2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series

2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
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Champions \| Seasons

The 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series began on February 8 and ended on November 16. Matt Kenseth, driving the No.17 Ford for Roush Racing, was crowned the Winston Cup champion, despite winning only one race in the season. Chevrolet took home the NASCAR Manufacturers' Championship after capturing 19 wins and 264 points over second-place finisher Dodge, who had nine wins and 203 points. Ford finished the year third with seven wins and 200 points, and Pontiac finished fourth with one win and 125 points.^[1]

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.

Teams and drivers

Complete schedule

Matt Kenseth, the 2003 NASCAR Cup Champion

Jimmie Johnson came in second behind Kenseth by 90 points

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finished third in the championship

Make	Team	No.	Driver	Crew chief
Chevrolet	BACE Motorsports	74	Tony Raines (R)	Larry Carter
	Dale Earnhardt Incorporated	1	Steve Park 11	Tony Gibson
			Jeff Green 12
			Ron Fellows 2
			John Andretti 10
			Jason Keller 1
		8	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Tony Eury
		15	Michael Waltrip	Slugger Labbe
	Hendrick Motorsports	5	Terry Labonte	Jim Long
		24	Jeff Gordon	Robbie Loomis
		25	Joe Nemechek 32	Peter Sospenzo
		25	Brian Vickers 4	Peter Sospenzo
		48	Jimmie Johnson	Chad Knaus
	Joe Gibbs Racing	18	Bobby Labonte	Michael McSwain
	Joe Gibbs Racing	20	Tony Stewart	Greg Zipadelli
	Richard Childress Racing	29	Kevin Harvick	Todd Berrier
		30	Jeff Green 11	Mike Beam
		30	Steve Park 25	Mike Beam
		31	Robby Gordon	Kevin Hamlin
Dodge	A. J. Foyt Racing	141	Larry Foyt 33 (R)	Ben Holm
			P. J. Jones 1
			Mark Green 2
	BAM Racing	49	Ken Schrader	Scott Eggleston
	Bill Davis Racing	22	Ward Burton 32	Frank Stoddard
		22	Scott Wimmer 4	Frank Stoddard
		23	Kenny Wallace	Phillipe Lopez
	Chip Ganassi Racing	40	Sterling Marlin	Lee McCall
		41	Casey Mears (R)	Jimmy Elledge
		42	Jamie McMurray (R)	Donnie Wingo
	Evernham Motorsports	9	Bill Elliott	Mike Ford
	Evernham Motorsports	19	Jeremy Mayfield	Kenny Francis
	Penske Racing	2	Rusty Wallace	Bill Wilburn
	Penske Racing	12	Ryan Newman	Matt Borland
	Petty Enterprises	43	John Andretti 14	Gary Putnam
			Christian Fittipaldi (R) 11
			Shane Hmiel 1
			Scott Maxwell 1
			Jeff Green 9
		45	Kyle Petty 35	Greg Steadman
		45	Christian Fittipaldi (R) 1	Greg Steadman
	Ultra Motorsports	7	Jimmy Spencer 35	Tommy Baldwin Jr.
	Ultra Motorsports	7	Ted Musgrave 1	Tommy Baldwin Jr.
Ford	BelCar Motorsports	54	Todd Bodine	Gary Cogswell
	Jasper Motorsports	77	Dave Blaney	Mark Harrah
	Robert Yates Racing	38	Elliott Sadler	Raymond Fox Jr.
	Robert Yates Racing	88	Dale Jarrett	Shawn Parker
	Roush Racing	6	Mark Martin	Pat Tryson
		16	Greg Biffle (R)	Doug Richert
		17	Matt Kenseth	Robbie Reiser
		97	Kurt Busch	Jimmy Fennig
		99	Jeff Burton	Paul Andrews
	Wood Brothers Racing	21	Ricky Rudd	Ben Leslie
Pontiac	Haas CNC Racing	0	Jack Sprague (R) 18	Tony Furr
			John Andretti 3
			Jason Leffler 11
			Ward Burton 4
	MB2 Motorsports	01	Jerry Nadeau 10	Ryan Pemberton
			Jason Keller 1
			Mike Wallace 8
			Boris Said 2
			Mike Skinner 11
			Joe Nemechek 4
		10	Johnny Benson	Jay Guy
	Morgan-McClure Motorsports	4	Mike Skinner 15	Tim Brewer
			Johnny Miller 1
			Stacy Compton 2
			Johnny Sauter (R) 6
			Brett Bodine 1
			Robert Pressley 1
			P. J. Jones 1
			Kevin Lepage 9
	PPI Motorsports	32	Ricky Craven	Scott Miller

Limited schedule

Manufacturer	Team	No.	Race driver	Crew chief	Round(s)
Chevrolet	Andy Petree Racing	33	Christian Fittipaldi		1
	Andy Petree Racing	33	Paul Menard		2
	BC Motorsports	78	Mike Harmon		1
	Bill McAnally Racing	00	Jim Inglebright		1
	Michael Waltrip Racing		Buckshot Jones		2
	Michael Waltrip Racing		Mike Skinner		1
	Dale Earnhardt Incorporated	81	Jason Keller		1
	Dale Earnhardt Incorporated	81	John Andretti		1
	FitzBradshaw Racing	83	Kerry Earnhardt		3
	Hendrick Motorsports	60	David Green	Gary DeHart	4
	Hendrick Motorsports	60	Brian Vickers	Gary DeHart	1
	Joe Gibbs Racing	80	Mike Bliss		2
	Joe Varde Racing	35	Joe Varde		1
	Marcis Auto Racing	71	Tim Sauter		3
	Marcis Auto Racing	71	Jim Sauter		1
	Mike Starr Racing	75	David Starr		1
	Quest Motor Racing	37	Derrike Cope	Ernie Cope	18
	Richard Childress Racing	90	John Andretti		1
	Richard Childress Racing	90	Ron Hornaday, Jr.		1
Dodge	Arnold Motorsports	78	Rich Bickle		1
		79	Billy Bigley, Jr.		5
			Rich Bickle		1
			Derrike Cope		1
	Bill Davis Racing	27	Scott Wimmer		3
	Bill Davis Racing	27	Shelby Howard		1
	Chip Ganassi Racing	39	Scott Pruett	Matt Chambers	1
	Evernham Motorsports	91	Casey Atwood	Sammy Johns	2
	Petty Enterprises	44	Christian Fittipaldi (R)		5
	Phoenix Racing	09	Mike Wallace		7
			Scott Pruett		1
			Buckshot Jones		1
	Ultra Motorsports	07	Ted Musgrave		1
Ford	BelCar Racing	66	Hideo Fukuyama		4
	Brett Bodine Racing	11	Brett Bodine		5
	Brett Bodine Racing	11	Geoffrey Bodine		1
	CLR Racing	57	Jeff Fultz		1
			Brett Bodine		1
			Kevin Lepage		2
	Donlavey Racing	90	Kirk Shelmerdine		1
	Harrah Racing	55	Jeff Fultz		1
	Matrix Motorsports	71	Kevin Lepage		1
	Robert Yates Racing	98	Jason Jarrett		1
	Shepherd Racing Ventures	89	Morgan Shepherd		7
	Team Rensi Motorsports	35	Bobby Hamilton, Jr.		3
Pontiac	Morgan-McClure Motorsports	04	David Reutimann	Garth Finley	2
Pontiac	Morgan-McClure Motorsports	04	Johnny Miller	Garth Finley	1
Chevrolet Pontiac	SCORE Motorsports	02	Hermie Sadler	Jeff Buckner	19
Chevrolet Pontiac	SCORE Motorsports	02	Brandon Ash	Jeff Buckner	3

Budweiser Shootout

The Budweiser Shootout was held February 8 at Daytona International Speedway. It was won by #8-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.. The race featured drivers who have won a pole in the previous season or have won the event before. 2003 marked changes to the race's format, for the first time the race ran at night. The 70-lap event was now split into two segments. After the first 20-lap segment a 10-minute intermission took place allowing drivers to make pit stops and repair their cars. The second segment featured a 50-lap race to the finish with cars restarting double file on all restarts. Drivers were also required to make at least one pit stop under the green flag.

Top ten results:

Pos.	No.	Driver	Make	Team
1	8	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	Chevrolet	Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
2	24	Jeff Gordon	Chevrolet	Hendrick Motorsports
3	17	Matt Kenseth	Ford	Roush Racing
4	12	Ryan Newman	Dodge	Penske Racing
5	22	Ward Burton		Bill Davis Racing
6	49	Ken Schrader		BAM Racing
7	48	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet	Hendrick Motorsports
8	21	Ricky Rudd	Ford	Wood Brothers Racing
9	29	Kevin Harvick	Chevrolet	Richard Childress Racing
10	32	Ricky Craven	Pontiac	PPI Motorsports

Gatorade Twin 125s

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

Race one			Race two
Top ten results
pos.	No.	driver	pos.	No.	driver
1	31	Robby Gordon	1	8	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
2	30	Jeff Green	2	15	Michael Waltrip
3	21	Ricky Rudd	3	54	Todd Bodine
4	40	Sterling Marlin	4	2	Rusty Wallace
5	99	Jeff Burton	5	20	Tony Stewart
6	88	Dale Jarrett	6	48	Jimmie Johnson
7	24	Jeff Gordon	7	43	John Andretti
8	25	Joe Nemechek	8	9	Bill Elliott
9	22	Ward Burton	9	38	Elliott Sadler
10	42	Jamie McMurray	10	09	Mike Wallace

45th Daytona 500

Main article: 2003 Daytona 500

Michael Waltrip became a two-time winner of the "Great American Race", even though the race was rain-shortened.

Top ten results

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

Michael Waltrip became a two-time winner of the "Great American Race", even though the race was rain-shortened.
Casey Mears made his debut and finished in 27th.
Ryan Newman had a crash in this race, in which his car got clipped by Ken Schrader coming off of turn 4 and slid down the front straightaway, flipping violently in the tri-oval and coming to a rest on its roof.
This was the shortest Daytona 500 ever recorded.

Subway 400

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

Failed to qualify: none

Only win of the season for Dale Jarrett.

UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400

The UAW-DaimlerChrysler 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)

Bass Pro Shops 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)

Matt Kenseth held on to the point lead and never looked back, he led the last 33 races on route to his first and only Championship.

Carolina Dodge Dealers 400

Main article: 2003 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 by .002 seconds for the closest finish in NASCAR history, putting Pontiac in Victory Lane for the last time. Elliott Sadler qualified on the pole. This race was the place where Larry McReynolds said one of his famed phrases that has been repeated many times in commercials and in media "They touch! They touch!". He shouted that to Craven's contact with Busch down the frontstretch on the last lap.

Top ten results

Failed to qualify: none

This was Ricky Craven's final win.
This was also the last win for Pontiac in the sport.
Elliott Sadler won his first pole in this race.

Food City 500

Main article: 2003 Food City 500

The Food City 500 was held on March 23 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Ryan Newman was the pole winner for this race.

Top ten results

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

NASCAR considered postponing the race due to the Start of the War in Iraq. The Government said to all professional sporting associations with their consent to go on.
This was NASCAR's 2000th race run in Cup Series History.
Kyle Petty got caught up in a wreck where the force of gravity was over 80g. This would be the largest crash until 2010.

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)

Aaron's 499

Main article: 2003 Aaron's 499

The Aaron's 499 was held at Talladega Superspeedway on April 6, 2003. Jeremy Mayfield won the pole for this race while Dale Earnhardt Jr. became the first driver to win 4 consecutive races at Talladega. The "Big One" did not take long and collected 27 cars on the lap 4, making this the largest crash in a Cup race in the modern era. The crash barely included Earnhardt, Jr, who started in the back of the field and managed to race his way to victory lane anyway. Earnhardt was involved in a controversial decision at the end of the race where it appeared he went below the yellow line in an attempt to improve position. NASCAR ruled Earnhardt was forced down making it a clean pass.

Top ten results

Failed to qualify: Brett Bodine (#11), Larry Foyt (#14), David Green (#60) (Note: Phoenix Racing's Mike Wallace had originally failed to qualify, but Green's car was found too low and his time was disallowed.)

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

This race ended under caution.

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)

This was Jerry Nadeau's last race.

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 Pontiac for MB2/MBV Motorsports, was critically injured in a practice session for this race, and hasn't raced since. This race was shortened to 393 laps due to rain.

Top ten results

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

After this race, Jeff Green was fired for his remarks about Kevin Harvick and swapped rides with Steve Park in the 1 who was fired a day later than Green was. Steve would drive the 30 for the rest of the year while Green drove the 1 until Bristol.

The Winston

Results

Burton entered via winning the Winston Open

Coca-Cola 600

Main article: 2003 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)

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.

Top ten results

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

Ryan Newman completed the last half of this race without power steering.
Brett Bodine also competed in his last race.

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)

On Lap 7 Ken Schrader gets loose and hits the wall and flips once before catching fire. He was uninjured.
With 3 laps to go, Jeff Green hits the inside wall on the backstretch and smashes the front of the car. This would lead to Tony Stewart winning the race under caution. Terry Labonte and Greg Biffle were also shown to have damage afterwards.

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)

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)

Controversy erupted on lap 71. Kevin Harvick was leading race winner Robby Gordon when a caution came out for a crash at a different part of the track. Gordon kept charging, and passed Harvick in the keyhole turn, taking the lead before they crossed the start/finish line. Harvick called it a "chicken move" and Jeff Gordon said "I could not believe it when I saw it" and called his passing under the yellow "unheard of." The controversial pass, however, was entirely legal under NASCAR rules at the time, and Robby Gordon was assessed no penalty. The so-called "unethical breach of racing ethics" proved to be the winning edge, and Robby Gordon went on to win the race. He was subjected to considerable scrutiny and ridicule after the race. However, others considered the complaints hypocrisy or "sour grapes" by the losers.

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)

This was Greg Biffle's first career Winston Cup victory.

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)

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)

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)

Brickyard 400

Main article: 2003 Brickyard 400

The Brickyard 400 was held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 3, 2003. 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)

Sirius at the Glen

The Sirius at the Glen was held at Watkins Glen International Raceway on August 10, 2003. Jeff Gordon was the pole sitter.

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

Paul Menard made his NASCAR debut, finishing 29th.
This was Robby Gordon's final Cup win.

GFS Marketplace 400

The GFS Marketplace 400 was held at Michigan International Speedway on August 17, 2003. Bobby Labonte won the pole.

Failed to qualify: Stacy Compton (#4)

Meanwhile, through the race, Todd Bodine bounces off Kurt Busch and then into Kenny Wallace, causing Bodine to get airborne and land on Wallace and erupt in flames. Fortunately both drivers escaped.
An altercation occurred between Kurt Busch and Jimmy Spencer after the race and punches were thrown. A police report was filed and Jimmy Spencer was suspended for the next weeks race at Bristol. Kurt would be on probation after this race.

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)

Fans disagreement over the suspension of Jimmy Spencer and only placing Kurt Busch on probation stemming from the incident the previous week prompted fans to boo Busch as he exited his car in victory lane.

Mountain Dew Southern 500

The Mountain Dew Southern 500 was held at Darlington Speedway on August 31, 2003. This would be the last time the race was held on this date (See notes below). Ryan Newman sat on the pole.

Failed to qualify: Larry Foyt (#50)

This was Terry Labonte's first cup win since Texas in 1999, as well as Labonte's final career win on the Cup circuit.
This was the last Southern 500 to be held on its traditional Labor Day weekend date until 2015.
This race has been labeled by millions of fans as the most popular win of 2003.

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)

With 8 laps to go, Kevin Harvick got loose against Ricky Rudd and spun in the wall. After the race, both cars stopped in the pit road and both drivers began a scuffle between the #21 and #29 with the pit crew member yells during the fight. Following an incident between Rudd and Harvick, Harvick fined $35,000 and crew chief Todd Berrier fined $10,000 for the incident. In addition, two other pit crew member fined $2,500 each and both pit crew member suspended for the next week's race.

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)

This was the final Cup race in which drivers raced back to the start-finish line as soon as a caution flag came out. Dale Jarrett's #88 Ford hit the wall exiting turn 4 and stopped in the middle of the track. Many cars entering the front straight swerved wildly trying to avoid Jarrett's car.

MBNA America 400

The MBNA America 400 was held at Dover International Speedway on September 21, 2003. Qualifying was cancelled due to Hurricane Isabel; as a result, Matt Kenseth sat on the pole on owner points.

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

Starting with this race, racing back to the caution was eliminated. At the moment the caution flag comes out, the field is frozen; running order is determined by video replays and scoring loops around the track. It also introduced the Lucky dog rule, in which the highest-running driver not on the lead lap gets a lap back when the caution period begins.

EA Sports 500

The EA Sports 500 was held September 28, 2003 at Talladega Superspeedway. Elliott Sadler won the pole. An early wreck took place on lap 10 when #19-Jeremy Mayfield had a tire go down, during pit stops #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. made contact with #43-Jeff Green resulting in damage to his car's nose. Earnhardt Jr. would go a lap down on lap 62 after damage repair to his car. On lap 143 the 3rd caution came out when leader #48-Jimmie Johnson was sent spinning down to the inside of Turn 1 after Dale Earnhardt Jr. bumped #15-Michael Waltrip who slapped the side of Johnson, Johnson's car slid back up the Turn 1 banking barely missing a few cars. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the lucky dog during the caution and got back on the lead lap. On lap 158 Johnson retired to the garage with engine problems. On lap 182 with 7 laps of racing left #38-Elliott Sadler who was racing four wide near the front of the pack down the backstretch went to block #97-Kurt Busch. The #38 car made contact with the #97 and was turned around, as the car spun it became airborne flipping through the air then landing on the roof near the entrance of Turn 3. The car continued to slide across the grass to the track pavement in Turn 3, when the car caught the pavement it tumbled 5 more times before coming to a stop. Elliott Sadler was removed from the car and was ok. The race was red flagged as track workers cleaned up debris. Michael Waltrip led during the restart with 5 laps to go, Waltrip led all of the last five laps with drafting help from teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr., as the checkered flag waved cars were running 5 wide mid pack when #9-Bill Elliott made contact with #18-Bobby Labonte creating a small wreck in Turn 1. Waltrip celebrated the win by popping out of his car's newly installed emergency roof hatch after doing donuts on the infield grass.^[2]

Top ten results:

Pos.	No.	Driver	Make	Team
1	15	Michael Waltrip	Chevrolet	Dale Earnhardt Inc.
2	8	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Chevrolet	Dale Earnhardt Inc.
3	20	Tony Stewart	Chevrolet	Joe Gibbs Racing
4	12	Ryan Newman	Dodge	Penske Racing
5	24	Jeff Gordon	Chevrolet	Hendrick Motorsports
6	97	Kurt Busch	Ford	Roush Racing
7	29	Kevin Harvick	Chevrolet	Richard Childress Racing
8	32	Ricky Craven	Pontiac	PPI Motorsports
9	2	Rusty Wallace	Dodge	Penske Racing
10	09	Mike Wallace	Dodge	Phoenix Racing

Did not Qualify: Jason Leffler (#0), Kevin Lepage (#4), Steve Park (#30), Kyle Petty (#45), Mike Bliss (#80), Todd Bodine (#54)

Banquet 400

The Banquet 400 was held at Kansas Speedway on October 5, 2003. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. sat on the pole.

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

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)

This was the first fall race at Charlotte to be held on a Saturday night.

Brian Vickers made his NASCAR debut, finishing in 33rd.

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)

Jeff Gordon led the race's majority, having led 313 of the race's 500 laps on his way to victory. Gordon also swept both Martinsville races for the 2003 season.

Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500

The Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 was held at Atlanta Motor Speedway on October 26 – October 27, 2003. Ryan Newman sat on the pole. The race was suspended after 39 laps due to rain and resumed the following day. A crash involving Ryan Newman and Dale Earnhardt Jr. with 4 laps left caused the race to finish under caution.

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

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)

Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400

The Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 was held at North Carolina Speedway on November 9, 2003. Ryan Newman sat on the pole.

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

This was Bill Elliott's final win.
This was the final Rockingham race in the fall.
Matt Kenseth clinched the Championship by finishing 4th.

Ford 400

Main article: 2003 Ford 400

The Ford 400, the final race of the season, and the last race ever under the "Winston Cup" name, 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 (#79), Rich Bickle (#78)

First race with new configuration at Miami.
With one lap remaining, Bill Elliott was leading when he cut a tire between turns 1 and 2, handing the win to Bobby Labonte, the only lap he led.
Matt Kenseth, who had clinched the Winston Cup title at Rockingham one week earlier, finished 43rd due to a blown engine on lap 28, his worst finish of the season.
This was the last time Labonte won. This would be 2 races in a row where 2 drivers last wins happened (Bill Elliott was the week before).

Final points standings

Pos.	Driver	Pts.	Pts. Behind	Wins
1	Matt Kenseth	5022	Champion	1
2	Jimmie Johnson	4932	-90	3
3	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	4815	-207	2
4	Jeff Gordon	4785	-237	3
5	Kevin Harvick	4770	-252	1
6	Ryan Newman	4711	-311	8
7	Tony Stewart	4549	-473	2
8	Bobby Labonte	4377	-645	2
9	Bill Elliott	4303	-719	1
10	Terry Labonte	4162	-860	1
11	Kurt Busch	4150	-872	4
12	Jeff Burton	4109	-913	0
13	Jamie McMurray (R)	3965	-1057	0
14	Rusty Wallace	3950	-1072	0
15	Michael Waltrip	3934	-1088	2
16	Robby Gordon	3856	-1166	2
17	Mark Martin	3769	-1253	0
18	Sterling Marlin	3745	-1277	0
19	Jeremy Mayfield	3736	-1286	0
20	Greg Biffle (R)	3696	-1326	1
21	Ward Burton	3550	-1472	0
22	Elliott Sadler	3525	-1497	0
23	Ricky Rudd	3521	-1501	0
24	Johnny Benson	3448	-1574	0
25	Joe Nemechek	3426	-1596	1
26	Dale Jarrett	3358	-1664	1
27	Ricky Craven	3334	-1688	1
28	Dave Blaney	3194	-1828	0
29	Jimmy Spencer	3147	-1875	0
30	Kenny Wallace	3061	-1961	0
31	Todd Bodine	2976	-2046	0
32	Steve Park	2923	-2099	0
33	Tony Raines (R)	2772	-2250	0
34	Jeff Green	2656	-2366	0
35	Casey Mears (R)	2638	-2384	0

All information in this article is from Racing Reference and NASCAR.com.

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.

References

↑ "Standings: 2003 Manufacturer Standings". NASCAR; Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
↑ NewYorkTimes.com: Waltrip Ends Streak of Earnhardt Jr.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series seasons

1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
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1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
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1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016

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