The 2003 Dodge/Save Mart 350 was the 16th stock car race of the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 15th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 22, 2003, in Sonoma, California, at the club layout in Sonoma Raceway, a permanent road course layout. The race took the scheduled 110 laps to complete. At race's end, Robby Gordon of Richard Childress Racing would win under caution, but not before making a controversial pass racing back to the line against eventual third-place finisher, teammate Kevin Harvick on lap 71 that sealed Gordon's victory. The win was Gordon's second career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his first of the season. To fill out the podium, Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports would finish second.

That was first race when Nextel became the new title sponsor starting in next season.

Background

Sonoma Raceway is one of two road courses to hold NASCAR races, the other being Watkins Glen International. The standard road course at Infineon Raceway is a 12-turn course that is long; the track was modified in 1998, adding the Chute, which bypassed turns 5 and 6, shortening the course to . The Chute was only used for NASCAR events such as this race, and was criticized by many drivers, who preferred the full layout. In 2001, it was replaced with a 70-degree turn, 4A, bringing the track to its current dimensions of .

Entry list #DriverTeamMake0Jack SpragueHaas CNC RacingPontiac00Jim InglebrightBill McAnally RacingChevrolet1Ron FellowsDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet01Boris SaidMB2 MotorsportsPontiac2Rusty WallacePenske RacingDodge02Brandon AshAsh MotorsportsFord4Johnny MillerMorgan–McClure MotorsportsPontiac5Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6Mark MartinRoush RacingFord7Jimmy SpencerUltra MotorsportsDodge8Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet9Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge09Scott PruettChip Ganassi RacingDodge10Johnny Benson Jr.MB2 MotorsportsPontiac12Ryan NewmanPenske RacingDodge14P. J. JonesA. 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 MotorsportsPontiac33Paul MenardAndy Petree RacingChevrolet38Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFord40Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge41Casey MearsChip Ganassi RacingDodge42Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingDodge43Christian FittipaldiPetty EnterprisesDodge45Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge48Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet49Ken SchraderBAM RacingDodge54Todd BodineBelCar RacingFord66Hideo FukuyamaBelCar RacingFord74Tony RainesBACE MotorsportsChevrolet77Dave BlaneyJasper MotorsportsFord88Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord97Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord99Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFordOfficial entry list

Practice

First practice The first practice would occur on Friday, June 20, at 11:20 AM PST, and would last for two hours. Boris Said of MB2 Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:17.264 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed101Boris SaidMB2 MotorsportsPontiac1:17.26492.721218Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet1:17.28492.69738Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet1:17.32292.652Full first practice results

Second practice The second practice would occur on Saturday, June 21, at 9:30 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 1:17.622 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed197Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord1:17.62292.29325Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1:17.76592.124324Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1:17.78892.096Full second practice results

Third and final practice The third and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, would occur on Saturday, June 21, at 11:10 AM PST and would last for 45 minutes. Boris Said of MB2 Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:17.265 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed101Boris SaidMB2 MotorsportsPontiac1:17.26592.720212Ryan NewmanPenske Racing SouthDodge1:17.33192.641331Robby GordonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1:17.33892.632Full Happy Hour practice results

Qualifying Qualifying was held on Friday, June 20, at 3:05 PM PST. Drivers would each have one lap to set a lap time. 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.

Boris Said of MB2 Motorsports would win the pole, setting a time of 1:16.522 and an average speed of .

Two incidents would occur during the session. First, Jimmie Johnson would spin in Turn 10, forcing him to use a provisional. Then, Ricky Craven would blow an engine, also forcing him to use a provisional.

Four drivers would fail to qualify: P. J. Jones, Paul Menard, Jim Inglebright, and Brandon Ash.

Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed101Boris SaidMB2 MotorsportsPontiac1:16.52293.620231Robby GordonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1:16.81693.26231Ron FellowsDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet1:16.97293.073417Matt KensethRoush RacingFord1:17.13392.879597Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord1:17.13392.879629Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1:17.16592.84072Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthDodge1:17.18092.822824Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1:17.19892.800921Ricky RuddWood Brothers RacingFord1:17.25592.7321020Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet1:17.31092.666118Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet1:17.41492.541129Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge1:17.48892.4531312Ryan NewmanPenske Racing SouthDodge1:17.51092.4271418Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet1:17.58792.3351577Dave BlaneyJasper MotorsportsFord1:17.60392.3161699Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord1:17.62292.293176Mark MartinRoush RacingFord1:17.70192.2001809Scott PruettChip Ganassi RacingDodge1:17.71992.1781922Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge1:17.77692.1112015Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet1:17.80892.0732125Joe NemechekHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1:17.85192.0222254Todd BodineBelCar MotorsportsFord1:17.88491.983235Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1:17.94591.9112438Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFord1:18.01591.8282510Johnny Benson Jr.MB2 MotorsportsPontiac1:18.03691.8042642Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingDodge1:18.14291.6792740Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge1:18.14791.673280Jack SpragueHaas CNC RacingPontiac1:18.23391.5732988Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord1:18.28691.5113023Kenny WallaceBill Davis RacingDodge1:18.30591.4883119Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge1:18.33391.4563216Greg BiffleRoush RacingFord1:18.33491.4543341Casey MearsChip Ganassi RacingDodge1:18.39191.3883474Tony RainesBACE MotorsportsChevrolet1:18.43991.3323545Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge1:18.62191.121364Johnny MillerMorgan–McClure MotorsportsPontiac1:18.67991.053Provisionals3748Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1:36.65574.1193832Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsPontiac——397Jimmy SpencerUltra MotorsportsDodge1:18.89290.8084030Steve ParkRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1:19.69889.8894143Christian FittipaldiPetty EnterprisesDodge1:18.68891.0434249Ken SchraderBAM RacingDodge1:20.58988.8964366Hideo FukuyamaBelCar RacingFord1:20.28489.233Failed to qualify4414P. J. JonesA. J. Foyt EnterprisesDodge1:18.92690.7694533Paul MenardAndy Petree RacingChevrolet1:19.65689.9374600Jim InglebrightBill McAnally RacingChevrolet1:20.45189.0484702Brandon AshAsh MotorsportsFord1:19.20590.449Official qualifying results

Race results FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings1231Robby GordonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet11081running185$204,5122824Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1100running170$143,2033629Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1100running165$119,1284129Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge1100running160$119,74851312Ryan NewmanPenske Racing SouthDodge1100running155$101,1406101Boris SaidMB2 MotorsportsPontiac1101running155$90,990731Ron FellowsDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet11021running151$92,927872Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthDodge1100running142$99,48291418Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet1100running138$105,223103119Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge1100running134$80,33511118Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet1100running130$100,292121020Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet1100running127$110,988132015Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet1100running124$75,95014417Matt KensethRoush RacingFord1100running121$78,97515921Ricky RuddWood Brothers RacingFord1100running118$84,825161922Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge1100running115$93,406173748Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1100running112$75,630182740Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge1100running109$99,77519176Mark MartinRoush RacingFord1100running106$93,208202642Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingDodge1100running103$62,525213832Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsPontiac1100running100$80,050222438Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFord1100running97$93,125232254Todd BodineBelCar MotorsportsFord1100running94$70,12524364Johnny MillerMorgan–McClure MotorsportsPontiac1100running91$66,93925235Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1100running88$84,886263341Casey MearsChip Ganassi RacingDodge1100running85$66,300273545Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge1100running82$66,16028597Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord1100running79$75,255293023Kenny WallaceBill Davis RacingDodge1100running76$58,035302510Johnny Benson Jr.MB2 MotorsportsPontiac1097running78$84,745313474Tony RainesBACE MotorsportsChevrolet1090running70$54,925321577Dave BlaneyJasper MotorsportsFord1090running67$62,865334249Ken SchraderBAM RacingDodge1090running64$55,745341809Scott PruettChip Ganassi RacingDodge1090running61$54,825352125Joe NemechekHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1090running58$54,80536397Jimmy SpencerUltra MotorsportsDodge1090running55$54,785373216Greg BiffleRoush RacingFord1060out of gas52$54,765381699Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord1020running49$88,16239280Jack SpragueHaas CNC RacingPontiac950running46$54,720404143Christian FittipaldiPetty EnterprisesDodge860transmission43$90,463414030Steve ParkRichard Childress RacingChevrolet850crash40$62,650422988Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord830transmission37$100,403434366Hideo FukuyamaBelCar RacingFord680rear end34$54,829Official race results

References