2003 Daytona 500
Race details | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Race 1 of 36 in the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | ||||||
Date | February 16, 2003 | |||||
Location | Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida | |||||
Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.5 mi (4.02336 km) | |||||
Distance | 109 laps, 272.5 mi (438.546 km) | |||||
Scheduled Distance | 200 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km) | |||||
Weather | Warm with temperatures reaching up to 81 °F (27 °C); wind speeds approaching 22.9 miles per hour (36.9 km/h)[1] | |||||
Average speed | 133.870 miles per hour (215.443 km/h) | |||||
Attendance | 200,000[2] | |||||
Pole position | ||||||
Driver | Richard Childress Racing | |||||
Qualifying race winners | ||||||
Duel 1 Winner | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | ||||
Duel 2 Winner | Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
Dale Earnhardt Inc. | ||||
Most laps led | ||||||
Driver | Michael Waltrip |
Dale Earnhardt Inc. | ||||
Laps | 68 | |||||
Winner | ||||||
No. 15 | Michael Waltrip |
Network | Fox | |||
Announcers |
Nielsen Ratings |
16.8 (9.8/21 million viewers) |
The 2003 Daytona 500, the 45th running of the
Prior to the race, the drivers paid tribute by having decals on their cars in honor of the astronauts who were killed in the
The race ended after 109 laps when
During lap 58 into the race,
This is the first Daytona 500 event that respected Winston Cup veteran Dave Marcis did not attempt since 1967, a whole season before he had started driving.
Race summary
The green flag came nearly half an hour earlier than planned, due to the impending rain showers which officials feared would lead to the race having to be completed on another day. Jeff Green was out in front at the start of the race, but he was quickly passed by Michael Waltrip who led the first 34 laps. On lap 42, the race's first caution came out after Bobby Labonte spun out entering the backstretch. Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the lead from Tony Stewart as the field raced back to the caution. The first round of green flag pit stops came on lap 50.
On lap 58 Ryan Newman was running in the Top 15, but defending Daytona 500 champion Ward Burton hit Ken Schrader and both he and Newman hit the wall. The rear tire fixture underneath Newman's car detached from the car as he went sliding into the infield grass, and the No.12 went airborne and when it landed, its right-rear wheel dug into the dirt, causing Newman to flip several times before landing on its roof. Most of the car came apart in the infield, but Newman was uninjured and was able to walk away from the crash. Following Newman's flip, there were six caution laps, during which a light rain began to fall, so the race was red-flagged when the rain became heavier.
Following a rain delay which lasted over an hour, the race restarted with
This was the third Daytona 500 to have been shortened by rain, following the races held in 1965 and 1966. At 272.5 miles and 109 lap, this race was also the shortest Daytona 500 ever.
Results
W = Past winner of the Daytona 500; R = Daytona 500/NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rookie
Pos | Grid | Car No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps | Laps Led | Status | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 4 | 15 | Michael Waltrip (W) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 109 | 68 | Running | |
2 | 36 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing |
Ford | 109 | 0 | Running | |
3 | 10 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 109 | 8 | Running | |
4 | 31 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 109 | 0 | Running | |
5 | 26 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing |
Ford | 109 | 0 | Running | |
6 | 3 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 109 | 0 | Running | |
7 | 8 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 109 | 6 | Running | |
8 | 20 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 109 | 0 | Running | |
9 | 18 | 09 | Mike Wallace | Phoenix Racing | Dodge | 109 | 0 | Running | |
10 | 11 | 88 | Dale Jarrett (W) | Robert Yates Racing |
Ford | 109 | 0 | Running | |
11 | 9 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing |
Ford | 109 | 0 | Running | |
12 | 13 | 24 | Jeff Gordon (W) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 109 | 0 | Running | |
13 | 30 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 109 | 0 | Running | |
14 | 24 | 0 | Jack Sprague (R) | Haas CNC Racing |
Pontiac | 109 | 0 | Running | |
15 | 5 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 109 | 0 | Running | |
16 | 21 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 109 | 0 | Running | |
17 | 7 | 40 | Sterling Marlin (W) | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 109 | 0 | Running | |
18 | 6 | 54 | Todd Bodine | BelCar Motorsports |
Ford | 109 | 1 | Running | |
19 | 40 | 10 | Johnny Benson |
MBV Motorsports |
Pontiac | 109 | 0 | Running | |
20 | 35 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing |
Ford | 109 | 2 | Running | |
21 | 27 | 16 | Greg Biffle (R) | Roush Racing |
Ford | 109 | 0 | Running | |
22 | 15 | 25 | Joe Nemechek | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 109 | 0 | Running | |
23 | 16 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing |
Ford | 109 | 0 | Running | |
24 | 39 | 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 109 | 0 | Running | |
25 | 38 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing |
Dodge | 109 | 0 | Running | |
26 | 25 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Pontiac | 109 | 1 | Running | |
27 | 29 | 41 | Casey Mears (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 109 | 1 | Running | |
28 | 42 | 01 | Jerry Nadeau | MBV Motorsports |
Pontiac | 109 | 0 | Running | |
29 | 32 | 1 | Steve Park |
Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 109 | 0 | Running | |
30 | 41 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 109 | 0 | Running | |
31 | 19 | 42 | Jamie McMurray (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 109 | 0 | Running | |
32 | 14 | 9 | Bill Elliott (W) | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 109 | 0 | Running | |
33 | 33 | 74 | Tony Raines (R) | BACE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 109 | 0 | Running | |
34 | 12 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 108 | 0 | Flagged | |
35 | 34 | 33 | Christian Fittipaldi (R) | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 108 | 0 | Flagged | |
36 | 2 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 108 | 22 | Flagged | |
37 | 43 | 4 | Mike Skinner | Morgan-McClure Motorsports |
Pontiac | 108 | 0 | Flagged | |
38 | 17 | 22 | Ward Burton (W) | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 105 | 0 | Accident | |
39 | 1 | 30 | Jeff Green | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 94 | 0 | Accident | |
40 | 23 | 7 | Jimmy Spencer |
Ultra Motorsports | Dodge | 94 | 0 | Accident | |
41 | 22 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 81 | 0 | Flagged | |
42 | 28 | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | 57 | 0 | Accident | |
43 | 37 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing |
Dodge | 56 | 0 | Accident | |
Failed to Qualify
| |||||||||
14 | Larry Foyt (R) | A. J. Foyt Racing | Dodge | ||||||
11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | ||||||
02 | Hermie Sadler (R) | SCORE Motorsports |
Pontiac | ||||||
60 | David Green (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | ||||||
90 | Kirk Shelmerdine (R) | Donlavey Racing | Ford | ||||||
37 | Derrike Cope (W) | Qwest Motor Racing | Chevrolet | ||||||
78 | Mike Harmon (R) | BC Motorsports | Chevrolet | ||||||
Source:[2] |
Withdrew: No. 84 – Norm Benning.
References
- ^ "Weather of the 2003 Daytona 500". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
- ^ a b "2003 Daytona 500 - Racing-Reference.info". Archived from the original on 2012-02-19. Retrieved 2013-06-15.