The 2003 edition of The Winston was the second exhibition stock car race of the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 19th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, May 17, 2003, in Concord, North Carolina at Lowe's Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent quad-oval. The race took the scheduled 90 laps to complete. Within the final segment of the race, Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson would manage to make a charge to the front within the last 20 laps of the segment to earn a US$1,017,604 (adjusted for inflation, US$) payout and his first career The Winston victory. To fill out the top three, Roush Racing driver Kurt Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte would finish second and third, respectively.

Background

Lowe's Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, as well as the UAW-GM Quality 500. The speedway was built in 1959 by Bruton Smith and is considered the home track for NASCAR with many race teams located in the Charlotte area. The track is owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI) with Marcus G. Smith (son of Bruton Smith) as track president.

Format and eligibility The popularity of the reality show Survivor influenced Winston to make changes to the format in 2002, adding a new elimination format ("Survival of the Fastest"), and the final segment returned to 20 laps to make tire wear an issue.

Only race winning drivers and owners from the previous year would be in the field, and all former Cup titleholders and the past five winners of The Winston would be added to the field, plus the winner of the qualifying races.

The No Bull Sprint was eliminated after 2002, and for 2003, The Winston Open would become a 20-lap race with pit stops, and then a 10 green flag lap sprint after pit stops.

If the caution flag waved on Lap 40 of the first segment, two green flag laps or the next yellow flag would be run to finish the segment.

In The Winston, only the top 20 cars advanced to the second segment, and 10 cars (in 2002) or 14 cars (in 2003 planned, but was 12 after crashes) advanced to the third segment.

A green flag pit stop for four tires was mandatory in the first segment, but after Frank Stoddard beat the system in 2002 by changing four tires on the car driven by Jeff Burton just feet from the finish line on the last lap, the rule was changed to mandating tire stops at a specific point in the race.

Also, the inversion is moved to the final 20 lap sprint, and the ten-minute break is restored between the second and final segment.

Segment 1: 40 Laps / Must take a four-tire pit stop during race (In 2003, must be between Laps 10–30) / only top 20 cars advance. Segment 2: 30 Laps / Only 14 cars (2003) / 10 cars (2002) advance / full field inversion at end of segment Segment 3: 20 Green Flag Laps (no caution laps count)

Entry list

Winston Open #DriverTeamMake0Jack Sprague (R)Haas CNC RacingPontiac1Jeff GreenDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet01Mike WallaceMB2 MotorsportsPontiac02Hermie SadlerSCORE MotorsportsPontiac4Mike SkinnerMorgan–McClure MotorsportsPontiac7Jimmy SpencerUltra MotorsportsDodge11Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord14Larry Foyt (R)A. J. Foyt RacingDodge16Greg Biffle (R)Roush RacingFord19Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge23Kenny WallaceBill Davis RacingDodge30Jeff GreenRichard Childress RacingChevrolet31Robby GordonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet37Derrike CopeQuest Motor RacingChevrolet41Casey Mears (R)Chip Ganassi RacingDodge43John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesDodge45Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge46Carl LongGlenn RacingDodge49Ken SchraderBAM RacingDodge54Todd BodineBelCar MotorsportsFord71Kevin LepageMarcis Auto RacingFord72Kirk ShelmerdineKirk Shelmerdine RacingFord74Tony Raines (R)BACE MotorsportsChevrolet77Dave BlaneyJasper MotorsportsFord89Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesFord90Jason HedleskyDonlavey RacingFord99Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFordOfficial Winston Open entry list

The Winston #DriverTeamMake2Rusty WallacePenske RacingDodge5Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6Mark MartinRoush RacingFord8Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet9Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge10Johnny Benson Jr.MB2 MotorsportsPontiac12Ryan NewmanPenske RacingDodge15Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet17Matt KensethRoush RacingFord18Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet20Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet21Ricky RuddWood Brothers RacingFord22Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet25Joe NemechekHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet32Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsPontiac38Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFord40Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge42Jamie McMurray (R)Chip Ganassi RacingDodge48Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet88Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord97Kurt BuschRoush RacingFordOfficial The Winston entry list

Winston Open practice

First Winston Open practice The first practice for the Winston Open was held on Friday, May 16, at 1:30p.m. EST. The session would last for 45 minutes. Steve Park, driving for Richard Childress Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.293 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed130Steve ParkRichard Childress RacingChevrolet29.293184.344219Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge29.525182.896301Mike WallaceMB2 MotorsportsPontiac29.584182.531Full first Winston Open practice results

Second Winston Open practice The second practice for the Winston Open was held on Friday, May 16, at 3:55p.m. EST. The session would last for 45 minutes. Todd Bodine, driving for BelCar Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.489 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed154Todd BodineBelCar MotorsportsFord29.489183.119223Kenny WallaceBill Davis RacingDodge29.544182.778319Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge29.564182.655Full second Winston Open practice results

Final Winston Open practice The final practice for the Winston Open was held on Friday, May 16. The session would last for 30 minutes. Todd Bodine, driving for BelCar Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.017 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed154Todd BodineBelCar MotorsportsFord30.017179.898299Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord30.077179.539330Steve ParkRichard Childress RacingChevrolet30.088179.473Full Happy Hour Winston Open practice results

The Winston practice

First The Winston practice The first practice for The Winston was held on Friday, May 16, at 2:20p.m. EST. The session would last for 45 minutes. Jimmie Johnson, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.872 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed148Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29.872180.77128Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet29.922180.469320Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet29.930180.421Full first The Winston practice results

Second The Winston practice The second practice for The Winston was held on Friday, May 16, at 4:45p.m. EST. The session would last for 45 minutes. Tony Stewart, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.463 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed120Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet29.463183.281212Ryan NewmanPenske Racing SouthDodge29.525182.89639Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge29.551182.735Full second The Winston practice results

Final The Winston practice The final practice for The Winston was held on Friday, May 16, at 10:30p.m. EST. The session would last for 30 minutes. Ryan Newman, driving for Penske Racing South, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.181 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed112Ryan NewmanPenske Racing SouthDodge30.181178.921220Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet30.258178.465318Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet30.297178.236Full Happy Hour The Winston practice results

Qualifying

The Winston Open Qualifying for the Winston Open was held on Friday, May 16, at 6:05p.m. EST. Each driver would have two laps to set a fastest time; the fastest of the two would count as their official qualifying lap.

Steve Park, driving for Richard Childress Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 29.309 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed130Steve ParkRichard Childress RacingChevrolet29.309184.244254Todd BodineBelCar MotorsportsFord29.401183.66737Jimmy SpencerUltra MotorsportsDodge29.449183.368401Mike WallaceMB2 MotorsportsPontiac29.475183.206523Kenny WallaceBill Davis RacingDodge29.513182.970649Ken SchraderBAM RacingDodge29.522182.91474Mike SkinnerMorgan–McClure MotorsportsPontiac29.522182.914811Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord29.531182.859974Tony Raines (R)BACE MotorsportsChevrolet29.560182.6791077Dave BlaneyJasper MotorsportsFord29.574182.593111Jeff GreenDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet29.611182.3651219Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge29.675181.971130Jack Sprague (R)Haas CNC RacingPontiac29.688181.8921431Robby GordonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet29.706181.7811545Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge29.736181.5981643John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesDodge29.753181.4941714Larry Foyt (R)A. J. Foyt RacingDodge29.785181.2991899Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord29.848180.9171941Casey Mears (R)Chip Ganassi RacingDodge29.901180.5962072Kirk ShelmerdineKirk Shelmerdine RacingFord30.210178.7492137Derrike CopeQuest Motor RacingChevrolet30.274178.3712202Hermie SadlerSCORE MotorsportsChevrolet30.297178.2362371Kevin LepageMarcis Auto RacingFord30.424177.4922446Carl LongGlenn RacingDodge30.571176.6382590Jason HedleskyDonlavey RacingFord31.412171.9092689Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesFord34.061158.5392716Greg Biffle (R)Roush RacingFord - -Official Winston Open qualifying results

The Winston Qualifying for The Winston was held on Friday, May 16, at 8:05p.m. EST. Each driver would run 3 laps each, with each driver having to do a mandatory pit stop following the driver's first or second lap.

Bill Elliott, driving for Evernham Motorsports, would win the pole, setting a time of 2:03.192 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed19Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge2:03:19243.834220Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet2:03:76443.631329Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2:04:82543.26148Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet2:05:01443.195540Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge2:05:03843.187625Joe NemechekHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2:05:04743.184732Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsPontiac2:05:04943.18385Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2:05:10343.164915Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet2:05:10543.1641024Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2:05:35843.0771197Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord2:05:41743.0561212Ryan NewmanPenske Racing SouthDodge2:05:66842.9701322Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge2:05:67142.969146Mark MartinRoush RacingFord2:05:94942.8751510Johnny Benson Jr.MBV MotorsportsPontiac2:06:01242.8531648Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2:06:01342.8531717Matt KensethRoush RacingFord2:06:39642.723182Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthDodge2:09:80541.6011938Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFord2:09:95941.5522021Ricky RuddWood Brothers RacingFord2:10:24241.4612118Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet2:23:34037.6732288Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord2:23:62337.5982342Jamie McMurray (R)Chip Ganassi RacingDodge - -Official The Winston qualifying results

Winston Open results