34°05′19″N 117°30′00″W / 34.08858°N 117.50000°W
Race details | |
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Race 21 of 21 in the 2001 CART season | |
Date | November 4, 2001 |
Official name | Marlboro 500 Presented by Toyota |
Location | California Speedway, Fontana, California |
Course | Permanent racing facility 2.029 mi / 3.265 km |
Distance | 220 laps 446.38 mi / 718.37 km |
Pole position | |
Driver | Alex Tagliani (CAN) (Forsythe Racing) |
Time | 31.935 |
Fastest lap | |
Driver | Max Papis (ITA) (Team Rahal) |
Time | 32.347 (on lap 204 of 220) |
Podium | |
First | Cristiano da Matta (BRA) (Newman/Haas Racing) |
Second | Max Papis (ITA) (Team Rahal) |
Third | Alex Tagliani (CAN) (Forsythe Racing) |
The 2001 Marlboro 500 was a Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) motor race held on November 4, 2001 at the California Speedway, in Fontana, California. It was the 21st and final round of the 2001 CART season and the fifth annual edition of the Marlboro 500 at California Speedway. The 220-lap race was won by Newman/Haas Racing driver Cristiano da Matta who started from second position. Max Papis finished second for Team Rahal and Forsythe Racing driver Alex Tagliani came in third.
Tagliani won the pole position but was passed by Bryan Herta on the first lap. Papis moved into the lead on the fifth lap and remained there for 54 laps more than any other driver during the course of the race. Most drivers chose to run in front of the field but not take the lead because they wanted to conserve fuel. The race was reduced from its original distance of 250 laps to 220 because of fading daylight and the event was delayed by morning rain. Da Matta held off Papis at the start-finish line to win after a caution period for a crash involving Scott Dixon ended competitive racing in the event.
There were eight cautions and a CART record-breaking 73 lead changes by 19 different drivers during the course of the race. It was da Matta's third (and final) victory of the season, his first in Fontana, and the fourth of his career. Seventh-place finisher Michael Andretti moved in front of Hélio Castroneves to secure third position after the latter retired with an engine failure. 75,000 people attended the event.