• Race: Sunday, June 10, 2001 in Brooklyn, MI
  
  
• TV: FX (not Fox) 1:00pm/et(pre-race at 12:30pm/et)
  
  
• FX Networks Website
  
  
• Announcers: Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds
  
  
• Pit Reporters: Dick Berggren, Matt Yocum, Steve Byrnes
  
  
• Posted Awards/Purse: $3,365,198(was $2,325,234 in 2000)
  
  
• Entry List: Entry List for the: Kmart 400 from NASCAR.com
  
  
• 2000 Race Winner: Tony Stewart, 143.926mph (shortened to 194 laps - rain)
  
  
• Track Race Record: Dale Jarrett, June 1999, 173.997mph (no cautions)
  
  
• Track/Race Length: 2.0 oval, 200 laps, 400 miles
  
  
• Pit Road Speed: 45mph
  
  

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  Practice
  
  
• Practice: Friday, June 8th from 12:00 - 2:00pm/et; Saturday, June 9th from 9:00-9:45am/et
  
  
• Happy Hour Practice: Saturday, June 9th from 10:30am - 12:00noon/et, TV-FX, tape delay 8:00pm/et
  
  

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  Qualifying
  
  
• Qualifying Draw: Friday, June 8th at 11:00am/et
  
  
• Qualfying Order - Kmart 400: at That's Racin' or at NASCAR Online
  
  
• Qualifying: 2 laps for positions 1-36, Friday, June 8th at 3:10pm/et, TV-Fox Sports Net(FSN) and live via MRN radio/internet
  
  
• NASCAR.com will have live lap-by-lap coverage of Winston Cup qualifying via the web using it's Racecast feature
  
  
• Second-Round Qualifying: there is no longer a 2nd round of qualifying
  
  
• Event Qualifying Record: Dale Jarrett, June 2000, 189.883mph
  
  
• Track Qualifying Record: Dale Earnhardt Jr, August 2000, 191.149mph
  
  
• Last Year's Pole Sitter: Dale Jarrett, 189.883mph(finished 4th)
  
  

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  Track Specs:
  Superspeedway: 2.0-mile D-shaped oval
  Banking: turns: 18 degrees; straights: frontstretch 12 degrees, backstretch 5 degrees
  Backstretch Length: 2,242 feet; Front stretch Length: 2,229 feet
  Pit lane is 50 feet wide and contains space for 44 individual pit areas
  
  
  
• Track Homepage: Michigan International Speedway
  
  
• Scanner Frequencies: are linked on my Racing Links Page/ Scanners Section
  
  

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  RACE BONUS INFO

• The NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus is $60,000 at Michigan Intl Speedway for leading the points and winning the race(Dale Jarrett last won the award, $10,000 at Martinsville on Apr 8, 2001). The $360,000 annual award is paid at $10,000 per race to the point leader at the end of each event if he is also the winner. The award increases by $10,000 each week the it goes unclaimed. If the point leader is not the race winner at the end of the year, the balance of the award is distributed among the top-10 finisher in the point standings(6-3-2001)
  
  

• Michigan Notes: There have been 63 NASCAR Winston Cup Series races at Michigan Intl Speedway since the first race was held there in 1969, 57 in the modern era(1972-present). There have been two Michigan races each season except 1973, which had only one. Bill Elliott leads all active drivers with six Bud Poles at Michigan. There have been 10 different Bud Pole Award winners in the last 10 races at Michigan. Bobby Labonte is the defending Bud Pole Award winner for the Kmart 400. Bill Elliott leads all active drivers with seven NASCAR Winston Cup Series victories at Michigan Speedway. Tony Stewart is the defending champion of the Kmart 400. There have been seven different race winners in the last 10 NASCAR Winston Cup Series races at Michigan. Mark Martin (August 1997 and June 1998), Dale Jarrett (August 1996 and June 1999) and Rusty Wallace (June 1996 and August 2000) are the repeat winners in the 10-race period. The Bud Pole has been the most productive starting position at Michigan, providing 13 race winners. Thirty-eight of 62 NASCAR Winston Cup Series races at Michigan have been won from the first four starting positions (60 percent). Only nine races at Michigan have been won from outside a top-10 starting position. All have occurred in the last 19 races there. The farthest back that a Michigan race winner has started is 28th by Tony Stewart in the 2000 Kmart 400.(NASCAR PR)(6-6-2001)
  
  
• That's Racin': Kmart 400 Race Info
  
  
• CBS Sportsline: Kmart 400 Preview
  
  
• Crew Chief Club
  
  
• Fox Sports: Points chase
  
  
• Raceday Today - Kmart 400(6-10-2001)
  
  
• NASCAR.com: Kmart 400 Race Page
  
  
• Yahoo: Kmart 400 - Preview
  
  

• note: this is not to promote gambling but to offer readers odds and ideas on what the 'experts' think about the upcoming race and the Cup series season
  
  
• Don Best Sports - Kmart 400 and the 2001 Winston Cup Championship(6-6-2001)
  
  
• Imperial Palace NASCAR Odds - Kmart 400 and the 2001 Winston Cup(SportsFax News)(6-9-2001)
  
  
• NASCAR Odds - Early Odds for the Kmart 400(6-6-2001)
  
  
• United Bet - Kmart 400 Odds(6-6-2001)
  
  
• Vegas Insider - Kmart 400 odds(6-9-2001)
  
  

• Gordon wins #55: #24-Jeff Gordon won at Michigan in the Kmart 400. #28-Ricky Rudd finished 2nd. Gordon now has 55 career Winston Cup wins, which puts him in alone in 7th overall, Rusty Wallace and Lee Petty have 54. It is also Hendrick Motorsports 100th Winston Cup win. Gordon becomes the first driver since Tony Stewart in Oct 2000 at Martinsville (19 races) to win a race from the pole. Gordon also takes over the point lead, now ahead of #88-Dale Jarrett (finished 18th) by 26 points. Gordon also wins $60,000 NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus for winning a race and leading the Winston Cup Drivers Points. #02-Ryan Newman gets his first top 5 of his four race Winston Cup career, finishing 5th. #90-Hut Stricklin finished 6th, which is team owner Junie Donlavy's first top 10 since August 1999. #84-Shawna Robinson finished 34th. See That's Racin' for Unofficial Results and Unofficial Standings and see a story at That's Racin': Gordon gives Hendrick win No. 100. Team owner Rick Hendrick was not in Michigan to celebrate, however. He remained in Charlotte with his father, "Papa" Joe Hendrick, who is scheduled to have heart surgery on Monday(6-10-2001)
  
  
• ROTY standings after Michigan(unofficial of course)
  #29-Harvick 171
  #97-Busch 147
  #14-Hornaday 123
  #19-Atwood 120
  #01-Leffler 113
  #96-Houston 92
  see my ROTY page for the breakdown and rules(6-11-2001)
  
  
• Rookies: how did the Rookie of the Year candidates do at Michigan?:
  #01-Leffer 185.352mph, started 36th, finished 19th
  #14-Hornaday 185.672, started 27th, finished 32nd
  #19-Atwood 185.462, started 34th, finished 30th
  #29-Harvick 187.411, started 8th, finished 10th
  #96-Houston 184.592, missed the race(dnq)
  #97-Busch 186.969, started 11th, finished 43rd(dnf)
  rookies but not ROTY candidates: #02-Newman 186.945 started 12th, finished 5th
  #84-Robinson 185.529 started 32nd and finished 34th(6-10-2001)
  
  
• Stewart Wins IROC race: Cup driver Tony Stewart passed Eddie Cheever on the 3rd laps and led the rest of the way to win his first IROC race. Stewart crossed the finish line 2.875 seconds ahead of Al Unser Jr., who was substituting for IRL driver Scott Goodyear. Goodyear suffered a back injury in last month's Indianapolis 500. CART driver Kenny Brack was third, Cheever was fourth and series points leader Bobby Labonte fifth. See That's Racin' for the story: IROC race belongs to Stewart and the IROC site for the Race Results(6-9-2001)
  
  
• Happy Hour Practice: is over at Michigan. Fastest was #2-Rusty Wallace with a speed of 182.454 mph followed by #10-Johnny Benson at 182.122. Slowest was #01-Jason Leffler at 177.633. Happy Hour will be televised on FX at 8:00pm/et Saturday. See speeds at That's Racin': Saturday's 'Happy Hour' speeds (6-9-2001)
  
  
• Saturday AM Practice: is over at Michigan. Fastest was #24-Jeff Gordon at 185.028 mph, followed by #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. at 184.124. Slowest was #84-Shawna Robinson at 177.458. See speeds at That's Racin': Saturday morning practice speeds(6-9-2001)
  
  
• Gordon wins pole at Michigan #24-Jeff Gordon won the pole for the Kmart 400 at Michigan with a speed of 188.250mph, his 3rd Bud Pole of the 2001 season and 37th of his career. Outside pole goes to #28-Ricky Rudd at 188.240mph(wow that was close). #84-Shwana Robinson makes the field and will start 32nd. Five drivers missed the race: #92-Stacy Compton(32nd in owners points); #7-Mike Wallace(34th); #96-Andy Houston(41st); #27-Kenny Wallace(43rd); and #50-Rick Mast(45th). Provisionals were taken by #20-Tony Stewart(4th in owners points); #55-Hamilton(11th); #21-Sadler(15th, his 8th provisional used this year); #22-Ward Burton(17th); #25-Jerry Nadeau(18th, his 1st provisional of the year); #5-Terry Labonte(20th); and #77-Robert Pressley(28th). More info on provisionals, see my Provisionals Rules/Info-Owners Points page. For an unofficial starting lineup/results see That's Racin' or Motorsports One or NASCAR.com(6-8-2001)
  
  
• Pole Progression for Michigan:
  #30-Jeff Green, 1st out to qualify, will start 17th, 186.461mph
  #31-Mike Skinner, 9th out, start 3rd, 187.691mph
  #24-Jeff Gordon, 12th out, start 1st, 188.250mph(6-8-2001)
  
  
• Friday Practice is over at Michigan. #02-Ryan Newman was the fastest at 187.173mph with #32-Ricky Craven 2nd fastest at 187.164mph. #84-Shawna Robinson was 43rd fastest at 183.402mph. Slowest was #55-Bobby Hamilton at 182.278mph. See That's Racin' and NASCAR.com for the Practice Results(6-8-2001)
  
  
• Qualifying Order is up for the Kmart 400 at Michigan. The the links above. First scheduled out is #30-Jeff Green, last of the 48 cars scheduled to go out is #28-Ricky Rudd(6-8-2001)
  
  
• Entry List is posted at NASCAR.com, see the link above. Some notes: 48 cars are listed, for 43 spots, five will go home. Bobby Hamilton Jr will be in the #33 Chevy again this week, #84- Shawna Robinson, #02-Ryan Newman and #30-Jeff Green make attempts too.(6-6-2001)
  
  
• an interesting point: When NASCAR officials decided to disallow Jerry Nadeau's qualifying time yesterday, it raised an interesting question. With the Winston Cup series having only one round of qualifying the rest of the season, what happens if an unapproved part is found? According to NASCAR, drivers no longer have to post an official qualifying time to use a provisional, they only have to practice. So a driver could have a penalty on a qualifying issue but still have access to one of the seven provisionals for the race(Richmond Times Dispatch)(2-11-2001)
  
  
• How to break a tie during qualifying?(same speed/time) When drivers are tied for a starting spot during qualifying, it is broken by owners points standings(not drivers). For provisionals standings see the Jayski Provisional Status page(2-20-2000)
  
  
• Links: Practice speeds, qualifying and results can be found at these sites: NASCAR Online, Racin Network, and That's Racin'
  
  

TRACK/RACE NEWS

• MIS to honor Earnhardt: Race fans will have a chance to pay their respects to Dale Earnhardt, the late seven-time Winston Cup champion, in a variety of ways during this weekend's NASCAR Winston Cup race at Michigan International Speedway. MIS is providing two billboard-sized Earnhardt signature murals that fans can sign. The murals also will be available to sign during the week of the Aug. 19 NASCAR race at MIS before they're sent to the Earnhardt family. One billboard will be behind the main grandstands near gate 29, and the other will be near the Buddy's mini-mart in the middle of the infield. A ticket is required for access to the billboards, which will be available Saturday and Sunday. There also is a billboard on the back of the grandstand near turn one featuring Earnhardt's No. 3 and the message, "Thanks for the Memories." The sign is visible from U.S. 12 outside the 2-mile oval. As has become customary during each race since the Daytona 500, the public-address announcer will ask fans to hold up three fingers on the third lap of the race as a tribute to Earnhardt's car #3.(Detroit News)(6-5-2001)
  
  
• MIS News: Keith Karbo has assumed the post of director of marketing for Michigan International Speedway where he will oversee the marketing, advertising and corporate sales programs. Karbo comes to MIS from DP Fox Sports & Entertainment in Grand Rapids. Karbo, an Ann Arbor resident and University of Michigan business administration graduate, has handled sales and marketing programs for the West Michigan Grand Prix Association and also for the Grand Rapids Arena Football franchise and Van Andel Arena.(SpeedVision)(5-29-2001)
  
  
• How to Calculate Track Speeds: use the formula Speed = Distance divided by Time. Distance is Track Length, and Lap Time into Hours. Once hour is 3600 seconds, so the calculation for a 48 second lap at Daytona(2.5 miles) would be: Speed = 2.5 x (3600/48), = 2.5 x 75 = 187.500mph. For a 19 second lap at Bristol(.533 miles): Speed = .533 x (3600/19), = .533 x 189.474 = a speed of 100.990mph
  
  
• Past track news: posted in the past at Jayski's Past Track News/Rumors - MIS
  
  

DRIVER/TEAM NEWS

• Newman at MIS in Cup? UPDATE yes: heard that #02-Ryan Newman(#27 in ARCA) would run the Cup and ARCA races at Michigan this weekend, but his PR folks say he'll only run in the ARCA race
  UPDATE: The team had planned to run the ARCA Flagstar 200 at Michigan Speedway, but after a successful outing at Lowe's Motor Speedway in May, they opted to try their hand in NASCAR Winston Cup at another track where they have experience. "After running so well at Charlotte, we really thought about bringing that car to run [Winston] Cup in Michigan," said crew chief Matt Borland. "Our original plan was to run Winston Cup at Michigan, and even though we made some changes in April, our schedule can change based on what we feel we need to do to get Ryan more experience. Our test there was good and Ryan is really comfortable on the track. We just went back to our original plan."(TRPR)(6-5-2001)
  
  
• Shawna to Try again: When she starts the 400-miler this Sunday, Shawna Robinson will become the first female driver since Patty Moise competed at Talladega, AL., on July 30, 1989, to start a NASCAR Winston Cup event. With the addition of four more races currently on her schedule this season - Chicago (July 15); Indianapolis (Aug. 5); Kansas (Sept. 30); and Atlanta (Nov. 18) - she will become the first female to run a regular schedule of NASCAR Winston Cup events since Janet Guthrie in 1980. The last female driver to finish a NASCAR Winston Cup race was Janet Guthrie at Pocono, who was 28th and running at the finish on July 27, 1980. Robinson entered and attempted to qualify the NASCAR Winston Cup race at California Speedway on April 29. Apparently headed to a very quick lap, the rear end gearing broke in her Aaron's Sales and Leasing Taurus, ending her lap - and her shot at making the race. With no points, she is driving the final car eligible for a provisional starting position. Aaron's Sales and Leasing of Atlanta is sponsoring MK Racing and Robinson in the races at California, Michigan, Indianapolis and Atlanta. MK Racing is owned by former Ford Racing executive and winning NASCAR Winston Cup car owner Michael Kranefuss. The team is planning on following its six races this season with a full NASCAR Winston Cup schedule in 2002, and Robinson competing for Rookie of the Year honors. Some thoughts of Aaron's Sales and Leasing Taurus driver Shawna Robinson heading into California: "We tested at California and we tested at Michigan. California and Michigan aren't identical but there are things we found at California that we've been able to use for Michigan. We think we're going to have a pretty good car. Again, our goals are to have a good practice on Friday, set down a really good qualifying lap Friday afternoon, practice well Saturday and then run a solid race Sunday. If we can do all of that, we will leave Michigan feeling we've had a pretty good weekend, and we'll feel like we're ready to get things started for Chicago. I have been preparing myself for quite some time on the physical end of things and getting myself ready for that because I know that can do nothing but help. With my preparation and focus for being in shape, being fit, being prepared to run Winston Cup, we have a lot of good things going on. Michael Waltrip putting me in a Busch car for three races has been a really big help. The biggest thing is the seat time. My career has taken a lot of steps over the years to get with good people. I think with (Robert) Yates motors in the cars and Michael Kranefuss putting this team together, and with Aaron's working with us this year, we have a lot of things going for us. Robert Yates' record speaks for itself but so does Michael Kranefuss' I think he has proven he can put a Winston Cup team together that can win races, and that's pretty exciting. Having (Aaron's Sales and Leasing President) Ken Butler and the people at Aaron's come with us and support us, that just means a whole lot. It means a lot financially, sure. But it means a lot that they see the potential we see in this race team and they want us to meet our goals. I know they make dreams come true for people all over the country but they really have made our dreams become a reality."(see more at Williams Company) and past news at my #84 Team News and Links page(6-5-2001)
  
  
• #30 AOL Car News UPDATE at Michigan: Jeff Green, attempting seven Cup races this season for Richard Childress Racing(RCR) in the #30 AOL Chevy, failed to make the field for Sunday's race when qualifying was canceled by rain. Team spokesman David Hart said RCR was considering two possibilities to make up the Dover race with Green. The first would have Green compete in next weekend's Michigan race. The driver will already be at Michigan competing in the International Race of Champions series(IROC). The other possibility would be for Green to compete in the September race at Dover. The team had picked Dover because of its close proximity to the headquarters of sponsor, American Online(That's Racin')
  UPDATE: Fox analyst, Larry McReynolds mentioned at the beginning of the Fox coverage of the MBNA 400 at Dover, that Jeff Green would drive the #30 AOL Chevy this coming race at Michigan AND from NASCAR.com Buzz: On Sunday morning, Childress announced he would bring his #30 AOL Chevrolet driven by Jeff Green to Michigan next weekend to attempt to qualify for the June 10 Kmart 400(6-3-2001)
  
  
• See the 2001 Team Chart which has links to past news for each team
  
  

PAINT SCHEME NEWS

• Special Paint at Michigan: #01-Special Olympics and #9-Muhammad Ali, see my Paint Scheme News page for some current and past paint scheme news and rumors(6-6-2001)
  
  
• #01 Special Scheme UPDATE: hearing that Jason Leffler will be running a Special Olympics logo in June on the #01 Cingular Dodge. Cingular is a Special Olympics sponsor and it is part of this years promo(4-24-2001)
  UPDATE: see an image of the car on my Paint Schemes Gallery(5-23-2001)
  UPDATE 2: Cingular Wireless is racing toward its four-year goal of raising $40 million for Special Olympics by painting its #01 NASCAR Winston Cup race car with a Special Olympics paint scheme, and offering customers the opportunity to support the organization through promotional offers. Cingular, an Official Partner of Special Olympics USA and Official Sponsor of Special Olympics Team USA, is in the second year of its support for Special Olympics. To showcase its commitment to Special Olympics, Cingular’s #01 Dodge Intrepid R/T will display a Special Olympics logo for the months of June and July. The new paint scheme will be debuted at the MBNA Platinum 400 at the Dover Downs International Speedway on June 3. Cingular also will sell limited edition, souvenir, die-cast versions of the #01 racecar to commemorate this unique paint scheme and raise money for Special Olympics(www.specialolympics.org). A percentage of the proceeds generated from the die-cast car sales will go directly to Special Olympics. Cars will be available in Cingular Wireless retail outlets as well as at many Special Olympics Summer Games being held across the United States. In addition, Cingular Wireless is launching a 60-day promotional drive to collect donations on behalf of Special Olympics. During the promotional months of June and July, consumers who donate $20 to Special Olympics and sign up for service at a Cingular Wireless retail store are eligible for: * An exclusive $35 rate plan offer * An Internet-ready Ericsson handset * A co-branded Cingular/BLOCKBUSTER gift certificate for five free movie rentals good at participating BLOCKBUSTER stores. Donations raised by Cingular will support year-round training and competitions for Special Olympic athletes, who participate in the activities free of charge as well as help send Special Olympics Team USA athletes to the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Ireland. Through last year’s “Be a Hero” promotion, Cingular customers successfully raised $8.9 million for Special Olympics.(Cingular PR)(5-30-2001)
  
  
• Elliott at Michigan UPDATE 2: hearing #9-Bill Elliott will have a special paint scheme at Michigan in June on his Dodge(3-15-2001)
  UPDATE: hearing the scheme will feature Muhammed Ali as a movie will be coming out soon starring Wil Smith and Dodge is doing some type of promotion with it(3-16-2001)
  UPDATE 2: Bill Elliott will have added incentive to knock out the competition at Michigan on June 10 when he carries boxing legend Muhammad Ali on his hood. The special paint scheme is a product of Evernham Motorsports, Dodge and Action Performance collectibles. Dodge is starting a motor sports scholarship program aimed at bringing more minorities into the sport. (USA Today) see scheme there or on my Paint Scheme page(3-23-2001)
  
  
• More Paint Scheme news can be found on Paint Schemes Gallery, choose current news
  
  

STATS and STUFF thru the race before this one