2003 Winston Cup Series

2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
Matt Kenseth was the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Champion.
Duration	February 16, 2003 through November 16, 2003
TV	Fox/FX; NBC/TNT
Season Statistics
No. of races	36
First race	2003 Daytona 500
Last race	2003 Ford 400
Drivers' champion	Matt Kenseth
Manufacturers' champion	Chevrolet
Rookie of the Year	Jamie McMurray
Most popular driver	Dale Earnhardt, Jr
Previous	2002
Next	2004

The 2003 Winston Cup Series was the 55^th season of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. The season began on February 16 with the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway and ended on November 16 with the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Matt Kenseth won his only Cup Series championship by having a high level of consistent results. Kenseth only won one race early in the season, but led the points standings for the final 33 races, setting a record for the longest streak in the top position in points. He clinched the title with one race remaining in the season.

It was Roush Racing’s first championship, and Roush Racing became the third organization in NASCAR history to win a title in all three top series.

2003 was notable for being Pontiac’s final season in NASCAR competition, despite introducing a new Grand Prix design. Their final win was a dramatic photo finish between Ricky Craven and Kurt Busch at Darlington. It was also Winston & Unocal 76’s final seasons, as Nextel replaced Winston and Sunoco replaced Unocal 76 in 2004. It was also the final season where the championship was not determined by a 'Chase' or 'Playoff' system.

There were a number of manufacturer swaps prior to the season: Penske Racing would switch from Ford to Dodge, beginning a 10-year partnership, which would ultimately result in Dodge’s only driver’s championship during their 2001-2012 stint in the Cup Series. Joe Gibbs Racing would switch from Pontiac to Chevrolet, despite the team having a hand in designing the new 2003 Grand Prix. Haas CNC Racing and Morgan-McClure Motorsports would switch from Chevrolet to Pontiac for one season. AJ Foyt Racing would switch from Pontiac to Dodge, and PPI Motorsports would switch from Ford to Pontiac.

The season saw several controversial incidents related to racing back to the caution flag. After a nearly disastrous incident at New Hampshire where Dale Jarrett’s stopped car sat on the front stretch while competitors drove past at full speed; NASCAR implemented a rule that froze the field’s running order at the moment of caution, and granted the first car one lap down their lap back. This cemented what was previously a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ for the field to slow down and for the leader to grant one or more lapped cars a lap back.

Teams Competing (Full Time)

Car No.	Driver	Sponsor	Make	Team
01	Jerry Nadeau (10) Jason Keller (1) Mike Wallace (8) Boris Said (2) Mike Skinner (11) Joe Nemechek (4)	U.S. Army	Pontiac	MB2 Motorsports
0	Jack Sprague* (18) John Andretti (3) Jason Leffler (11) Ward Burton (4)	NetZero	Pontiac	Haas CNC Racing
1	Steve Park (11) John Andretti (10) Jeff Green (12)	Pennzoil	Chevrolet	Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
2	Rusty Wallace	Miller Lite	Dodge	Penske Racing
4	Mike Skinner (15) Stacy Compton (1) Johnny Sauter (6) Kevin Lepage (8)	Kodak	Pontiac	Morgan-McClure Motorsports
5	Terry Labonte	Kellogg's	Chevrolet	Hendrick Motorsports
6	Mark Martin	Viagra	Ford	Roush Racing
7	Jimmy Spencer	Sirius Satellite Radio	Dodge	Ultra Motorsports
8	Dale Earnhardt, Jr	Budweiser	Chevrolet	Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
9	Bill Elliott	Dodge Dealers	Dodge	Evernham Motorsports
10	Johnny Benson, Jr.	Valvoline	Pontiac	MBV Motorsports
11	Brett Bodine	Hooters	Ford	Brett Bodine
12	Ryan Newman	Alltel	Dodge	Penske Racing
14	Larry Foyt*	Harrah's	Dodge	A.J. Foyt
15	Michael Waltrip	NAPA	Chevrolet	Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
16	Greg Biffle*	Grainger	Ford	Roush Racing
17	Matt Kenseth	DeWalt	Ford	Roush Racing
18	Bobby Labonte	Interstate Batteries	Chevrolet	Joe Gibbs Racing
19	Jeremy Mayfield	Dodge Dealers	Dodge	Evernham Motorsports
20	Tony Stewart	Home Depot	Chevrolet	Joe Gibbs Racing
21	Ricky Rudd	Motorcraft	Ford	Wood Brothers Racing
22	Ward Burton (32) Scott Wimmer (4)	Caterpillar	Dodge	Bill Davis Racing
23	Kenny Wallace	Stacker 2	Dodge	Bill Davis Racing
24	Jeff Gordon	DuPont	Chevrolet	Hendrick Motorsports
25	Joe Nemechek (32) Brian Vickers (4)	UAW/Delphi	Chevrolet	Hendrick Motorsports
29	Kevin Harvick	GM Goodwrench	Chevrolet	Richard Childress Racing
30	Jeff Green (11) Steve Park (25)	AOL	Chevrolet	Richard Childress Racing
31	Robby Gordon	Cingular Wireless	Chevrolet	Richard Childress Racing
32	Ricky Craven	Tide	Pontiac	PPI Motorsports
38	Elliott Sadler	M&M's	Ford	Robert Yates Racing
40	Sterling Marlin	Coors Light	Dodge	Chip Ganassi Racing
41	Casey Mears*	Target	Dodge	Chip Ganassi Racing
42	Jamie McMurray*	Havoline	Dodge	Chip Ganassi Racing
43	John Andretti (14) Christian Fittipaldi (11) Jeff Green (9)	Cheerios	Dodge	Petty Enterprises
45	Kyle Petty	Georgia Pacific	Dodge	Petty Enterprises
48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe's	Chevrolet	Hendrick Motorsports
49	Ken Schrader	1-800-CALL-ATT	Dodge	BAM Racing
54	Todd Bodine	National Guard	Ford	Sam Belnavis/Travis Carter
74	Tony Raines		Chevrolet	BACE Motorsports
77	Dave Blaney	Jasper Engines	Ford	Jasper Motorsports
88	Dale Jarrett	UPS	Ford	Robert Yates Racing
97	Kurt Busch	Sharpie/Rubbermaid	Ford	Roush Racing
99	Jeff Burton	Citgo	Ford	Roush Racing

Schedule

Round	Date	Race Name	Track	TV
	February 8, 2003	Budweiser Shootout	Daytona International Speedway	FOX
	February 13, 2003	Gatorade 125s	Daytona International Speedway	FX
1	February 16, 2003	Daytona 500	Daytona International Speedway	FOX
2	February 23, 2003	Subway 400	North Carolina Speedway	FOX
3	March 2, 2003	UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400	Las Vegas Motor Speedway	FOX
4	March 9, 2003	Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500	Atlanta Motor Speedway	FOX
5	March 16, 2003	Carolina Dodge Dealers 400	Darlington Raceway	FOX
6	March 23, 2003	Food City 500	Bristol Motor Speedway	FOX
7	March 30, 2003	Samsung / Radio Shack 500	Texas Motor Speedway	FOX
8	April 6, 2003	Aaron's 499	Talladega Superspeedway	FOX
9	April 13, 2003	Virginia 500	Martinsville Speedway	FOX
10	April 27, 2003	Auto Club 500	California Speedway	FOX
11	May 3, 2003	Pontiac Excitement 400	Richmond International Raceway	FX
	May 17, 2003	The Winston	Lowe's Motor Speedway	FX
12	May 25, 2003	Coca-Cola 600	Lowe's Motor Speedway	FOX
13	June 1, 2003	MBNA Armed Forces Family 400	Dover International Speedway	FX
14	June 8, 2003	Pocono 500	Pocono Raceway	FOX
15	June 15, 2003	Sirius 400	Michigan International Speedway	FOX
16	June 22, 2003	Dodge / Save Mart 350	Infineon Raceway	FOX
17	July 5, 2003	Pepsi 400	Daytona International Speedway	NBC
18	July 13, 2003	Tropicana 400	Chicagoland Speedway	NBC
19	July 20, 2003	New England 300	New Hampshire International Speedway	TNT
20	July 27, 2003	Pennsylvania 500	Pocono Raceway	TNT
21	August 3, 2003	Brickyard 400	Indianapolis Motor Speedway	NBC
22	August 10, 2003	Sirius Satellite Radio at the Glen	Watkins Glen International	NBC
23	August 17, 2003	GFS Marketplace 400	Michigan International Speedway	TNT
24	August 23, 2003	Sharpie 500	Bristol Motor Speedway	TNT
25	August 31, 2003	Mountain Dew Southern 500	Darlington Raceway	NBC
26	September 6, 2003	Chevy Rock and Roll 400	Richmond International Raceway	TNT
27	September 14, 2003	Sylvania 300	New Hampshire International Speedway	TNT
28	September 21, 2003	MBNA America 400	Dover International Speedway	NBC
29	September 28, 2003	EA Sports 500	Talladega Superspeedway	NBC
30	October 5, 2003	Banquet 400 Presented by ConAgra Foods	Kansas Speedway	NBC
31	October 11, 2003	UAW-GM Quality 500	Lowe's Motor Speedway	NBC
32	October 19, 2003	Subway 500	Martinsville Speedway	NBC
33	October 27, 2003	Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500	Atlanta Motor Speedway	NBC
34	November 2, 2003	Checker Auto Parts 500 Presented by Havoline	Phoenix International Raceway	NBC
35	November 9, 2003	Pop-Secret Microwave Popcorn 400	North Carolina Speedway	TNT
36	November 16, 2003	Ford 400	Homestead-Miami Speedway	NBC

Results

Round	Race	Pole Winner	Winner	Make	Cautions	Caution Laps	Average Speed	Number of Lead Changes
	2003 Budweiser Shootout	Geoffrey Bodine	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	Chevrolet	0	0	180.827	13
	2003 Gatorade 125 (Race #1)	Jeff Green	Robby Gordon	Chevrolet	0	0	181.140	2
	2003 Gatorade 125 (Race #2)	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	Chevrolet	0	0	180.845	5
1	2003 Daytona 500	Jeff Green	Michael Waltrip	Chevrolet	5	23	133.870	11
2	2003 Subway 400	Dave Blaney	Dale Jarrett	Ford	7	46	117.852	20
3	2003 UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400	Bobby Labonte	Matt Kenseth	Ford	6	30	132.934	17
4	2003 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500	Ryan Newman	Bobby Labonte	Chevrolet	7	34	146.048	23
5	2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400	Elliott Sadler	Ricky Craven	Pontiac	7	33	126.214	15
6	2003 Food City 500	Ryan Newman	Kurt Busch	Ford	17	121	76.185	11
7	2003 Samsung / Radio Shack 500	Bobby Labonte	Ryan Newman	Dodge	10	52	134.517	19
8	2003 Aaron's 499	Jeremy Mayfield	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	Chevrolet	6	32	144.625	43
9	2003 Virginia 500	Jeff Gordon	Jeff Gordon	Chevrolet	11	64	75.557	14
10	2003 Auto Club 500	Steve Park	Kurt Busch	Ford	8	34	140.111	19
11	2003 Pontiac Excitement 400	Terry Labonte	Joe Nemechek	Chevrolet	15	91	86.783	20
	2003 The Winston	Bill Elliott	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet	3	11	133.297	8
12	2003 Coca-Cola 600	Ryan Newman	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet	8	46	126.198	16
13	2003 MBNA Armed Forces Family 400	Ryan Newman	Ryan Newman	Dodge	9	68	106.896	16
14	2003 Pocono 500	Jimmie Johnson	Tony Stewart	Chevrolet	5	25	134.892	28
15	2003 Sirius 400	Bobby Labonte	Kurt Busch	Ford	9	41	131.219	22
16	2003 Dodge / Save Mart 350	Boris Said	Robby Gordon	Chevrolet	6	16	73.821	6
17	2003 Pepsi 400	Steve Park	Greg Biffle	Ford	2	10	166.109	17
18	2003 Tropicana 400	Tony Stewart	Ryan Newman	Dodge	7	36	134.059	13
19	2003 New England 300	N/A	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet	12	63	96.924	14
20	2003 Pennsylvania 500	Ryan Newman	Ryan Newman	Dodge	8	36	127.705	18
21	2003 Brickyard 400	Kevin Harvick	Kevin Harvick	Chevrolet	5	25	134.554	17
22	2003 Sirius Satellite Radio at the Glen	Jeff Gordon	Robby Gordon	Chevrolet	6	14	90.441	8
23	2003 GFS Marketplace 400	Bobby Labonte	Ryan Newman	Dodge	8	46	127.310	14
24	2003 Sharpie 500	Jeff Gordon	Kurt Busch	Ford	20	119	77.421	11
25	2003 Mountain Dew Southern 500	Ryan Newman	Terry Labonte	Chevrolet	10	55	120.733	24
26	2003 Chevy Rock and Roll 400	Mike Skinner	Ryan Newman	Dodge	14	76	94.945	20
27	2003 Sylvania 300	Ryan Newman	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet	6	38	106.580	20
28	2003 MBNA America 400	N/A	Ryan Newman	Dodge	7	63	108.802	13
29	2003 EA Sports 500	Elliott Sadler	Michael Waltrip	Chevrolet	5	23	156.045	41
30	2003 Banquet 400 Presented by ConAgra Foods	Jimmie Johnson	Ryan Newman	Dodge	9	47	121.630	23
31	2003 UAW-GM Quality 500	Ryan Newman	Tony Stewart	Chevrolet	5	31	142.871	15
32	2003 Subway 500	Jeff Gordon	Jeff Gordon	Chevrolet	15	119	67.658	9
33	2003 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500	Ryan Newman	Jeff Gordon	Chevrolet	10	63	127.769	28
34	2003 Checker Auto Parts 500 Presented by Havoline	Ryan Newman	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	Chevrolet	10	66	93.984	10
35	2003 Pop-Secret Microwave Popcorn 400	Ryan Newman	Bill Elliott	Dodge	10	65	111.677	14
36	2003 Ford 400	Jamie McMurray	Bobby Labonte	Chevrolet	10	60	116.868	21

Final Points Standings

Pos.	Driver	Races	Wins	Top 5s	Top 10s	Poles	Points	Difference
1	Matt Kenseth	36	1	11	25	0	5022
2	Jimmie Johnson	36	3	14	20	2	4932	-90
3	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	36	2	13	21	0	4815	-207
4	Jeff Gordon	36	3	15	20	4	4785	-237
5	Kevin Harvick	36	1	11	18	1	4770	-252
6	Ryan Newman	36	8	17	22	11	4711	-311
7	Tony Stewart	36	2	12	18	1	4549	-473
8	Bobby Labonte	36	2	12	17	4	4377	-645
9	Bill Elliott	36	1	9	12	0	4303	-719
10	Terry Labonte	36	1	4	9	1	4162	-860
11	Kurt Busch	36	4	9	14	0	4150	-872
12	Jeff Burton	36	0	3	11	0	4109	-913
13	Jamie McMurray	36	0	5	13	1	3965	-1,057
14	Rusty Wallace	36	0	2	12	0	3950	-1,072
15	Michael Waltrip	36	2	8	11	0	3934	-1,088
16	Robby Gordon	36	2	4	10	0	3856	-1,166
17	Mark Martin	36	0	5	10	0	3769	-1,253
18	Sterling Marlin	36	0	0	11	0	3745	-1,277
19	Jeremy Mayfield	36	0	4	12	1	3736	-1,286
20	Greg Biffle	35	1	3	6	0	3696	-1,326
21	Ward Burton	36	0	0	4	0	3550	-1,472
22	Elliott Sadler	36	0	2	9	2	3525	-1,497
23	Ricky Rudd	36	0	4	5	0	3521	-1,501
24	Johnny Benson, Jr.	36	0	2	4	0	3448	-1,574
25	Joe Nemechek	36	1	2	6	0	3426	-1,596
26	Dale Jarrett	36	1	1	7	0	3358	-1,664
27	Ricky Craven	36	1	3	8	0	3334	-1,688
28	Dave Blaney	36	0	1	4	1	3194	-1,828
29	Jimmy Spencer	35	0	1	4	0	3147	-1,875
30	Kenny Wallace	36	0	0	1	0	3061	-1,961
31	Todd Bodine	35	0	0	1	0	2976	-2,046
32	Steve Park	35	0	1	3	2	2923	-2,099
33	Tony Raines	35	0	0	1	0	2772	-2,250
34	Jeff Green	31	0	0	1	1	2656	-2,366
35	Casey Mears	36	0	0	0	0	2638	-2,384
36	Ken Schrader	32	0	0	2	0	2451	-2,571
37	Kyle Petty	33	0	0	0	0	2414	-2,608
38	John Andretti	29	0	0	1	0	2379	-2,643
39	Mike Skinner	26	0	0	0	1	1960	-3,062
40	Jack Sprague	18	0	0	0	0	1284	-3,738
41	Larry Foyt	20	0	0	0	0	1228	-3,794
42	Mike Wallace	14	0	0	2	0	1189	-3,833
43	Kevin Lepage	11	0	0	0	0	877	-4,145
44	Christian Fittipaldi	15	0	0	0	0	857	-4,165
45	Jerry Nadeau	10	0	1	1	0	844	-4,178
46	Derrike Cope	18	0	0	0	0	822	-4,200
47	Jason Leffler	10	0	0	0	0	764	-4,258
48	Scott Wimmer	6	0	0	1	0	599	-4,423
49	Brian Vickers	5	0	0	0	0	379	-4,643
50	Hermie Sadler	10	0	0	0	0	373	-4,649

Complete statistics can be found at Racing-Reference.info.

Rookie of the Year

Jamie McMurray won the Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award in 2003.

Rookie of the Year Standings

Position	Driver	Points	Race Wins
1	Jamie McMurray	320	0
2	Greg Biffle	283	1
3	Tony Raines	239	0
4	Casey Mears	238	0
5	Jack Sprague	183	0
6	Larry Foyt	176	0
7	Hideo Fukuyama	21	0

Manufacturer's Championship

With 19 Wins, Chevrolet won the 2003 Manufacturer's Championship.

Position	Make	Points	Race Wins
1	Chevrolet	264	19
2	Dodge	203	9
3	Ford	200	7
4	Pontiac	125	1

Other Season Awards

• Grands! Biscuits National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver: Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
• USG Driver-Of-The-Year Award: Ricky Craven
• Clevite Engine Builder of the Year Award: Hendrick Motorsports
• 76 Gasoline Contingency Award: Matt Kenseth
• Outback Steakhouse "Bloomin' Favorite" Driver of the Race Award: Jimmie Johnson
• Waste Management Pickin' Up Places Award: Matt Kenseth
• MBNA Mid-Race Leader Award: Tony Stewart
• Mobil 1 Command Performance Driver of the Season Award: Ryan Newman
• Bud Pole Award: Ryan Newman
• Goodyear Tire Award: Matt Kenseth
• Goodyear Belts & Hoses Fastest Lap Award: Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
• Union-76/Rockingham World Pit Crew Championship (fastest single 4 tire & fuel stop): #9 Evernham Motorsports Dodge Pit Crew, led by Mike Ford
• Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award (voted by fellow crew chiefs): #17 Roush Racing Ford Pit Crew, led by Robbie Reiser
• Powerade/McDonalds Drive Thru Pit Championship Award (lowest amount of time spent on pit road): #8 Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet Pit Crew, led by Tony Eury, Sr.