2001 Indy Racing League


The 2001 Indy Racing Northern Light Series saw the addition of five races and loss of one to bring the total to 13. Chip Ganassi Racing returned to the Indy 500 with four cars and were joined on the grid by Penske Racing and Team Kool Green. Sam Hornish, Jr. won 3 races on his way to the championship while the less consistent Buddy Lazier won four races on his way to second place in his title defense.

Team and driver chart

Season Summary

Schedule

RndDateRace NameTrackCity
1March 18Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200Phoenix International RacewayPhoenix, Arizona
2April 8Infiniti Grand Prix of MiamiHomestead-Miami SpeedwayHomestead, Florida
3April 29zMax 500Atlanta Motor SpeedwayHampton, Georgia
4May 2785th Indianapolis 500Indianapolis Motor SpeedwaySpeedway, Indiana
5June 9Casino Magic 500Texas Motor SpeedwayFort Worth, Texas
6June 17Radisson Indy 200Pikes Peak International RacewayFountain, Colorado
7June 30SunTrust Indy ChallengeRichmond International RacewayRichmond, Virginia
8July 8Ameristar Casino Indy 200Kansas SpeedwayKansas City, Kansas
9July 21Harrah's 200Nashville SuperspeedwayLebanon, Tennessee
10August 12Belterra Resort Indy 300Kentucky SpeedwaySparta, Kentucky
11August 26Gateway Indy 250Gateway International RacewayMadison, Illinois
12September 2Delphi Indy 300Chicagoland SpeedwayJoliet, Illinois
13October 6Chevy 500Texas Motor SpeedwayFort Worth, Texas

Race results

Note: All races running on Oval/Speedway.

Race summaries

Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200

This race was held March 18 at Phoenix International Raceway. Greg Ray won the pole.
Top ten results
  1. 4- Sam Hornish, Jr.
  2. 14- Eliseo Salazar
  3. 91- Buddy Lazier
  4. 8- Scott Sharp
  5. 98- Billy Boat
  6. 21- Felipe Giaffone
  7. 35- Jeff Ward
  8. 10- Robby McGehee
  9. 12- Buzz Calkins
  10. 88- Airton Daré

    Inaugural Infiniti Grand Prix of Miami

This race was held April 8 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Jeff Ward won the pole. Sarah Fisher's second place was the highest finish in an Indy car race by a female driver at the time.
Top ten results
  1. 4- Sam Hornish, Jr.
  2. 15- Sarah Fisher
  3. 14- Eliseo Salazar
  4. 21- Felipe Giaffone
  5. 35- Jeff Ward
  6. 3- Al Unser, Jr.
  7. 28- Mark Dismore
  8. 8- Scott Sharp
  9. 51- Eddie Cheever
  10. 32- Didier André

    zMax 500

This race was held April 28 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Greg Ray won the pole. A huge 11-car pileup occurred on lap 54, sending Dr. Jack Miller to the hospital with a concussion. It would be Miller's final race. This is also the final Indy car race held at Atlanta to-date.
Top ten results
  1. 2- Greg Ray
  2. 8- Scott Sharp
  3. 12- Buzz Calkins
  4. 4- Sam Hornish, Jr.
  5. 14- Eliseo Salazar
  6. 91- Buddy Lazier
  7. 35- Jeff Ward
  8. 55- Shigeaki Hattori
  9. 88- Airton Daré
  10. 21- Felipe Giaffone

    85th Indianapolis 500">2001 Indianapolis 500">85th Indianapolis 500

The Indy 500 was held May 27 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Scott Sharp sat on pole. Sharp crashed on the opening lap, and finished last. Team Penske returned to Indy after failing to qualify in 1995 and boycotting the race due to the IRL/CART "split" from 1996-2000. Penske finishes 1st-2nd with Hélio Castroneves and Gil de Ferran, Roger Penske's first-ever 1-2 at Indy as an owner.
Top ten results
  1. 68- Hélio Castroneves
  2. 66- Gil de Ferran
  3. 39- Michael Andretti
  4. 44- Jimmy Vasser
  5. 50- Bruno Junqueira
  6. 33- Tony Stewart
  7. 14- Eliseo Salazar
  8. 88- Airton Daré
  9. 98- Billy Boat
  10. 21- Felipe Giaffone

    Casino Magic 500

This race was held June 9 at Texas Motor Speedway. Mark Dismore won the pole. A serious crash on lap 56 involved Davey Hamilton, who lost control after Jeret Schroeder blew an engine, and Hamilton drove in the oil. Hamilton then crashed hard into the turn 2 wall, causing serious injuries to both legs and feet. The crash effectively ended Hamilton's full-time racing career. Scott Sharp stole the win after Eddie Cheever and Greg Ray crashed hard on the backstretch while battling for the victory in the final laps. Robby McGehee, who was running many laps down, was also caught up in the mishap; McGehee suffered leg and head injuries and missed several races.
Top ten results
  1. 8- Scott Sharp
  2. 21- Felipe Giaffone
  3. 4- Sam Hornish, Jr.
  4. 91- Buddy Lazier
  5. 98- Billy Boat
  6. 11- Donnie Beechler
  7. 14- Eliseo Salazar
  8. 3- Al Unser, Jr.
  9. 77- Jaques Lazier
  10. 55- Shigeaki Hattori

    Radisson Indy 200

This race was held June 17 at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Greg Ray won the pole.
Top ten results
  1. 91- Buddy Lazier
  2. 4- Sam Hornish, Jr.
  3. 24- Robbie Buhl
  4. 98- Billy Boat
  5. 88- Airton Daré
  6. 51- Eddie Cheever
  7. 21- Felipe Giaffone
  8. 8- Scott Sharp
  9. 99- Richie Hearn
  10. 15- Sarah Fisher

    Inaugural SunTrust Indy Challenge

This race was held June 30 at Richmond International Raceway. Jaques Lazier won the pole.
Top ten results
  1. 91- Buddy Lazier
  2. 4- Sam Hornish, Jr.
  3. 3- Al Unser, Jr.
  4. 32- Didier André
  5. 8- Scott Sharp
  6. 28- Mark Dismore
  7. 11- Donnie Beechler
  8. 35- Jeff Ward
  9. 24- Robbie Buhl
  10. 12- Buzz Calkins

    Ameristar Casino Indy 200

This race was held July 8 at Kansas Speedway. Scott Sharp won the pole.
Top ten results
  1. 51- Eddie Cheever
  2. 4- Sam Hornish, Jr.
  3. 11- Donnie Beechler
  4. 21- Felipe Giaffone
  5. 91- Buddy Lazier
  6. 88- Airton Daré
  7. 14- Eliseo Salazar
  8. 55- Shigeaki Hattori
  9. 98- Billy Boat
  10. 10- Robby McGehee

    Inaugural Harrah's 200

This race was held July 21 at Nashville Superspeedway. Greg Ray won the pole.
Top ten results
  1. 91- Buddy Lazier
  2. 98- Billy Boat
  3. 99- Jaques Lazier
  4. 10- Robby McGehee
  5. 8- Scott Sharp
  6. 4- Sam Hornish, Jr.
  7. 55- Shigeaki Hattori
  8. 21- Felipe Giaffone
  9. 12- Buzz Calkins
  10. 11- Donnie Beechler

    Belterra Resort Indy 300

This race was held August 12 at Kentucky Speedway. Scott Sharp won the pole. Buddy Lazier drove to victory, his final career win.
Top ten results
  1. 91- Buddy Lazier
  2. 8- Scott Sharp
  3. 4- Sam Hornish, Jr.
  4. 3- Al Unser, Jr.
  5. 11- Donnie Beechler
  6. 98- Billy Boat
  7. 55- Shigeaki Hattori
  8. 21- Felipe Giaffone
  9. 24- Robbie Buhl
  10. 35- Jeff Ward

    Inaugural Gateway Indy 250

This race was held August 26 at Gateway International Raceway. Sam Hornish, Jr. won the pole.
Top ten results
  1. 3- Al Unser, Jr.
  2. 28- Mark Dismore
  3. 4- Sam Hornish, Jr.
  4. 51- Eddie Cheever
  5. 24- Robbie Buhl
  6. 98- Billy Boat
  7. 35- Jeff Ward
  8. 8- Scott Sharp
  9. 88- Airton Daré
  10. 10- Robby McGehee

    Inaugural Delphi Indy 300

This race was held September 2 at Chicagoland Speedway. Jaques Lazier won the pole.
Top ten results
  1. 2- Jaques Lazier
  2. 4- Sam Hornish, Jr.
  3. 51- Eddie Cheever
  4. 35- Jeff Ward
  5. 11- Donnie Beechler
  6. 99- Richie Hearn
  7. 34- Laurent Redon
  8. 3- Al Unser, Jr.
  9. 12- Buzz Calkins
  10. 21- Felipe Giaffone

    Chevy 500

This race was held October 6 at Texas Motor Speedway. Sam Hornish, Jr. won the pole.
Top ten results
  1. 4- Sam Hornish, Jr.
  2. 8- Scott Sharp
  3. 24- Robbie Buhl
  4. 14- Eliseo Salazar
  5. 5- Rick Treadway
  6. 3- Al Unser, Jr.
  7. 88- Airton Daré
  8. 11- Greg Ray
  9. 18- Jon Herb
  10. 12- Buzz Calkins

    Final points standings


  • Ties in points broken by number of wins, followed by number of 2nds, 3rds, etc., and then by number of pole positions, followed by number of times qualified 2nd, etc.
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