NAPA Auto Parts 500 - California Speedway

Wallace Wins at California
Rusty Wallace held off a hard-charging Jeff Gordon to win the NAPA Auto Parts 500 at California Speedway. Wallace was able to hold off Gordon by .270 seconds to claim his 54th career win, his first this season. Wallace becomes the eighth different winner of the 2001 season and extended his streak of having at least one NASCAR Winston Cup victory to 16 straight seasons with today's triumph. That matches the streak Ricky Rudd put together from 1983-98 and is the longest such streak in the NASCAR modern era. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished third on what would have been his father's 50th birthday, while Tony Stewart and last year's winner, Jeremy Mayfield, rounded out the top five.

Labonte Grabs Pole at California Speedway
Winston Cup champion Bobby Labonte won his first pole position of the 2001 season, grabbing the top starting spot for the NAPA Auto Parts 500 at California Speedway. Labonte turned in a relatively slow lap of 39.423 seconds, at an average speed of 182.635 mph, to give Pontiac its first pole of the season. Todd Bodine will join Labonte on the front row, starting second, while Jeremy Mayfield and Tony Stewart make out row two.