Kevin made an early entrance into the Winston Cup Series this season when he was tapped by car owner, Richard Childress, to take over the GM Goodwrench Chevrolet following the death of its driver, Dale Earnhardt. The car was given a new number, 29, and repainted white to help give Kevin his own identity while honoring the legacy that Earnhardt had created with the black No. 3 car. Despite the tragic beginning of 2001, Kevin had a career year...winning in only his third Cup Series start, claiming Rookie of the Year honors and finishing ninth in points. He also ran a full Busch Series schedule this season, winning the Championship.
| Date | Race/Track | Start | Finish | Laps | Status | Points | Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02/25/01 | DuraLube 400 North Carolina Speedway |
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| 03/04/01 | UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 Las Vegas Motor Speedway |
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| 03/11/01 | Cracker Barrel Old Country Store 500 Atlanta Motor Speedway |
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| 03/18/01 | Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 Darlington Raceway |
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| 03/25/01 | Food City 500 Bristol Motor Speedway |
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| 04/01/01 | Harrah’s 500 Texas Motor Speedway |
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| 04/08/01 | Virginia 500 Martinsville Speedway |
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| 04/22/01 | Talladega 500 Talladega Superspeedway |
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| 04/29/01 | NAPA Auto Parts 500 Auto Club Speedway |
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| 05/05/01 | Pontiac Excitement 400 Richmond Int'l Raceway |
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| 05/27/01 | Coca-Cola 600 Charlotte Motor Speedway |
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| 06/03/01 | MBNA Platinum 400 Dover Int'l Speedway |
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| 06/10/01 | KMart 400 Michigan Int'l Speedway |
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| 06/17/01 | Pocono 500 Pocono Raceway |
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| 06/24/01 | Dodge/SaveMart 350 Infineon Raceway |
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| 07/07/01 | Pepsi 400 Daytona International Speedway |
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| 07/15/01 | Tropicana 400 Chicagoland Speedway |
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| 07/22/01 | New England 300 New Hampshire Motor Speedway |
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| 07/29/01 | Pennsylvania 500 Pocono Raceway |
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| 08/05/01 | Brickyard 400 Indianapolis Motor Speedway |
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| 08/12/01 | Global Crossing at the Glen Watkins Glen Int'l Speedway |
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| 08/19/01 | Pepsi 400 pres. by Meijer Michigan Int'l Speedway |
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| 08/25/01 | Sharpie 500 Bristol Motor Speedway |
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| 09/02/01 | Southern 500 Darlington Raceway |
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| 09/08/01 | Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 Richmond Int'l Raceway |
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| 09/23/01 | MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400 Dover Int'l Speedway |
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| 09/30/01 | Protection One 400 Kansas Speedway |
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| 10/07/01 | UAW-GM Quality 500 Charlotte Motor Speedway |
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| 10/15/01 | Old Dominion 500 Martinsville Speedway |
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| 10/21/01 | EA Sports 500 Talladega Superspeedway |
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| 10/28/01 | Checker Auto Parts 500 ISM Raceway |
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| 11/04/01 | Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 North Carolina Speedway |
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| 11/11/01 | Pennzoil Freedom 400 Homestead-Miami Speedway |
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| 11/18/01 | NAPA 500 Atlanta Motor Speedway |
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| 11/23/01 | New Hampshire 300 New Hampshire Motor Speedway |
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