2001 Casino Magic 500
Encyclopedia
The 2001 Casino Magic 500 was the 5th round of the 2001 Indy Racing League season. It happened on June 9, 2001 at Texas Motor Speedway
.
, for the 4th time on his Indy Racing League career, had set the pole. The Kelley Racing
driver set a speed of 215.508 mph. His teammate Scott Sharp
started alongside him at the first row.
was the leader, Eddie Cheever was in second and Sam Hornish, Jr.
was in third. After 3 laps, Cheever, Jr. took the lead from Dismore. The top 12 after 10 laps was the following: Eddie Cheever, Jr., Sam Hornish, Jr., Scott Sharp
, Mark Dismore, Shigeaki Hattori
, Robbie Buhl
, Billy Boat
, Donnie Beechler
, Buddy Lazier
, Airton Daré
, Greg Ray
and Jeff Ward
. After some debris were on the backstretch, 1st caution came out at lap 25. Restart came out at lap 32, with Jaques Lazier
leading the field. Lazier didn't make his pitstop, so, he took the lead. At lap 72, a major crash happened. Sarah Fisher
, Davey Hamilton
and Jeret Schroeder
were involved. Schroeder suffered a blown engine and Hamilton had hit him and almost flipped. Fisher had hit a tyre. 2nd caution. After pitstops, the top 10 after 78 laps was: Greg Ray, Eddie Cheever, Jr., Felipe Giaffone
, Scott Sharp, Sam Hornish, Jr., Jeff Ward, Airton Daré, Billy Boat, Didier Andre
and Eliseo Salazar
.
, had an engine problem and was forced to retire, but he would finish this race, although, many laps behind the winner. 3rd caution. Restart came out at lap 116.
leading the field. With 27 laps to go, Eddie Cheever
tried a three-wide with Greg Ray
and Sharp, but there wasn't space to try to overtake. He lost the 3rd place to Jeff Ward
. Caution came out laps later, after Ward having wheel bearing problems. Restart came out with 12 laps to go with Scott Sharp leading the field. With 11 laps to go, Cheever, Sharp and Ray were battling for the lead. Ray won that battle, but not the race. Because with 5 laps to go, a major crash happened on the backstretch involving Greg Ray, Eddie Cheever and Robby McGehee
. Caution came out, and Scott Sharp won, as no restart happened. About the accident, Ray was hit by McGehee, who had hit Cheever right after.
Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas....
.
Qualifying
Mark DismoreMark Dismore
Mark Dismore is a former driver in the Indy Racing League and the 1990 Toyota Pacific champion as well as the winner of the 1993 24 Hours of Daytona with Dan Gurney's All American Racers in a Toyota GTP car with co-drivers Rocky Moran and P. J. Jones...
, for the 4th time on his Indy Racing League career, had set the pole. The Kelley Racing
Kelley Racing
Kelley Racing is a former Indy Racing League team founded by Fort Wayne, Indiana-based car dealer Tom Kelley that most notably fielded a Delphi sponsored car for Scott Sharp during its entire existence from 1998 to 2004...
driver set a speed of 215.508 mph. His teammate Scott Sharp
Scott Sharp
Scott Sharp is an American race car driver in the American Le Mans Series. He is the son of six-time SCCA champion Bob Sharp. Scott Sharp is best known for his years as a competitor in the Indy Racing League....
started alongside him at the first row.
Lap 1 - Lap 78
At the end of lap 1, Mark DismoreMark Dismore
Mark Dismore is a former driver in the Indy Racing League and the 1990 Toyota Pacific champion as well as the winner of the 1993 24 Hours of Daytona with Dan Gurney's All American Racers in a Toyota GTP car with co-drivers Rocky Moran and P. J. Jones...
was the leader, Eddie Cheever was in second and Sam Hornish, Jr.
Sam Hornish, Jr.
Racing League]] championships. He currently drives the #12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger for Penske Racing part-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He also drives the #38 Front Row Motorsports Ford when Travis Kvapil is unable to drive the car....
was in third. After 3 laps, Cheever, Jr. took the lead from Dismore. The top 12 after 10 laps was the following: Eddie Cheever, Jr., Sam Hornish, Jr., Scott Sharp
Scott Sharp
Scott Sharp is an American race car driver in the American Le Mans Series. He is the son of six-time SCCA champion Bob Sharp. Scott Sharp is best known for his years as a competitor in the Indy Racing League....
, Mark Dismore, Shigeaki Hattori
Shigeaki Hattori
Shigeaki Hattori is a Japanese race car driver currently based in the United States. He is not related to Naoki Hattori, whom he briefly raced against in CART....
, Robbie Buhl
Robbie Buhl
Robbie Buhl is a former Indy Racing League competitor and current team-owner, with the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team in the IRL's IndyCar Series...
, Billy Boat
Billy Boat
William "Billy" Leonard Boat is a former American open wheel driver who raced in the Indy Racing League....
, Donnie Beechler
Donnie Beechler
Donnie Beechler , is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. He was born in Springfield, Illinois.Beechler raced in the 1998-2001 seasons with 36 career starts, including 4 Indianapolis 500 showings...
, Buddy Lazier
Buddy Lazier
Robert Buddy Lazier is an American Indycar driver. He won the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and has finished in the Top Ten in that race six times...
, Airton Daré
Airton Daré
Airton Daré is a race car driver who has competed in the Indy Racing League. He made his first IRL start in 2000 and was a long-time driver for A.J. Foyt Enterprises. Airton has a single IRL race win which he captured for Foyt in 2002 at Kansas Speedway. He was also the 2000 IRL Rookie of the Year...
, Greg Ray
Greg Ray
Greg Ray is a former IRL IndyCar Series driver.After winning the SCCA national Formula Atlantic championship in 1993, he moved up to the CART-sanctioned Toyota Atlantic series in 1994....
and Jeff Ward
Jeff Ward
Jeff Ward may refer to:* Jeff Ward * Jeff Ward * Jeffrey Ward...
. After some debris were on the backstretch, 1st caution came out at lap 25. Restart came out at lap 32, with Jaques Lazier
Jaques Lazier
Jaques Lazier is an American racing driver born January 25, 1971 in Denver, Colorado and is the younger brother of 1996 Indianapolis 500 champion Buddy Lazier and son of former Indy racer Bob Lazier....
leading the field. Lazier didn't make his pitstop, so, he took the lead. At lap 72, a major crash happened. Sarah Fisher
Sarah Fisher
Sarah Marie Fisher is a retired American professional racecar driver who competed in the IZOD IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500...
, Davey Hamilton
Davey Hamilton
Davey Jay Hamilton is a race car driver in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series. He has made 50 series starts and while never winning a race, finished second 3 times...
and Jeret Schroeder
Jeret Schroeder
Jeret Schroeder , is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. He raced in the 1997 and 1999-2002 seasons with 20 career starts, including the 1999-2001 Indianapolis 500. His best career finish was fourth at the 2000 Vegas Indy 300 won by Al Unser, Jr. at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway...
were involved. Schroeder suffered a blown engine and Hamilton had hit him and almost flipped. Fisher had hit a tyre. 2nd caution. After pitstops, the top 10 after 78 laps was: Greg Ray, Eddie Cheever, Jr., Felipe Giaffone
Felipe Giaffone
Felipe Giaffone is a race car driver from Brazil. He competed in the Indy Racing League between 2001 and 2006. His father, "Zeca" Giaffone is the 1987 Stock Car Brasil champion and Mil Milhas Brasil five times winner in the 1980s.-Racing career:...
, Scott Sharp, Sam Hornish, Jr., Jeff Ward, Airton Daré, Billy Boat, Didier Andre
Didier André
Didier Andre is a race car driver born in Lyon, France. In the late 1990s he competed in Indy Lights, driving in the Indy Racing League in 2001 and Nissan World Series from 2003 until the present day. During 2006 he drove in the Le Mans Series Championship, initially in LMP2 for the team Paul...
and Eliseo Salazar
Eliseo Salazar
Eliseo Salazar Valenzuela is a Chilean racing driver, and the only one of his countrymen to compete in Formula One. He participated in 37 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix scoring a total of three championship points...
.
Lap 89 - Lap 116
Restart came out at lap 89. At lap 102, Cheever, Jr. did a pitstop. Some laps later, Airton DaréAirton Daré
Airton Daré is a race car driver who has competed in the Indy Racing League. He made his first IRL start in 2000 and was a long-time driver for A.J. Foyt Enterprises. Airton has a single IRL race win which he captured for Foyt in 2002 at Kansas Speedway. He was also the 2000 IRL Rookie of the Year...
, had an engine problem and was forced to retire, but he would finish this race, although, many laps behind the winner. 3rd caution. Restart came out at lap 116.
Closing Stages: Last 44 laps
With 44 laps to go, another caution came out. The reason of the caution was debris on the track. Restart came out with 40 laps to go, with Scott SharpScott Sharp
Scott Sharp is an American race car driver in the American Le Mans Series. He is the son of six-time SCCA champion Bob Sharp. Scott Sharp is best known for his years as a competitor in the Indy Racing League....
leading the field. With 27 laps to go, Eddie Cheever
Eddie Cheever
Edward "Eddie" McKay Cheever, Jr. is an American racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 World Championship Formula One races and started 132, more than any other American, driving for nine different...
tried a three-wide with Greg Ray
Greg Ray
Greg Ray is a former IRL IndyCar Series driver.After winning the SCCA national Formula Atlantic championship in 1993, he moved up to the CART-sanctioned Toyota Atlantic series in 1994....
and Sharp, but there wasn't space to try to overtake. He lost the 3rd place to Jeff Ward
Jeff Ward
Jeff Ward may refer to:* Jeff Ward * Jeff Ward * Jeffrey Ward...
. Caution came out laps later, after Ward having wheel bearing problems. Restart came out with 12 laps to go with Scott Sharp leading the field. With 11 laps to go, Cheever, Sharp and Ray were battling for the lead. Ray won that battle, but not the race. Because with 5 laps to go, a major crash happened on the backstretch involving Greg Ray, Eddie Cheever and Robby McGehee
Robby McGehee
Robby McGehee is a Indy Racing League driver from St. Louis, Missouri. He won the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award in 1999 after finishing fifth and raced for veteran owner Fred Treadway the next few seasons...
. Caution came out, and Scott Sharp won, as no restart happened. About the accident, Ray was hit by McGehee, who had hit Cheever right after.
Final results
- Scott SharpScott SharpScott Sharp is an American race car driver in the American Le Mans Series. He is the son of six-time SCCA champion Bob Sharp. Scott Sharp is best known for his years as a competitor in the Indy Racing League....
- Felipe GiaffoneFelipe GiaffoneFelipe Giaffone is a race car driver from Brazil. He competed in the Indy Racing League between 2001 and 2006. His father, "Zeca" Giaffone is the 1987 Stock Car Brasil champion and Mil Milhas Brasil five times winner in the 1980s.-Racing career:...
- Sam Hornish, Jr.Sam Hornish, Jr.Racing League]] championships. He currently drives the #12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger for Penske Racing part-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He also drives the #38 Front Row Motorsports Ford when Travis Kvapil is unable to drive the car....
- Buddy LazierBuddy LazierRobert Buddy Lazier is an American Indycar driver. He won the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and has finished in the Top Ten in that race six times...
- Donnie BeechlerDonnie BeechlerDonnie Beechler , is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. He was born in Springfield, Illinois.Beechler raced in the 1998-2001 seasons with 36 career starts, including 4 Indianapolis 500 showings...
- Billy BoatBilly BoatWilliam "Billy" Leonard Boat is a former American open wheel driver who raced in the Indy Racing League....
- Eliseo SalazarEliseo SalazarEliseo Salazar Valenzuela is a Chilean racing driver, and the only one of his countrymen to compete in Formula One. He participated in 37 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix scoring a total of three championship points...
- Al Unser, Jr.Al Unser, Jr.Alfred Unser, Jr. , nicknamed "Little Al", "Al Junior" or simply "Junior" is a retired American race car driver and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner.-History:...
- Jaques LazierJaques LazierJaques Lazier is an American racing driver born January 25, 1971 in Denver, Colorado and is the younger brother of 1996 Indianapolis 500 champion Buddy Lazier and son of former Indy racer Bob Lazier....
- Shigeaki HattoriShigeaki HattoriShigeaki Hattori is a Japanese race car driver currently based in the United States. He is not related to Naoki Hattori, whom he briefly raced against in CART....
- Greg RayGreg RayGreg Ray is a former IRL IndyCar Series driver.After winning the SCCA national Formula Atlantic championship in 1993, he moved up to the CART-sanctioned Toyota Atlantic series in 1994....
DNF, but was classified - Eddie CheeverEddie CheeverEdward "Eddie" McKay Cheever, Jr. is an American racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 World Championship Formula One races and started 132, more than any other American, driving for nine different...
DNF, but was classified - Billy RoeBilly RoeBilly Roe , is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. He raced in the 1997-1998 and 2000-2002 seasons with 16 career starts, including 2 at the Indianapolis 500. His best IRL finish was a 12th place at Nashville Speedway in 2001. In the 1997 Las Vegas Motor Speedway race, he fielded his own car...
- Robby McGeheeRobby McGeheeRobby McGehee is a Indy Racing League driver from St. Louis, Missouri. He won the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award in 1999 after finishing fifth and raced for veteran owner Fred Treadway the next few seasons...
DNF, but was classified - Buzz CalkinsBuzz CalkinsBradley "Buzz" Calkins is a former Indy Racing League driver. After a successful run in Indy Lights from 1993 to 1995 where he finished 11th, 10th, and 6th in his three seasons, he and his Bradley Motorsports team purchased a 1995 Reynard chassis to compete in the inaugural season of the IRL...
- Jeff WardJeff WardJeff Ward may refer to:* Jeff Ward * Jeff Ward * Jeffrey Ward...
- Didier AndreDidier AndréDidier Andre is a race car driver born in Lyon, France. In the late 1990s he competed in Indy Lights, driving in the Indy Racing League in 2001 and Nissan World Series from 2003 until the present day. During 2006 he drove in the Le Mans Series Championship, initially in LMP2 for the team Paul...
- Sarah FisherSarah FisherSarah Marie Fisher is a retired American professional racecar driver who competed in the IZOD IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500...
- Airton DaréAirton DaréAirton Daré is a race car driver who has competed in the Indy Racing League. He made his first IRL start in 2000 and was a long-time driver for A.J. Foyt Enterprises. Airton has a single IRL race win which he captured for Foyt in 2002 at Kansas Speedway. He was also the 2000 IRL Rookie of the Year...
- Mark DismoreMark DismoreMark Dismore is a former driver in the Indy Racing League and the 1990 Toyota Pacific champion as well as the winner of the 1993 24 Hours of Daytona with Dan Gurney's All American Racers in a Toyota GTP car with co-drivers Rocky Moran and P. J. Jones...
- Robbie BuhlRobbie BuhlRobbie Buhl is a former Indy Racing League competitor and current team-owner, with the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team in the IRL's IndyCar Series...
- Brandon ErwinBrandon ErwinBrandon Erwin , is a racecar driver who has raced in stock car and sprint car events. In 2001, he competed in 4 Indy Racing League contests for McCormack Motorsports. In 2003 he competed in the Indy Pro Series, finishing 11th in points with a best race result of 3rd in his first race...
- Jeret SchroederJeret SchroederJeret Schroeder , is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. He raced in the 1997 and 1999-2002 seasons with 20 career starts, including the 1999-2001 Indianapolis 500. His best career finish was fourth at the 2000 Vegas Indy 300 won by Al Unser, Jr. at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway...
DNF Accident with Fisher and Hamilton - Davey HamiltonDavey HamiltonDavey Jay Hamilton is a race car driver in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series. He has made 50 series starts and while never winning a race, finished second 3 times...
DNF Accident with Fisher and Schroeder
Point standings after 5 races
- Sam Hornish, Jr.Sam Hornish, Jr.Racing League]] championships. He currently drives the #12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger for Penske Racing part-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He also drives the #38 Front Row Motorsports Ford when Travis Kvapil is unable to drive the car....
192 points - Eliseo SalazarEliseo SalazarEliseo Salazar Valenzuela is a Chilean racing driver, and the only one of his countrymen to compete in Formula One. He participated in 37 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix scoring a total of three championship points...
-35 - Scott SharpScott SharpScott Sharp is an American race car driver in the American Le Mans Series. He is the son of six-time SCCA champion Bob Sharp. Scott Sharp is best known for his years as a competitor in the Indy Racing League....
-45 - Felipe GiaffoneFelipe GiaffoneFelipe Giaffone is a race car driver from Brazil. He competed in the Indy Racing League between 2001 and 2006. His father, "Zeca" Giaffone is the 1987 Stock Car Brasil champion and Mil Milhas Brasil five times winner in the 1980s.-Racing career:...
(R) -57 - Buddy LazierBuddy LazierRobert Buddy Lazier is an American Indycar driver. He won the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and has finished in the Top Ten in that race six times...
-75 - Billy BoatBilly BoatWilliam "Billy" Leonard Boat is a former American open wheel driver who raced in the Indy Racing League....
-79 - Buzz CalkinsBuzz CalkinsBradley "Buzz" Calkins is a former Indy Racing League driver. After a successful run in Indy Lights from 1993 to 1995 where he finished 11th, 10th, and 6th in his three seasons, he and his Bradley Motorsports team purchased a 1995 Reynard chassis to compete in the inaugural season of the IRL...
-88 - Greg RayGreg RayGreg Ray is a former IRL IndyCar Series driver.After winning the SCCA national Formula Atlantic championship in 1993, he moved up to the CART-sanctioned Toyota Atlantic series in 1994....
-89 - Jeff WardJeff WardJeff Ward may refer to:* Jeff Ward * Jeff Ward * Jeffrey Ward...
-90 - Robby McGeheeRobby McGeheeRobby McGehee is a Indy Racing League driver from St. Louis, Missouri. He won the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award in 1999 after finishing fifth and raced for veteran owner Fred Treadway the next few seasons...
-106
- (R) denotes a contender for the Rookie of the Year award