lap.^[5] Positions 1-36 were be decided on time, while positions 37-43 were be based on provisionals. Six spots were awarded by the use of provisionals based on owner's points. The seventh was awarded to a past champion who has not otherwise qualified for the race. If no past champ needed the provisional, the next team in the owner points would be awarded a provisional.^[9]

Kenny Wallace, driving for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., won the pole, setting a time of 23.668 and an average speed of 154.690 miles per hour (248.949 km/h).^[10]

Rick Mast was the only driver to fail to qualify.

*Time not available.