The 2003 Sirius Satellite Radio at The Glen was the 22nd stock car race of the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 18th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, August 10, 2003, before a crowd of 100,000 at the shortened layout of Watkins Glen International, a 2.454 miles (3.949 km) permanent road course. The race took the scheduled 90 laps to complete. At race's end, Robby Gordon of Richard Childress Racing would stretch out a fuel run in the last 39 laps of the race to win his third and final career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his second and final win of the season. To fill out the podium, Scott Pruett of Chip Ganassi Racing and Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Dale Earnhardt Jr. would finish second and third, respectively.

Background

Watkins Glen International (nicknamed "The Glen") is an automobile race track located in Watkins Glen, New York at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. It was long known around the world as the home of the Formula One United States Grand Prix, which it hosted for twenty consecutive years (1961–1980), but the site has been home to road racing of nearly every class, including the World Sportscar Championship, Trans-Am, Can-Am, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the International Motor Sports Association and the IndyCar Series.

Initially, public roads in the village were used for the race course. In 1956 a permanent circuit for the race was built. In 1968 the race was extended to six hours, becoming the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen. The circuit's current layout has more or less been the same since 1971, although a chicane was installed at the uphill Esses in 1975 to slow cars through these corners, where there was a fatality during practice at the 1973 United States Grand Prix. The chicane was removed in 1985, but another chicane called the "Inner Loop" was installed in 1992 after J.D. McDuffie's fatal accident during the previous year's NASCAR Winston Cup event.

The circuit is known as the Mecca of North American road racing and is a very popular venue among fans and drivers. The facility is currently owned by International Speedway Corporation.

Entry list No.DriverTeamMake0John AndrettiHaas CNC RacingPontiac1Ron FellowsDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet01Boris SaidMB2 MotorsportsPontiac2Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthDodge4P. J. JonesMorgan–McClure MotorsportsPontiac04Johnny MillerMorgan–McClure MotorsportsPontiac5Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6Mark MartinRoush RacingFord7Jimmy SpencerUltra MotorsportsDodge8Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet9Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge10Johnny Benson Jr.MB2 MotorsportsPontiac12Ryan NewmanPenske Racing SouthDodge15Michael 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 RacingChevrolet30Steve ParkRichard Childress RacingChevrolet31Robby GordonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet32Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsPontiac33Paul MenardAndy Petree RacingChevrolet35Joe VardeJoe Varde RacingChevrolet38Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFord39Scott PruettChip Ganassi RacingDodge40Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge41Casey MearsChip Ganassi RacingDodge42Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingDodge43Scott MaxwellPetty EnterprisesDodge44Christian FittipaldiPetty EnterprisesDodge45Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge48Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet49Ken SchraderBAM RacingDodge50Larry FoytA. J. Foyt EnterprisesDodge54Todd BodineBelCar MotorsportsFord74Tony RainesBACE MotorsportsChevrolet77Dave BlaneyJasper MotorsportsFord88Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord97Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord99Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFordOfficial entry list

Practice

First practice The first practice session was held on Friday, August 8, at 11:00 AM EST, and would last for 2 hours. Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:10.981 and an average speed of . Pos.No.DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed18Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet1:10.981124.259224Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1:10.984124.253316Greg BiffleRoush RacingFord1:11.110124.033Full first practice results

Second practice The second practice session was held on Saturday, August 9, at 9:30 AM EST, and would last for 45 minutes. Tony Stewart of Joe Gibbs Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:12.050 and an average speed of . Pos.No.DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed120Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet1:12.050122.41526Mark MartinRoush RacingFord1:12.099122.33231Ron FellowsDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet1:12.362121.887Full second practice results

Third and final practice The third and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, August 9, at 11:10 AM EST, and would last for 45 minutes. Greg Biffle of Roush Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:12.050 and an average speed of . Pos.No.DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed116Greg BiffleRoush RacingFord1:11.433123.47226Mark MartinRoush RacingFord1:12.031122.44738Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet1:12.249122.078Full Happy Hour practice results

Qualifying Qualifying was held on Friday, August 8, at 3:05 PM EST. 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.

Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports would win the pole, setting a time of 1:10.798 and an average speed of .

Four drivers would fail to qualify: Ken Schrader, Joe Varde, Scott Maxwell, and Larry Foyt.

Full qualifying results Pos.No.DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed124Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1:10.798124.580216Greg BiffleRoush RacingFord1:10.845124.49736Mark MartinRoush RacingFord1:10.864124.464420Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet1:10.976124.26752Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthDodge1:10.983124.25568Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet1:11.046124.145717Matt KensethRoush RacingFord1:11.317123.673897Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord1:11.317123.673918Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet1:11.365123.5901001Boris SaidMB2 MotorsportsPontiac1:11.484123.3841129Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1:11.572123.2321241Casey MearsChip Ganassi RacingDodge1:11.597123.1891312Ryan NewmanPenske Racing SouthDodge1:11.622123.1461431Robby GordonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1:11.696123.019150John AndrettiHaas CNC RacingPontiac1:11.731122.9591677Dave BlaneyJasper MotorsportsFord1:11.751122.9251754Todd BodineBelCar RacingFord1:!1.865122.730181Ron FellowsDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet1:11.883122.699195Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1:11.898122.6742048Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1:11.910122.6532125Joe NemechekHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1:11.927122.6242222Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge1:12.013122.4782399Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord1:12.018122.4692438Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFord1:12.091122.345259Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge1:12.112122.3102621Ricky RuddWood Brothers RacingFord1:12.139122.2642710Johnny Benson Jr.MB2 MotorsportsPontiac1:12.158122.2322839Scott PruettChip Ganassi RacingDodge1:12.210122.1442942Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingDodge1:12.298121.9953088Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord1:12.497121.6603145Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge1:12.633121.4323204Johnny MillerMorgan–McClure MotorsportsPontiac1:12.655121.396334P. J. JonesMorgan–McClure MotorsportsPontiac1:12.728121.2743415Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet1:12.752121.2343523Kenny WallaceBill Davis RacingDodge1:12.775121.1963644Christian FittipaldiPetty EnterprisesDodge1:12.791121.169Provisionals3740Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge1:13.248120.4133832Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsPontiac1:14.028119.144397Jimmy SpencerUltra MotorsportsDodge1:14.344118.6384019Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge1:13.281120.3594130Steve ParkRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1:13.367120.2174274Tony RainesBACE MotorsportsChevrolet1:12.875121.0294333Paul MenardAndy Petree RacingChevrolet1:13.172120.538Failed to qualify4449Ken SchraderBAM RacingDodge1:13.525119.9594535Joe VardeJoe Varde RacingChevrolet1:13.561119.9004643Scott MaxwellPetty EnterprisesDodge1:13.724119.6354750Larry FoytA. J. Foyt EnterprisesDodge1:14.865117.812Official qualifying results

Race results FinStNo.DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings11431Robby GordonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet9030running185$156,27222839Scott PruettChip Ganassi RacingDodge909running175$88,210368Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet9011running170$127,20242048Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet900running160$86,85051129Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet900running155$96,40862222Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge900running150$94,04673088Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord900running146$98,6888717Matt KensethRoush RacingFord900running142$70,53591312Ryan NewmanPenske Racing SouthDodge900running138$83,9301036Mark MartinRoush RacingFord900running134$90,59811420Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet900running130$101,23312897Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord900running127$85,100133415Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet900running124$65,80014918Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet905running126$93,443152438Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFord900running118$86,820164019Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge900running115$59,600172125Joe NemechekHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet900running112$50,83018195Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet900running109$76,56619150John AndrettiHaas CNC RacingPontiac900running106$50,05520259Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge900running103$86,693212621Ricky RuddWood Brothers RacingFord901running105$72,535222942Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingDodge901running102$50,71523397Jimmy SpencerUltra MotorsportsDodge900running94$62,79524334P. J. JonesMorgan–McClure MotorsportsPontiac900running91$59,135251677Dave BlaneyJasper MotorsportsFord900running88$65,189264130Steve ParkRichard Childress RacingChevrolet900running85$56,140272710Johnny Benson Jr.MB2 MotorsportsPontiac900running82$74,565283832Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsPontiac900running79$55,555294333Paul MenardAndy Petree RacingChevrolet900running76$52,41030216Greg BiffleRoush RacingFord9023running78$47,825312399Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord9010running75$80,157321241Casey MearsChip Ganassi RacingDodge900running67$52,15033124Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet890crash64$97,353343523Kenny WallaceBill Davis RacingDodge890running61$44,015351754Todd BodineBelCar RacingFord890running58$43,950363204Johnny MillerMorgan–McClure MotorsportsPontiac890running55$43,8753752Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthDodge840running52$78,49238181Ron FellowsDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet820handling49$68,927391001Boris SaidMB2 MotorsportsPontiac800running46$43,690403644Christian FittipaldiPetty EnterprisesDodge800running43$43,615414274Tony RainesBACE MotorsportsChevrolet780running40$43,555423145Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge740running37$51,485433740Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge10engine34$86,809Official race results

References