2003 NASCAR Winston Cup

The 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup began on Saturday February 8 and ended on Sunday November 16. Matt Kenseth with Roush Racing was crowned the Winston Cup champion.

This was the last year in which Winston was the title sponsor of the Cup series. After it decided not to renew its sponsorship, NASCAR decided on the telecommunications firm Nextel to be the title sponsor of the new series.

In addition, NASCAR instituted a new points system after this season entitled the Chase for the Cup, in which after 26 races, all the points standings in the top ten as well as any position within 400 points of the lead, would be reset, so the drivers in those positions would be eligible for the championship. This was done primarily because of the huge lead Kenseth accumulated during 2003 despite winning one race.

1 Budweiser Shootout
2 Gatorade Twin 125s
3 Daytona 500
4 Subway 400
5 UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400
6 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500
7 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400
8 Food City 500
9 Samsung/Radio Shack 500
10 Aarons 499
11 Virginia 500
12 Auto Club 500
13 Pontiac Excitement 400
14 The Winston
15 Coca-Cola 600
16 MBNA Armed Forces Family 400
17 Pocono 500
18 Sirius 400
19 Dodge/Save Mart 350
20 Pepsi 400
21 Tropicana 400
22 New England 300
23 Pennsylvania 500
24 Brickyard 400
25 Sirius at the Glen
26 GFS Marketplace 400
27 Sharpie 500
28 Mountain Dew Southern 500
29 Chevy Rock and Roll 400
30 Sylvania 300
31 Dover 400
32 EA Sports 500
33 Banquet 400
34 UAW-GM Quality 500
35 Subway 500
36 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500
37 Checker Auto Parts 500
38 Pop-Secret Microwave Popcorn 400
39 Ford 400
40 Final Points Standings
41 Rookie of the Year

[edit] Budweiser Shootout

The exhibition Budweiser Shootout race, for drivers who have won a pole position in the previous season or have won the event before, was held on February 8 at Daytona International Speedway.

Top Ten Results

[edit] Gatorade Twin 125s

The Gatorade Twin 125s qualifying for the Daytona 500 were held on February 12 at Daytona International Speedway.

Race One: Top Ten Results

Race Two: Top Ten Results

[edit] Daytona 500

The Daytona 500 was held on February 16 at Daytona International Speedway. Jeff Green was the pole winner. The race ended after 109 laps when rain had begun pouring on the track.

Top Ten Results

Failed to qualify: David Green (#60), Hermie Sadler (#02), Brett Bodine (#11), Larry Foyt (#14), Derrike Cope (#37), Kirk Shelmerdine (#90), Mike Harmon (#78)

[edit] Subway 400

The Subway 400 was held on February 23 at North Carolina Speedway. Dave Blaney was the pole winner.

Failed to qualify: none

[edit] UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400

The UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 was held on March 2 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Matt Kenseth won this race, the only win of his championship season. Bobby Labonte was the pole winner.

Top Ten Results

Failed to qualify: Greg Biffle (#16), Brandon Ash (#02)

[edit] Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500

The Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 was held on March 9 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Ryan Newman sat on the pole.

Top Ten Results

Failed to qualify: Bobby Hamilton, Jr. (#35), Jeff Fultz (#57)

[edit] Carolina Dodge Dealers 400

The Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 was held on March 16 at Darlington Raceway. This was the last time a Darlington race would be held on this date. Ricky Craven beat Kurt Busch in the closest finish in NASCAR history. Elliott Sadler qualified on the pole.

Top Ten Results

Failed to qualify: none

[edit] Food City 500

The Food City 500 was held on March 23 at Bristol Motor Speedway. It was the 2000th race in Winston Cup history. Ryan Newman was the pole winner for this race.

Top Ten Results

Failed to qualify: Hermie Sadler (#02), Larry Foyt (#14)

[edit] Samsung/Radio Shack 500

The Samsung/Radio Shack 500 was held at Texas Motor Speedway on March 30, 2003. Texas native Bobby Labonte was the pole sitter for this race.

Top Ten Results

Failed to qualify: Kerry Earnhardt (#83), David Starr (#75)

[edit] Aarons 499

The Aarons 499 was held at Talladega Superspeedway on April 6, 2003. Jeremy Mayfield was the polewinner for this race while Dale Earnhardt Jr. became the first driver to win four consecutive races at Talladega.

Top Ten Results

Failed to qualify: Brett Bodine (#11), Larry Foyt (#14), David Green (#60)

[edit] Virginia 500

The Virginia 500 was held at Martinsville Speedway on April 13, 2003. Jeff Gordon won the pole.

Top Ten Results

Failed to qualify: none

[edit] Auto Club 500

The Auto Club 500 was held at California Speedway on April 27, 2003. Steve Park won the pole.

Top Ten Results

Failed to qualify: Kerry Earnhardt (#83), Hideo Fukuyama (#66)

[edit] Pontiac Excitement 400

The Pontiac Excitement 400 was held at Richmond International Raceway on May 3, 2003. Terry Labonte won the pole. Jerry Nadeau, driver of the #01 U.S. Army Chevrolet for MB2/MBV Motorsports, was critically injured in a practice session for this race, and hasn't raced since.

Top Ten Results

Failed to qualify: Hermie Sadler (#02), Derrike Cope (#37), Hideo Fukuyama (#66)

[edit] The Winston

Top Ten Results

×Burton entered via winning the Winston Open

[edit] Coca-Cola 600

The Coca-Cola 600 was held at Lowe's Motor Speedway on May 25, 2003. Ryan Newman was the pole winner. The race was shortened to 276 laps due to inclement weather.

Top Ten Results

Failed to qualify: Hermie Sadler (#02), Brett Bodine (#11), Derrike Cope (#37)

[edit] MBNA Armed Forces Family 400

The MBNA Armed Forces Family 400 was held at Dover International Speedway on June 1, 2003. Ryan Newman swept qualifying as well as the race. This was also the last career start for Brett Bodine.

Top Ten Results

Failed to qualify: Derrike Cope (#37), Hermie Sadler (#02)

[edit] Pocono 500

The Pocono 500 was held at Pocono Raceway on June 8, 2003. Jimmie Johnson grabbed the top starting spot.

Top Ten Results

Failed to qualify: Derrike Cope (#37), Morgan Shepherd (#89)

[edit] Sirius 400

The Sirius 400 was held at Michigan International Speedway on June 15, 2003. Bobby Labonte was the pole sitter.

Top Ten Results

Failed to qualify: Mike Skinner (#4), Larry Foyt (#14)

[edit] Dodge/Save Mart 350

The Dodge/Save Mart 350 was held at Infineon Raceway on June 22, 2003. Boris Said was the pole sitter.

Top Ten Results

Failed to qualify: P.J. Jones (#14), Brandon Ash (#02), Paul Menard (#33), Jim Inglebright (#00)

[edit] Pepsi 400

The Pepsi 400 was held at Daytona International Speedway on July 5, 2003. Steve Park won the pole.

Failed to qualify: Kerry Earnhardt (#83), Tony Raines (#74), Shane Hmiel (#43), Christian Fittipaldi (#44)

[edit] Tropicana 400

The Tropicana 400 was held at Chicagoland Speedway on July 13, 2003. Tony Stewart sat on the pole.

Failed to qualify: Jason Keller (#81)

[edit] New England 300

The New England 300 was held at New Hampshire International Speedway on July 20, 2003. Matt Kenseth won the pole.

Failed to qualify: Tim Sauter (#71), David Reutimann (#04), Carl Long (#46), Larry Foyt (#50)

[edit] Pennsylvania 500

The Pennsylvania 500 was held at Pocono Raceway on July 27, 2003. Ryan Newman won the pole.

Failed to qualify: Brett Bodine (#4)

[edit] Brickyard 400

The Brickyard 400 was held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 3, 2005. Kevin Harvick won the pole.

Failed to qualify: Brett Bodine (#11), Ken Schrader (#49), Billy Bigley (#79), Ted Musgrave (#07), Robert Pressley (#4), Jim Sauter (#71), Christian Fittipaldi (#43), David Reutimann (#04), Hermie Sadler (#02)

[edit] Sirius at the Glen

The Sirius at the Glen was held at Watkins Glen International Raceway on August 10, 2005. Jeff Gordon was the polesitter.

Failed to qualify: Ken Schrader (#49), Joe Varde (#35), Scott Maxwell (#43), Larry Foyt (#50)

[edit] GFS Marketplace 400

The GFS Marketplace 400 was held at Michigan International Speedway on August 17, 2005. Bobby Labonte won the pole.

Failed to qualify: Stacy Compton (#4)

[edit] Sharpie 500

The Sharpie 500 was held at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 23, 2003. Jeff Gordon sat on the pole.

Failed to qualify: Hermie Sadler (#02), Billy Bigley (#79), Derrike Cope (#37)

[edit] Mountain Dew Southern 500

The Mountain Dew Southern 500 was held at Darlington Speedway on August 31, 2005. This was the last time the race was held on this date. Ryan Newman sat on the pole.

Failed to qualify: Larry Foyt (#50)

[edit] Chevy Rock and Roll 400

The Chevy Rock and Roll 400 was held at Richmond International Raceway on September 6, 2003. Mike Skinner sat on the pole.

Failed to qualify: Larry Foyt (#50), Billy Bigley (#79)

[edit] Sylvania 300

The Sylvania 300 was held at New Hampshire International Speedway on September 14, 2003. Ryan Newman sat on the pole.

Failed to qualify: Larry Foyt (#50), Derrike Cope (#37), Morgan Shepherd (#89), Carl Long (#46)

[edit] Dover 400

The Dover 400 was held at Dover International Speedway on September 21, 2005. Matt Kenseth sat on the pole.

Failed to qualify: Larry Foyt (#50), Morgan Shepherd (#89), Billy Bigley (#79), Scott Wimmer (#27), Christian Fittipaldi (#44), Tim Sauter (#71)

[edit] EA Sports 500

The EA Sports 500 was held at Talladega Superspeedway on September 28, 2005. Elliott Sadler sat on the pole.

Failed to qualify: Kyle Petty (#45), Kevin Lepage (#4), Jason Leffler (#0), Mike Bliss(#80), Steve Park (#30), Todd Bodine (#54)

[edit] Banquet 400

The Banquet 400 was held at Kansas Speedway on October 5, 2003. Jimmie Johnson sat on the pole.

Failed to qualify: Larry Foyt (#14), Johnny Sauter (#4)

[edit] UAW-GM Quality 500

The UAW-GM Quality 500 was held at Lowe's Motor Speedway on October 11, 2003. Ryan Newman sat on the pole.

Failed to qualify: Ken Schrader (#49), Hermie Sadler (#02), Mark Green (#14), Jeff Fultz (#55)

[edit] Subway 500

The Subway 500 was held at Martinsville Speedway on October 19, 2003. Jeff Gordon sat on the pole.

Failed to qualify: Mark Green (#14), Morgan Shepherd (#89)

[edit] Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500

The Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 was held at Atlanta Motor Speedway on October 28, 2003. Ryan Newman sat on the pole.

Failed to qualify: Jeff Green (#43), Buckshot Jones (#00), Larry Foyt (#14), Mike Wallace (#09), Billy Bigley (#79), Shelby Howard (#27)

[edit] Checker Auto Parts 500

The Checker Auto Parts 500 was held Phoenix International Raceway on November 2, 2003. Ryan Newman sat on the pole.

Failed to qualify: Derrike Cope (#37), Brandon Ash (#02)

[edit] Pop-Secret Microwave Popcorn 400

The Pop-Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 was held at North Carolina Speedway on November 9, 2003. This was the last fall race held at Rockingham. Ryan Newman sat on the pole.

Failed to qualify: Hermie Sadler (#02), Tim Sauter (#71), Rich Bickle (#79)

[edit] Ford 400

The Ford 400 was held at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 16, 2003. Jamie McMurray sat on the pole.

Failed to qualify: Ken Schrader (#49), Kyle Petty (#45), Mike Wallace (#09), Derrike Cope (#37), Rich Bickle (#79)

[edit] Final Points Standings

All information in this article is from Racing Reference

[edit] Rookie of the Year

The easy favorite for Rookie of the Year heading was Jamie McMurray, who had won the previous year in just his second start, and he did not disappoint, posting thirteen top-tens and a pole position despite not winning again. Runner-up Greg Biffle finished in the top-25 in the first two races, failed to qualify at Las Vegas, then won the Pepsi 400, while Tony Raines posted just one top ten finish in BACE Motorsports' only full season in Winston Cup. Casey Mears couldn't finish higher than 15th in his debut season, but has gone on since to garner sixteen top-tens. Former Craftsman Truck Series champion Jack Sprague only lasted eighteen races before being released from his #0 ride, while Larry Foyt's best finish in 20 starts was a sixteenth at the season ending race at Homestead. The only other declared candidate, Hideo Fukuyama, dropped out early due to a lack of funding from his BelCar Racing team.

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This page was last modified 21:30, 19 July 2006. Content is available under the GFDL.

2003 NASCAR Winston Cup

Contents

[edit] Budweiser Shootout

[edit] Gatorade Twin 125s

[edit] Daytona 500

[edit] Subway 400

[edit] UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400

[edit] Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500

[edit] Carolina Dodge Dealers 400

[edit] Food City 500

[edit] Samsung/Radio Shack 500

[edit] Aarons 499

[edit] Virginia 500

[edit] Auto Club 500

[edit] Pontiac Excitement 400

[edit] The Winston

[edit] Coca-Cola 600

[edit] MBNA Armed Forces Family 400

[edit] Pocono 500

[edit] Sirius 400

[edit] Dodge/Save Mart 350

[edit] Pepsi 400

[edit] Tropicana 400

[edit] New England 300

[edit] Pennsylvania 500

[edit] Brickyard 400

[edit] Sirius at the Glen

[edit] GFS Marketplace 400

[edit] Sharpie 500

[edit] Mountain Dew Southern 500

[edit] Chevy Rock and Roll 400

[edit] Sylvania 300

[edit] Dover 400

[edit] EA Sports 500

[edit] Banquet 400

[edit] UAW-GM Quality 500

[edit] Subway 500

[edit] Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500

[edit] Checker Auto Parts 500

[edit] Pop-Secret Microwave Popcorn 400

[edit] Ford 400

[edit] Final Points Standings

[edit] Rookie of the Year

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