# 2002 NAPA 500

The 2002 NAPA 500 was the 33rd stock car race of the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 43rd iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, October 27, 2002, before a crowd of 110,000 in Hampton, Georgia at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a 1.54 miles (2.48 km) permanent asphalt quad-oval intermediate speedway. The race was shortened from its scheduled 325 laps to 248 due to inclement weather during the race. At race's end, Kurt Busch, driving for Roush Racing, would lead the race when the race was put under caution on lap 242, with the race eventually being called six laps later. The win was Busch's third career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his third of the season. To fill out the podium, Joe Nemechek of Hendrick Motorsports and Dale Jarrett of Robert Yates Racing would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

Atlanta Motor Speedway (formerly Atlanta International Raceway) is a track in Hampton, Georgia, 20 miles (32 km) south of Atlanta. It is a 1.54-mile (2.48 km) quad-oval track with a seating capacity of 111,000. It opened in 1960 as a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) standard oval. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track. In 1997, to standardize the track with Speedway Motorsports' other two 1.5-mile (2.4 km) ovals, the entire track was almost completely rebuilt. The frontstretch and backstretch were swapped, and the configuration of the track was changed from oval to quad-oval. The project made the track one of the fastest on the NASCAR circuit.

### Entry list

* (R) denotes rookie driver.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 00 | Buckshot Jones | Michael Waltrip Racing | Chevrolet | Charter Pipeline |
| 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Pennzoil |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Ford | Miller Lite |
| 4 | Mike Skinner | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kodak |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kellogg's |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Viagra |
| 7 | Casey Atwood | Ultra-Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Sirius Satellite Radio |
| 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Budweiser |
| 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Dodge |
| 09 | Geoff Bodine | Phoenix Racing | Ford | Miccosukee Resort & Gaming |
| 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | Valvoline, Kentucky Wildcats |
| 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | Hooters |
| 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford | Alltel |
| 14 | Mike Wallace | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | Conseco |
| 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | NAPA Auto Parts |
| 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | Grainger Lighting Solutions! |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | DeWalt |
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | Interstate Batteries, 3M |
| 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Dodge |
| 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | The Home Depot, Peanuts |
| 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Motorcraft |
| 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | Caterpillar |
| 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | Hills Bros. Coffee |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | DuPont |
| 25 | Joe Nemechek | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | UAW, Delphi |
| 26 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Discover Card |
| 27 | Scott Wimmer | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | Siemens |
| 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Texaco, Havoline |
| 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench |
| 30 | Jeff Green | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | America Online 8.0 |
| 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Cingular Wireless |
| 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | Tide |
| 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | M&M's |
| 40 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Coors Light |
| 41 | Jimmy Spencer | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Target |
| 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Cheerios |
| 44 | Ted Musgrave | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Georgia-Pacific Brawny |
| 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Sprint |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
| 49 | Derrike Cope | BAM Racing | Dodge | BAM Racing |
| 54 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | BH Motorsports | Chevrolet | National Guard |
| 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Square D |
| 59 | Carl Long (R) | Price Motorsports | Dodge | Check Into Cash |
| 60 | Jack Sprague | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | Haas Automation |
| 66 | Frank Kimmel | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Pork. The Other White Meat |
| 74 | Tony Raines | BACE Motorsports | Chevrolet | Staff America |
| 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 83 | Kerry Earnhardt | FitzBradshaw Racing | Chevrolet | Aaron's |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | UPS |
| 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | Rubbermaid, Sharpie |
| 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | Citgo |
| Official entry list |||||

## Practice
### First practice

The first practice session was held on Friday, October 25, at 3:20 PM EST, and would last for 2 hours. Bill Elliott of Evernham Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.033 and an average speed of 190.955 miles per hour (307.312 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 29.033 | 190.955 |
| 2 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.123 | 190.365 |
| 3 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.147 | 190.208 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Saturday, October 26, at 9:30 AM EST, and would last for 45 minutes. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.617 and an average speed of 187.190 miles per hour (301.253 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.617 | 187.190 |
| 2 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.620 | 187.171 |
| 3 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.738 | 186.428 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Third and final practice

The third and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, October 26, at 11:15 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 29.880 and an average speed of 185.542 miles per hour (298.601 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.880 | 185.542 |
| 2 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.911 | 185.350 |
| 3 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.944 | 185.146 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was scheduled to be held on Friday, October 25, at 7:05 PM EST. However, rain would force the cancellation of qualifying. As a result, the starting lineup would be based on the current 2002 owner's points. Due to this, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Tony Stewart would win the pole.
Eight drivers would fail to qualify: Geoff Bodine, Frank Kimmel, Scott Wimmer, Greg Biffle, Buckshot Jones, Jack Sprague, Kerry Earnhardt, and Ron Hornaday Jr.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make |
| 1 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac |
| 2 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 3 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford |
| 4 | 40 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge |
| 5 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Ford |
| 6 | 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford |
| 7 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 8 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford |
| 9 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford |
| 10 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford |
| 11 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford |
| 12 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge |
| 13 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet |
| 14 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford |
| 15 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet |
| 16 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford |
| 17 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac |
| 18 | 30 | Jeff Green | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 19 | 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford |
| 20 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 21 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 22 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge |
| 23 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 24 | 41 | Jimmy Spencer | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge |
| 25 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac |
| 26 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge |
| 27 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge |
| 28 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford |
| 29 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet |
| 30 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge |
| 31 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac |
| 32 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge |
| 33 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet |
| 34 | 26 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford |
| 35 | 4 | Mike Skinner | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 36 | 25 | Joe Nemechek | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 37 | 14 | Mike Wallace | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac |
| 38 | 7 | Casey Atwood | Ultra-Evernham Motorsports | Dodge |
| 39 | 44 | Ted Musgrave | Petty Enterprises | Dodge |
| 40 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford |
| 41 | 49 | Derrike Cope | BAM Racing | Dodge |
| 42 | 74 | Tony Raines | BACE Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 43 | 59 | Carl Long (R) | Price Motorsports | Dodge |
| Failed to qualify |||||
| 44 | 09 | Geoff Bodine | Phoenix Racing | Ford |
| 45 | 66 | Frank Kimmel | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford |
| 46 | 27 | Scott Wimmer | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge |
| 47 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford |
| 48 | 00 | Buckshot Jones | Michael Waltrip Racing | Chevrolet |
| 49 | 60 | Jack Sprague | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet |
| 50 | 83 | Kerry Earnhardt | FitzBradshaw Racing | Chevrolet |
| 51 | 54 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | BH Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| Official starting lineup |||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 8 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 248 | 84 | running | 185 | $212,100 |
| 2 | 36 | 25 | Joe Nemechek | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 248 | 57 | running | 175 | $153,400 |
| 3 | 11 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 248 | 0 | running | 165 | $136,250 |
| 4 | 1 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 248 | 39 | running | 165 | $137,178 |
| 5 | 13 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 248 | 4 | running | 160 | $97,950 |
| 6 | 7 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 248 | 41 | running | 155 | $124,978 |
| 7 | 4 | 40 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 248 | 0 | running | 146 | $110,742 |
| 8 | 3 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 248 | 0 | running | 142 | $103,533 |
| 9 | 9 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 248 | 0 | running | 138 | $82,275 |
| 10 | 6 | 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford | 248 | 1 | running | 139 | $92,900 |
| 11 | 15 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 248 | 1 | running | 135 | $77,850 |
| 12 | 14 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 248 | 0 | running | 127 | $106,817 |
| 13 | 17 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 248 | 0 | running | 124 | $106,628 |
| 14 | 22 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 248 | 17 | running | 126 | $67,025 |
| 15 | 33 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 248 | 0 | running | 118 | $96,350 |
| 16 | 27 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 248 | 4 | running | 120 | $102,625 |
| 17 | 5 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Ford | 247 | 0 | running | 112 | $103,075 |
| 18 | 28 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 247 | 0 | running | 109 | $83,425 |
| 19 | 19 | 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 247 | 0 | running | 106 | $80,400 |
| 20 | 20 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 247 | 0 | running | 103 | $90,556 |
| 21 | 16 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 247 | 0 | running | 100 | $69,350 |
| 22 | 2 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 247 | 0 | running | 97 | $60,500 |
| 23 | 25 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 246 | 0 | running | 94 | $86,850 |
| 24 | 18 | 30 | Jeff Green | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 246 | 0 | running | 91 | $59,700 |
| 25 | 23 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 246 | 0 | running | 88 | $88,533 |
| 26 | 35 | 4 | Mike Skinner | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 246 | 0 | running | 85 | $67,389 |
| 27 | 26 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 246 | 0 | running | 82 | $66,650 |
| 28 | 39 | 44 | Ted Musgrave | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 246 | 0 | running | 79 | $58,450 |
| 29 | 42 | 74 | Tony Raines | BACE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 246 | 0 | running | 76 | $55,300 |
| 30 | 24 | 41 | Jimmy Spencer | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 246 | 0 | running | 73 | $58,150 |
| 31 | 37 | 14 | Mike Wallace | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 246 | 0 | running | 70 | $55,000 |
| 32 | 10 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 246 | 0 | running | 67 | $99,237 |
| 33 | 12 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 245 | 0 | running | 64 | $80,106 |
| 34 | 40 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 245 | 0 | running | 61 | $54,525 |
| 35 | 29 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 245 | 0 | running | 58 | $62,400 |
| 36 | 32 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 243 | 0 | running | 55 | $54,325 |
| 37 | 41 | 49 | Derrike Cope | BAM Racing | Dodge | 243 | 0 | running | 52 | $54,200 |
| 38 | 38 | 7 | Casey Atwood | Ultra-Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 241 | 0 | running | 49 | $54,150 |
| 39 | 43 | 59 | Carl Long (R) | Price Motorsports | Dodge | 237 | 0 | running | 46 | $54,100 |
| 40 | 21 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 221 | 0 | engine | 43 | $99,818 |
| 41 | 34 | 26 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 214 | 0 | engine | 40 | $79,187 |
| 42 | 31 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 113 | 0 | engine | 37 | $61,950 |
| 43 | 30 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 4 | 0 | crash | 34 | $81,243 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 09 | Geoff Bodine | Phoenix Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| 45 | | 66 | Frank Kimmel | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 46 | | 27 | Scott Wimmer | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | | | | | |
| 47 | | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| 48 | | 00 | Buckshot Jones | Michael Waltrip Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 49 | | 60 | Jack Sprague | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 50 | | 83 | Kerry Earnhardt | FitzBradshaw Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 51 | | 54 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | BH Motorsports | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||