2001 Rockingham 500
| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Race 17 of 21 in the 2001 CART season | |
Map of the track
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|
| Date | 22 September, 2001 |
| Official name | Rockingham 500K |
| Location | Rockingham Motor Speedway, Corby, Northamptonshire, England |
| Course | Permanent racing facility 1.479 mi / 2.380 km |
| Distance | 140 laps 206.060 mi / 403.340 km |
| Weather | Partly Cloudy |
| Pole position | |
| Driver | Kenny Bräck (Team Rahal) |
| Time | No Time Trials |
| Fastest lap | |
| Driver | Patrick Carpentier (Forsythe Racing) |
| Time | 25.251 (on lap 134 of 140) |
| Podium | |
| First | Gil de Ferran (Team Penske) |
| Second | Kenny Bräck (Team Rahal) |
| Third | Cristiano da Matta (Newman/Haas Racing) |
The 2001 Rockingham 500 was a Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) motor race held on 22 September 2001 at the Rockingham Motor Speedway in Corby, Northamptonshire, England in front of a crowd of 38,000 people. It was the 17th race of the 2001 CART season, the second (and final) event of the year to be held in Europe, and the first time the series had visited the United Kingdom. The 140-lap race was won by Team Penske driver Gil de Ferran who started from second position. Kenny Bräck finished second for Team Rahal, and Newman/Haas Racing driver Cristiano da Matta came in third.
Drainage problems with the circuit caused the first two days of the event to be cancelled. Bräck — the season points leader heading into the race — was awarded the pole position. The original distance of the race was reduced from 210 laps to 168. Bräck lost the lead on the first lap to de Ferran who held the first position for the next 44 laps. Bräck passed de Ferran to reclaim the lead on the 45th lap and remained the leader until the second round of pit stops. The race distance was further reduced by series race director Chris Kneifel from 168 to 140 laps because of a danger from fading daylight. Gil de Ferran held the first position until he was held up by a slower car on the race's penultimate lap which allowed Bräck to retake the lead. He held it until de Ferran overtook him on the final lap winning the race. It was de Ferran's first victory of the season, his second on an oval track, and the sixth of his career. There were three cautions and five lead changes during the course of the race.
The result meant Bräck's advantage over de Ferran in the Drivers' Championship was reduced to six points. Michael Andretti remained in third position, but was now two points in front of Hélio Castroneves in the battle for the position. Da Matta's strong finish allowed him to move from eighth to fifth. Honda's lead over Ford Cosworth in the Manufacturers' Championship was increased, while Toyota maintained third place, with four races left in the season.
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