The 2003 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 was the third stock car race of the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the sixth iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, March 2, 2003, in North Las Vegas, Nevada at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a permanent D-shaped oval racetrack. The race took the scheduled 267 laps to complete. At race's end, Matt Kenseth of Roush Racing would dominate the late stages of the race to win his seventh career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his first and only win of the season. To fill out the podium, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. would finish second and third, respectively.

Background

Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located in Clark County, Nevada outside the Las Vegas city limits and about 15 miles northeast of the Las Vegas Strip, is a 1,200-acre (490 ha) complex of multiple tracks for motorsports racing. The complex is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Entry list #DriverTeamMake0Jack SpragueHaas CNC RacingPontiac1Steve ParkDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet01Jerry NadeauMB2 MotorsportsPontiac2Rusty WallacePenske RacingDodge02Brandon AshAsh MotorsportsFord4Mike SkinnerMorgan–McClure MotorsportsPontiac5Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6Mark MartinRoush RacingFord7Jimmy SpencerUltra MotorsportsDodge07Ted MusgraveUltra MotorsportsDodge8Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet9Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge10Johnny Benson Jr.MB2 MotorsportsPontiac12Ryan NewmanPenske RacingDodge14Larry FoytA. J. Foyt EnterprisesDodge15Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet16Greg BiffleRoush RacingFord17Matt KensethRoush RacingFord18Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet19Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge20Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet21Ricky RuddWood Brothers RacingFord22Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge23Kenny WallaceBill Davis RacingDodge24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet25Joe NemechekHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet30Jeff GreenRichard Childress RacingChevrolet31Robby GordonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet32Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsPontiac37Derrike CopeQuest Motor RacingChevrolet38Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFord40Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge41Casey MearsChip Ganassi RacingDodge42Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingDodge43John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesDodge45Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge48Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet49Ken SchraderBAM RacingDodge54Todd BodineBelCar MotorsportsFord66Hideo FukuyamaBelCar RacingFord74Tony RainesBACE MotorsportsChevrolet77Dave BlaneyJasper MotorsportsFord88Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord97Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord99Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFordOfficial entry list

Notes

Practice

First practice The first practice session was held on Friday, February 28, at 11:20 AM PST, and would last for 2 hours. Jeff Burton of Roush Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 31.267 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed199Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord31.267172.706297Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord31.297172.540301Jerry NadeauMB2 MotorsportsPontiac31.316172.436Full first practice results

Second practice The second practice session was held on Saturday, March 1, at 9:30 AM PST, and would last for 45 minutes. Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 32.069 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed148Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet32.069168.387224Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet32.149167.968397Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord32.155167.937Full second practice results

Third and final practice The third and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Friday, March 1, at 11:10 AM PST, and would last for 45 minutes. Kurt Busch of Roush Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 32.131 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed197Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord32.131168.062248Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet32.267167.35438Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet32.280167.286Full Happy Hour practice results

Qualifying Qualifying was held on Friday, February 28, at 3:05 PST. 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.

Bobby Labonte of Joe Gibbs Racing would win the pole, setting a time of 31.211 and an average speed of .

Greg Biffle would be the only driver to fail to qualify.

Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed118Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet31.211173.016224Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet31.255172.772312Ryan NewmanPenske RacingDodge31.268172.70148Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet31.309172.474597Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord31.315172.441643John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesDodge31.360172.194799Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord31.393172.013820Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet31.394172.007915Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet31.397171.9911048Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet31.399171.9801101Jerry NadeauMB2 MotorsportsPontiac31.417171.8821242Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingDodge31.420171.8651319Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge31.449171.7071430Jeff GreenRichard Childress RacingChevrolet31.578171.005157Jimmy SpencerUltra MotorsportsDodge31.578171.0051610Johnny Benson Jr.MB2 MotorsportsPontiac31.605170.8591717Matt KensethRoush RacingFord31.652170.6051841Casey MearsChip Ganassi RacingDodge31.700170.3471945Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge31.743170.1162022Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge31.789169.8702131Robby GordonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet31.810169.7582229Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet31.815169.7312338Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFord31.829169.6572454Todd BodineBelCar MotorsportsFord31.831169.646252Rusty WallacePenske RacingDodge31.838169.6092625Joe NemechekHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet31.839169.6032788Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord31.857169.5082849Ken SchraderBAM RacingDodge31.864169.470296Mark MartinRoush RacingFord31.874169.417309Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge31.884169.3643114Larry FoytA. J. Foyt EnterprisesDodge31.931169.1153274Tony RainesBACE MotorsportsChevrolet31.960168.9613323Kenny WallaceBill Davis RacingDodge31.962168.9513440Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge31.970168.9083577Dave BlaneyJasper MotorsportsFord31.970168.908365Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet31.988168.813Provisionals3732Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsPontiac32.050168.4873821Ricky RuddWood Brothers RacingFord32.098168.235391Steve ParkDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet32.022168.634404Mike SkinnerMorgan–McClure MotorsportsPontiac32.037168.5554166Hideo FukuyamaBelCar RacingFord33.516161.117420Jack SpragueHaas CNC RacingPontiac32.557165.8634337Derrike CopeQuest Motor RacingChevrolet32.613165.578Failed to qualify or withdrew4416Greg BiffleRoush RacingFord32.010168.697WD02Brandon AshAsh MotorsportsFord——WD07Ted MusgraveUltra MotorsportsDodge——Official qualifying results

Race results FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings11717Matt KensethRoush RacingFord26788running180$365,875248Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet26797running180$267,1673915Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet26717running170$190,5504118Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet2671running165$178,9085820Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet2670running155$163,5036799Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord2670running150$127,0677312Ryan NewmanPenske RacingDodge2673running151$128,02583440Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge2670running142$136,00092625Joe NemechekHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2670running138$87,20010391Steve ParkDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet2670running134$111,862111048Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2672running135$97,675121610Johnny Benson Jr.MB2 MotorsportsPontiac2660running127$107,725132229Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2660running124$116,55314309Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge2660running121$113,383151841Casey MearsChip Ganassi RacingDodge2660running118$105,10016365Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2660running115$102,40617157Jimmy SpencerUltra MotorsportsDodge2660running112$90,25018643John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesDodge2663running114$109,928193821Ricky RuddWood Brothers RacingFord2661running111$94,050202454Todd BodineBelCar MotorsportsFord2660running103$84,750211319Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge2660running100$78,850221101Jerry NadeauMB2 MotorsportsPontiac2660running97$78,139232131Robby GordonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2660running94$94,737243274Tony RainesBACE MotorsportsChevrolet2650running91$64,550252022Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge2650running88$100,00626420Jack SpragueHaas CNC RacingPontiac2650running85$62,550271430Jeff GreenRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2650running82$72,550282849Ken SchraderBAM RacingDodge2630running79$60,550294337Derrike CopeQuest Motor RacingChevrolet2630running76$60,350303323Kenny WallaceBill Davis RacingDodge2610running73$63,600311945Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge2610running70$70,400321242Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingDodge2580running67$59,700334166Hideo FukuyamaBelCar RacingFord2580running64$60,400343577Dave BlaneyJasper MotorsportsFord2310clutch61$67,300353114Larry FoytA. J. Foyt EnterprisesDodge2160vibration58$59,100363732Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsPontiac2110running55$66,90037224Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet19353crash57$106,05338597Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord1792crash54$78,47539404Mike SkinnerMorgan–McClure MotorsportsPontiac1740crash46$58,27540252Rusty WallacePenske RacingDodge1740crash43$92,717412788Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord1310crash40$103,633422338Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFord1250engine37$91,91543296Mark MartinRoush RacingFord1140engine34$91,542Official race results

References