The 2002 Pontiac Excitement 400 was the 11th stock car race of the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 48th iteration of the event. The race was held throughout the days of May 4–5, 2002 due to rain forcing the delay of the race from its scheduled Sunday date. The race was held in Richmond, Virginia, at Richmond International Raceway, a 0.75 miles (1.21 km) D-shaped oval. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete. At race's end, Tony Stewart, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would win a crash-marred and wild race after taking control of the final restart with 18 to go. The win was Stewart's 14th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his second of the season. To fill out the podium, Ryan Newman of Penske Racing and Jeff Burton of Roush Racing would finish second and third, respectively.

Background

Richmond International Raceway (RIR) is a 3/4-mile (1.2 km), D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County.

Entry list

(R) denotes rookie driver.

#DriverTeamMake1Steve ParkDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet2Rusty WallacePenske RacingFord02Hermie SadlerSCORE MotorsportsChevrolet4Mike SkinnerMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet5Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6Mark MartinRoush RacingFord7Casey AtwoodUltra-Evernham MotorsportsDodge8Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet9Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge10Johnny Benson Jr.*MBV MotorsportsPontiac11Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord12Ryan Newman (R)Penske RacingFord14Stacy ComptonA. J. Foyt EnterprisesPontiac15Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet17Matt KensethRoush RacingFord18Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac19Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge20Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac21Elliott SadlerWood Brothers RacingFord22Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge23Hut StricklinBill Davis RacingDodge24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet25Jerry NadeauHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet26Frank KimmelHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord28Ricky RuddRobert Yates RacingFord29Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet30Jeff GreenRichard Childress RacingChevrolet31Robby GordonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet32Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsFord36Ken SchraderMB2 MotorsportsPontiac40Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge41Jimmy SpencerChip Ganassi RacingDodge43John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesDodge44Steve GrissomPetty EnterprisesDodge45Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge48Jimmie Johnson (R)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet54Kevin GrubbTeam Bristol MotorsportsChevrolet55Bobby HamiltonAndy Petree RacingChevrolet59Randy RenfrowPrice MotorsportsDodge77Dave BlaneyJasper MotorsportsFord88Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord90Rick MastDonlavey RacingFord97Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord99Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFordOfficial entry list *Driver changed to Joe Nemechek for the race, as Benson Jr. had suffered injuries during the 2002 Hardee's 250, the preliminary Busch race.

Practice

First practice The first practice session was held on Friday, May 3, at 11:20 AM EST, and would last for two hours. Tony Stewart of Joe Gibbs Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 20.996 and an average speed of .

During the session, Dale Jarrett and Kurt Busch would both crash in separate incidents. Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed120Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac20.996128.589222Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge21.010128.509399Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord21.010128.509Full first practice results

Second practice The second practice session was held on Friday, May 3, at 4:45 PM EST, and would last for 45 minutes. Johnny Benson Jr. of MBV Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 21.502 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed110Johnny Benson Jr.MBV MotorsportsPontiac21.502125.569228Ricky RuddRobert Yates RacingFord21.535125.371330Jeff GreenRichard Childress RacingChevrolet21.556125.249Full second practice results

Third and final practice The third and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Friday, May 3, at 6:15 PM EST, and would last for 45 minutes. Johnny Benson Jr. of MBV Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 21.527 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed110Johnny Benson Jr.MBV MotorsportsPontiac21.527125.424222Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge21.579125.122328Ricky RuddRobert Yates RacingFord21.593125.035Full Happy Hour practice results

Qualifying Qualifying was held on Friday, May 3, at 3:05 PM EST. Each driver would have two laps to set a fastest time; the fastest of the two would count as their official qualifying lap. 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.

Ward Burton of Bill Davis Racing would win the pole, setting a time of 21.195 and an average speed of .

Kevin Grubb was the only driver to fail to qualify.

Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed122Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge21.195127.38828Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet21.230127.178320Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac21.250127.059424Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet21.264126.97551Steve ParkDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet21.312126.689645Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge21.328126.594717Matt KensethRoush RacingFord21.333126.564818Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac21.337126.54192Rusty WallacePenske RacingFord21.338126.5351032Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsFord21.340126.5231112Ryan Newman (R)Penske RacingFord21.347126.4811228Ricky RuddRobert Yates RacingFord21.353126.4461325Jerry NadeauHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet21.369126.3511430Jeff GreenRichard Childress RacingChevrolet21.377126.304155Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet21.381126.2801610Johnny Benson Jr.MBV MotorsportsPontiac21.383126.2691719Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge21.397126.186186Mark MartinRoush RacingFord21.402126.156194Mike SkinnerMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet21.402126.1562044Steve GrissomPetty EnterprisesDodge21.413126.0922121Elliott SadlerWood Brothers RacingFord21.431125.9862236Ken SchraderMB2 MotorsportsPontiac21.437125.9512399Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord21.438125.9452490Rick MastDonlavey RacingFord21.440125.9332529Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet21.445125.9042648Jimmie Johnson (R)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet21.449125.8802715Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet21.457125.8332877Dave BlaneyJasper MotorsportsFord21.485125.669297Casey AtwoodUltra-Evernham MotorsportsDodge21.486125.6633002Hermie SadlerSCORE MotorsportsChevrolet21.488125.6513114Stacy ComptonA. J. Foyt EnterprisesPontiac21.537125.3663223Hut StricklinBill Davis RacingDodge21.538125.3603311Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord21.542125.3373431Robby GordonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet21.555125.2613540Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge21.557125.2493655Bobby HamiltonAndy Petree RacingChevrolet21.585125.087Provisionals3797Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord21.887123.361389Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge21.781123.9613988Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord21.814123.7744041Jimmy SpencerChip Ganassi RacingDodge21.824123.7174143John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesDodge21.670124.5964226Frank KimmelHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord22.343120.8434359Randy RenfrowPrice MotorsportsDodge22.029122.566Failed to qualify4454Kevin GrubbTeam Bristol MotorsportsChevrolet21.632124.815Official qualifying results

Race results FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings1320Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac40028running180$185,65321112Ryan Newman (R)Penske RacingFord40048running175$121,95032399Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord4000running165$126,0674186Mark MartinRoush RacingFord4000running160$106,70851719Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge4000running155$67,9506717Matt KensethRoush RacingFord4000running150$68,0007424Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet4000running146$99,40382044Steve GrissomPetty EnterprisesDodge4000running142$60,87591032Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsFord4000running138$59,975104041Jimmy SpencerChip Ganassi RacingDodge40075running139$74,275113540Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge4000running130$87,692121610Joe NemechekMBV MotorsportsPontiac4000running127$74,710131430Jeff GreenRichard Childress RacingChevrolet4002running129$43,57514389Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge4000running121$73,531152236Ken SchraderMB2 MotorsportsPontiac4000running118$68,335163223Hut StricklinBill Davis RacingDodge4000running115$54,700173655Bobby HamiltonAndy Petree RacingChevrolet3995running117$62,289183002Hermie SadlerSCORE MotorsportsChevrolet3990running109$42,050193311Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord3990running106$45,525204143John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesDodge3990running103$74,508212121Elliott SadlerWood Brothers RacingFord3990running100$52,55022297Casey AtwoodUltra-Evernham MotorsportsDodge3990running97$45,32523645Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge3990running94$40,825242715Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet3983running96$51,8502592Rusty WallacePenske RacingFord3960running88$84,750263114Stacy ComptonA. J. Foyt EnterprisesPontiac3950running85$43,475273797Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord3950running82$51,65028194Mike SkinnerMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet3780running79$43,125292877Dave BlaneyJasper MotorsportsFord37710engine81$50,50030122Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge364125running83$98,3753628Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet3270running55$76,862312648Jimmie Johnson (R)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet3600running70$40,32532818Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac3510running67$86,05333155Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet3330crash64$69,0583451Steve ParkDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet3330crash61$70,050352490Rick MastDonlavey RacingFord3310crash58$40,125373431Robby GordonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet3090crash52$66,081383988Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord30914running54$87,753391228Ricky RuddRobert Yates RacingFord30890crash51$84,317402529Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2950running43$85,603411325Jerry NadeauHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2250crash40$47,765424226Frank KimmelHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord2130crash37$64,892434359Randy RenfrowPrice MotorsportsDodge580oil pump34$39,667Official race results

References