The 2003 Checker Auto Parts 500 presented by Havoline was the 34th stock car race of the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 16th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, November 2, 2003, before an audience of 100,000 in Avondale, Arizona at Phoenix International Raceway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) permanent low-banked tri-oval race track. The race took the scheduled 312 laps to complete. Within the final laps of the race, Dale Earnhardt, Inc. driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. would manage to defend the field on the final restart with nine to go to take his ninth career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second and final victory of the season.[1][2] To fill out the top three, Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson and Penske Racing South driver Ryan Newman would finish second and third, respectively.
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 34 of 36 in the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 The 2003 Checker Auto Parts 500 program cover, featuring Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck promoting Looney Tunes: Back In Action. | |||
| Date | November 2, 2003 | ||
| Official name | 16th Annual Checker Auto Parts 500 presented by Havoline | ||
| Location | Avondale, Arizona, Phoenix International Raceway | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 1 mi (1.6 km) | ||
| Distance | 312 laps, 312 mi (502.115 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 312 laps, 312 mi (502.115 km) | ||
| Average speed | 93.984 miles per hour (151.253 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 100,000 | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Penske Racing South | ||
| Time | 26.931 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | |
| Laps | 98 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | NBC | ||
| Announcers | Allen Bestwick, Benny Parsons, Wally Dallenbach Jr. | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
Heading into the penultimate race of the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season, the 2003 Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400, Roush Racing driver Matt Kenseth was considered the heavy favorite that season's driver's championship, only needing a seventh-place finish in the race to clinch the championship.[3]
Background
editPhoenix International Raceway – also known as PIR – is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It is named after the nearby metropolitan area of Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the IndyCar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The raceway is currently owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.
The raceway was originally constructed with a 2.5 mi (4.0 km) road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991 the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51 mi (2.43 km) interior layout. PIR has an estimated grandstand seating capacity of around 67,000. Lights were installed around the track in 2004 following the addition of a second annual NASCAR race weekend.
Entry list
edit- (R) denotes rookie driver.
Practice
editFirst practice
editThe first practice session was held on Friday, October 31, at 12:20 PM EST. The session would last for two hours.[4] Brian Vickers, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 26.882 and an average speed of 133.919 miles per hour (215.522 km/h).[5]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 | Brian Vickers | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 26.882 | 133.919 |
| 2 | 01 | Joe Nemechek | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 26.949 | 133.586 |
| 3 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 26.983 | 133.417 |
| Full first practice results | ||||||
Second practice
editThe second practice session was held on Saturday, November 1, at 11:30 AM EST. The session would last for 45 minutes.[4] Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.539 and an average speed of 130.724 miles per hour (210.380 km/h).[6]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.539 | 130.724 |
| 2 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 27.572 | 130.567 |
| 3 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.603 | 130.421 |
| Full second practice results | ||||||
Final practice
editThe final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, November 1, at 1:10 PM EST. The session would last for 45 minutes.[4] Jeff Burton, driving for Roush Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.537 and an average speed of 130.733 miles per hour (210.394 km/h).[7]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.537 | 130.733 |
| 2 | 16 | Greg Biffle (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.541 | 130.714 |
| 3 | 25 | Brian Vickers | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.596 | 130.454 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
editQualifying was held on Friday, October 31, at 4:05 PM EST. Each driver would have two laps to set a fastest time; the fastest of the two would count as their official qualifying lap.[4] Positions 1-36 would be decided on time, while positions 37-43 would be based on provisionals. Six spots are awarded by the use of provisionals based on owner's points. The seventh is awarded to a past champion who has not otherwise qualified for the race. If no past champ needs the provisional, the next team in the owner points will be awarded a provisional.[8]
Ryan Newman, driving for Penske Racing South, would win the pole, setting a time of 26.931 and an average speed of 133.675 miles per hour (215.129 km/h).[9]
Two drivers would fail to qualify: Derrike Cope and Brandon Ash.
Full qualifying results
editRace results
edit| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 312 | 87 | running | 180 | $203,017 |
| 2 | 3 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 312 | 84 | running | 175 | $173,625 |
| 3 | 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 312 | 41 | running | 170 | $152,625 |
| 4 | 7 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 312 | 98 | running | 170 | $142,585 |
| 5 | 17 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 312 | 0 | running | 155 | $100,925 |
| 6 | 37 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 312 | 0 | running | 150 | $86,000 |
| 7 | 4 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 312 | 0 | running | 146 | $111,778 |
| 8 | 27 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 312 | 0 | running | 142 | $98,917 |
| 9 | 28 | 22 | Scott Wimmer | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 312 | 0 | running | 138 | $95,656 |
| 10 | 12 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 312 | 0 | running | 134 | $99,133 |
| 11 | 15 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 312 | 0 | running | 130 | $100,000 |
| 12 | 22 | 42 | Jamie McMurray (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 312 | 0 | running | 127 | $59,900 |
| 13 | 2 | 25 | Brian Vickers | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 312 | 0 | running | 124 | $58,900 |
| 14 | 18 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 312 | 0 | running | 121 | $90,633 |
| 15 | 25 | 16 | Greg Biffle (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 312 | 0 | running | 118 | $56,130 |
| 16 | 33 | 1 | John Andretti | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 312 | 0 | running | 115 | $75,162 |
| 17 | 30 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 312 | 0 | running | 112 | $76,875 |
| 18 | 6 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 312 | 0 | running | 109 | $102,128 |
| 19 | 41 | 74 | Tony Raines (R) | BACE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 312 | 0 | running | 106 | $53,350 |
| 20 | 14 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 312 | 0 | running | 103 | $89,225 |
| 21 | 35 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 312 | 0 | running | 100 | $79,900 |
| 22 | 21 | 54 | Todd Bodine | BelCar Motorsports | Ford | 312 | 0 | running | 97 | $65,575 |
| 23 | 43 | 4 | Kevin Lepage | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Pontiac | 312 | 1 | running | 99 | $60,250 |
| 24 | 8 | 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 312 | 0 | running | 91 | $68,589 |
| 25 | 26 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 312 | 0 | running | 88 | $52,375 |
| 26 | 23 | 09 | Mike Wallace | Phoenix Racing | Dodge | 312 | 0 | running | 85 | $48,450 |
| 27 | 34 | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | 312 | 0 | running | 82 | $51,625 |
| 28 | 32 | 14 | Larry Foyt (R) | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Dodge | 312 | 0 | running | 79 | $49,200 |
| 29 | 39 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 312 | 0 | running | 76 | $93,853 |
| 30 | 19 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 310 | 0 | running | 73 | $77,706 |
| 31 | 10 | 01 | Joe Nemechek | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 310 | 0 | running | 70 | $50,925 |
| 32 | 31 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 310 | 0 | running | 67 | $75,862 |
| 33 | 5 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 305 | 0 | running | 64 | $85,217 |
| 34 | 13 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 297 | 0 | running | 61 | $86,603 |
| 35 | 36 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 280 | 0 | engine | 58 | $55,300 |
| 36 | 24 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 267 | 0 | running | 55 | $92,233 |
| 37 | 42 | 43 | Jeff Green | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 266 | 0 | engine | 52 | $82,803 |
| 38 | 38 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Pontiac | 207 | 1 | crash | 54 | $54,900 |
| 39 | 40 | 30 | Steve Park | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 206 | 0 | crash | 46 | $54,775 |
| 40 | 29 | 7 | Jimmy Spencer | Ultra Motorsports | Dodge | 167 | 0 | crash | 0 | $46,625 |
| 41 | 20 | 0 | Ward Burton | Haas CNC Racing | Pontiac | 167 | 0 | crash | 40 | $47,185 |
| 42 | 9 | 41 | Casey Mears (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 117 | 0 | engine | 37 | $54,350 |
| 43 | 16 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 32 | 0 | engine | 34 | $54,471 |
| Failed to qualify | ||||||||||
| 44 | 37 | Derrike Cope | Quest Motor Racing | Chevrolet | ||||||
| 45 | 02 | Brandon Ash | Ash Motorsports | Ford | ||||||
| Official race results | ||||||||||
References
edit- ^ Poole, David (November 2, 2003). "It wasn't Alabama, but it was a win for Earnhardt Jr., 8 team". That's Racin'. The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on March 28, 2004. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- ^ Harris, Mike (November 3, 2003). "Timely victory for Junior". The Times. p. 22. Retrieved October 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Harris, Mike (November 9, 2003). "Kenseth can wrap up title today". The Macon Telegraph. p. 41. Retrieved March 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d "Jayski's Silly Season Site - 2003 Phoenix Race Info Page". That's Racin'. Archived from the original on December 4, 2003. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- ^ "NASCAR.com - Races - 2003 Phoenix Practice 1 Results". NASCAR. Archived from the original on February 14, 2004. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- ^ "Gordon, Newman and Biffle out front in first practice". That's Racin'. November 1, 2003. Archived from the original on March 28, 2004. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- ^ "Jeff Burton, Biffle, Vickers at top of speed chart in final practice". That's Racin'. November 1, 2003. Archived from the original on March 28, 2004. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- ^ "Jayski's Silly Season Site - 2003 Provisional Land Page". Jayski's Silly Season Site. Archived from the original on February 4, 2005. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
- ^ Poole, David (October 31, 2003). "Newman edges Vickers for polein Sunday's race at Phoenix". That's Racin'. The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on March 28, 2004. Retrieved October 4, 2022.