2003 Ford 400
Race details[1]
Race 36 of 36 in the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
Map of Homestead-Miami Speedway. Gray dashed lines are other courses. Gray solid line is another pit road option.
Map of Homestead-Miami Speedway. Gray dashed lines are other courses. Gray solid line is another pit road option.
Date November 16, 2003 (2003-November-16)
Location Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, Florida, United States
Course Permanent racing facility
1.5 mi (2.4 km)
Distance 267 laps, 400.5 mi (644.5 km)
Weather Temperatures reaching up to 80.6 °F (27.0 °C); with wind speeds reaching up to 14 miles per hour (23 km/h)
Average speed 116.868 miles per hour (188.081 km/h)
Pole position
Driver
Chip Ganassi Racing
Most laps led
Driver Bill Elliott Evernham Motorsports
Laps 189
Winner
No. 18 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing
Television in the United States
Network NBC
Announcers Allen Bestwick, Wally Dallenbach Jr., and Benny Parsons

The 2003 Ford 400 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on November 16, 2003, at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida, United States. This was the last race ever for NASCAR with title sponsorship from Winston, breaking a partnership beginning in 1972. Starting in 2004, new series sponsor Nextel would take oover. The race was also the final Cup Series won by Bobby Labonte.

Summary

Jamie McMurray qualified for the pole position with a lap turned at 181.111 miles per hour (291.470 km/h). Ken Schrader, Kyle Petty, Mike Wallace, Derrike Cope, and Rich Bickle had all failed to qualify for the race. Kyle Busch was set to make his Cup Series debut in this race, driving the No. 60 Ditech Chevrolet Monte Carlo for Hendrick Motorsports, but was ejected from the event[3] after NASCAR confiscated his car for pre-race inspection failures.[4]

Bill Elliott dominated the race, leading 189 out of 267 laps, before cutting a tire and losing the lead on the final lap. Bobby Labonte would pass him and win the race, which would be his final NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory.[3] Ten cautions were called, slowing the field for a total of 60 laps, while the lead changed 21 times between 12 drivers.[3] Despite an engine failure on lap 28 which relegated him to a last-place finish, Matt Kenseth maintained his points lead over Jimmie Johnson and won the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship.[3]

This would be the last NASCAR Winston Cup Series race for Ron Hornaday Jr. until the 2015 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500.

Race Results

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Pos. Car # Driver Make Team
1 18 Bobby Labonte Chevrolet Joe Gibbs Racing
2 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Richard Childress Racing
3 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports
4 10 Johnny Benson Pontiac MB2 Motorsports
5 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports
6 19 Jeremy Mayfield Dodge Evernham Motorsports
7 20 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Joe Gibbs Racing
8 9 Bill Elliott Dodge Evernham Motorsports
9 42 Jamie McMurray (R) Dodge Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
10 40 Sterling Marlin Dodge Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
11 54 Todd Bodine Ford BelCar Motorsports
12 22 Scott Wimmer Dodge Bill Davis Racing
13 74 Tony Raines (R) Chevrolet BACE Motorsports
14 99 Jeff Burton Ford Roush Racing
15 5 Terry Labonte Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports
16 14 Larry Foyt (R) Dodge A. J. Foyt Racing
17 01 Joe Nemechek Pontiac MB2 Motorsports
18 4 Kevin Lepage Pontiac Morgan–McClure Motorsports
19 30 Steve Park Chevrolet Richard Childress Racing
20 90 Ron Hornaday Jr. Chevrolet Richard Childress Racing
21 38 Elliott Sadler Ford Robert Yates Racing
22 23 Kenny Wallace Dodge Bill Davis Racing
23 2 Rusty Wallace Dodge Penske Racing
24 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
25 7 Jimmy Spencer Dodge Ultra Motorsports
26 88 Dale Jarrett Ford Robert Yates Racing
27 41 Casey Mears (R) Dodge Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
28 77 Dave Blaney Ford Jasper Motorsports
29 32 Ricky Craven Pontiac PPI Motorsports
30 31 Robby Gordon Chevrolet Richard Childress Racing
31 21 Ricky Rudd Ford Wood Brothers Racing
32 0 Ward Burton Pontiac Haas CNC Racing
33 6 Mark Martin Ford Roush Racing
34 25 Brian Vickers Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports
35 16 Greg Biffle (R) Ford Roush Racing
36 97 Kurt Busch Ford Roush Racing
37 12 Ryan Newman Dodge Penske Racing
38 02 Hermie Sadler Chevrolet SCORE Motorsports
39 00 Mike Skinner Chevrolet Michael Waltrip Racing
40 43 Jeff Green Dodge Petty Enterprises
41 15 Michael Waltrip Chevrolet Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
42 1 John Andretti Chevrolet Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
43 17 Matt Kenseth Ford Roush Racing
Source:[3]

Failed to Qualify

References

  1. ^ Weather information for the 2003 Ford 400 at The Old Farmers' Alamanac
  2. ^ 2003 Ford 400 NASCAR.com Official site of NASCAR
  3. ^ a b c d e 2003 Ford 400 racing information at Racing Reference
  4. ^ a b Adamcyzk, Jay. "2003 NASCAR Penalties". Jayski's NASCAR Silly Season Site. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
Preceded by2003 Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 NASCAR Winston/Nextel Cup Series Season 2003-4 Succeeded by2004 Daytona 500


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