# 2003 Banquet 400

The 2003 Banquet 400 presented by ConAgra Foods was the 30th stock car race of the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season, and the third iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, October 5, 2003, before a crowd of 80,000 in Kansas City, Kansas, at Kansas Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent D-shaped oval racetrack. The race took the scheduled 267 laps to complete. At race's end, a cunning pit strategy for Penske Racing South driver Ryan Newman would propel him to his ninth career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his eighth win of the season. To fill out the podium, Bill Elliott and Jeremy Mayfield of Evernham Motorsports would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

Kansas Speedway is a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) tri-oval race track in Kansas City, Kansas. It was built in 2001 and hosts two annual NASCAR race weekends. The NTT IndyCar Series also raced there until 2011. The speedway is owned and operated by the International Speedway Corporation.

### Entry list

| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 0 | Jason Leffler | Haas CNC Racing | Pontiac | NetZero HiSpeed |
| 1 | John Andretti | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Pennzoil |
| 01 | Mike Skinner | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | U.S. Army |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Dodge | Miller Lite |
| 4 | Johnny Sauter | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Pontiac | Kodak Perfect Touch |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kellogg's / Got Milk? |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Viagra |
| 7 | Jimmy Spencer | Ultra Motorsports | Dodge | Sirius Satellite Radio |
| 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Budweiser |
| 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Dodge / The Lion King |
| 09 | Mike Wallace | Phoenix Racing | Dodge | Miccosukee Resort & Gaming |
| 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | Valvoline |
| 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing South | Dodge | Alltel |
| 14 | Larry Foyt | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Dodge | Harrah's "Oh Yeah!" |
| 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | NAPA Auto Parts |
| 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | Grainger |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | DeWalt |
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | Interstate Batteries / Banquet |
| 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Dodge / The Lion King |
| 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | The Home Depot |
| 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Motorcraft |
| 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | Caterpillar |
| 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | Stacker 2 |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | DuPont |
| 25 | Joe Nemechek | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | UAW-Delphi |
| 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench |
| 30 | Steve Park | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | America Online |
| 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Cingular Wireless |
| 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Pontiac | Tide |
| 35 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | Team Rensi Motorsports | Ford | U.S. Marines / Wawa |
| 37 | Derrike Cope | Quest Motor Racing | Chevrolet | Great Barrier Reef |
| 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Pedigree |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Coors Light / Scary Movie 3 |
| 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Target |
| 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Texaco / Havoline |
| 43 | Jeff Green | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Berry Burst Cheerios |
| 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Georgia-Pacific Brawny |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
| 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | BAM Racing |
| 54 | Todd Bodine | BelCar Motorsports | Ford | National Guard |
| 74 | Tony Raines | BACE Motorsports | Chevrolet | BACE Motorsports |
| 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 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 3, at 11:20 AM CST, and would last for 2 hours. Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.102 and an average speed of 179.390 miles per hour (288.700 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.102 | 179.390 |
| 2 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 30.171 | 178.980 |
| 3 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 30.177 | 178.944 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Saturday, October 4, at 9:30 AM CST, and would last for 45 minutes. Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.821 and an average speed of 175.205 miles per hour (281.965 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.821 | 175.205 |
| 2 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 30.831 | 175.148 |
| 3 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 30.842 | 175.086 |
| 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 4, at 11:10 AM CST, and would last for 45 minutes. Ryan Newman of Penske Racing South would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.814 and an average speed of 175.245 miles per hour (282.029 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 30.814 | 175.245 |
| 2 | 35 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | Team Rensi Motorsports | Ford | 30.920 | 174.644 |
| 3 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 31.212 | 173.010 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Friday, October 3, at 1:05 PM CST. 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.
Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports would win the pole, setting a time of 29.938 and an average speed of 180.373 miles per hour (290.282 km/h).
Two drivers would fail to qualify: Larry Foyt and Johnny Sauter.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.938 | 180.373 |
| 2 | 01 | Mike Skinner | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 30.059 | 179.647 |
| 3 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 30.070 | 179.581 |
| 4 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 30.095 | 179.432 |
| 5 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 30.109 | 179.348 |
| 6 | 0 | Jason Leffler | Haas CNC Racing | Pontiac | 30.138 | 179.176 |
| 7 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.145 | 179.134 |
| 8 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 30.156 | 179.069 |
| 9 | 43 | Jeff Green | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 30.158 | 179.057 |
| 10 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 30.161 | 179.039 |
| 11 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 30.179 | 178.932 |
| 12 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 30.201 | 178.802 |
| 13 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 30.244 | 178.548 |
| 14 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 30.270 | 178.394 |
| 15 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 30.278 | 178.347 |
| 16 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 30.322 | 178.089 |
| 17 | 30 | Steve Park | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 30.324 | 178.077 |
| 18 | 35 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | Team Rensi Motorsports | Ford | 30.331 | 178.036 |
| 19 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 30.355 | 177.895 |
| 20 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 30.364 | 177.842 |
| 21 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 30.372 | 177.795 |
| 22 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 30.372 | 177.795 |
| 23 | 54 | Todd Bodine | BelCar Racing | Ford | 30.372 | 177.795 |
| 24 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 30.386 | 177.713 |
| 25 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 30.410 | 177.573 |
| 26 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 30.419 | 177.521 |
| 27 | 7 | Jimmy Spencer | Ultra Motorsports | Dodge | 30.444 | 177.375 |
| 28 | 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 30.467 | 177.241 |
| 29 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 30.479 | 177.171 |
| 30 | 25 | Joe Nemechek | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.536 | 176.840 |
| 31 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 30.617 | 176.373 |
| 32 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Pontiac | 30.631 | 176.292 |
| 33 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 30.634 | 176.275 |
| 34 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.638 | 176.252 |
| 35 | 74 | Tony Raines | BACE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.652 | 176.171 |
| 36 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 30.673 | 176.051 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 30.761 | 175.547 |
| 38 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 30.754 | 175.587 |
| 39 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 31.020 | 174.081 |
| 40 | 1 | John Andretti | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 30.841 | 175.092 |
| 41 | 37 | Derrike Cope | Quest Motor Racing | Chevrolet | 31.460 | 171.646 |
| 42 | 09 | Mike Wallace | Phoenix Racing | Dodge | 30.715 | 175.810 |
| 43 | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | 30.687 | 175.970 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 14 | Larry Foyt | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Dodge | 30.718 | 175.793 |
| 45 | 4 | Johnny Sauter | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Pontiac | 30.769 | 175.501 |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 11 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 267 | 28 | running | 180 | $191,000 |
| 2 | 8 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 267 | 115 | running | 180 | $203,623 |
| 3 | 16 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 267 | 37 | running | 170 | $127,175 |
| 4 | 14 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 267 | 0 | running | 160 | $155,578 |
| 5 | 7 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 267 | 0 | running | 155 | $127,753 |
| 6 | 24 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 267 | 0 | running | 150 | $115,053 |
| 7 | 1 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 267 | 20 | running | 151 | $96,525 |
| 8 | 15 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 267 | 0 | running | 142 | $77,175 |
| 9 | 5 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 267 | 23 | running | 143 | $108,592 |
| 10 | 19 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 267 | 0 | running | 134 | $99,125 |
| 11 | 23 | 54 | Todd Bodine | BelCar Racing | Ford | 267 | 0 | running | 130 | $89,425 |
| 12 | 22 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 267 | 0 | running | 127 | $70,825 |
| 13 | 33 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 267 | 0 | running | 124 | $108,692 |
| 14 | 18 | 35 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | Team Rensi Motorsports | Ford | 267 | 0 | running | 121 | $65,150 |
| 15 | 27 | 7 | Jimmy Spencer | Ultra Motorsports | Dodge | 267 | 0 | running | 118 | $83,200 |
| 16 | 34 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 267 | 0 | running | 115 | $94,406 |
| 17 | 4 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 267 | 2 | running | 117 | $109,633 |
| 18 | 3 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 267 | 9 | running | 114 | $110,267 |
| 19 | 40 | 1 | John Andretti | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 267 | 0 | running | 106 | $89,237 |
| 20 | 38 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 267 | 0 | running | 103 | $103,483 |
| 21 | 39 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 267 | 0 | running | 100 | $99,706 |
| 22 | 17 | 30 | Steve Park | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 267 | 0 | running | 97 | $74,850 |
| 23 | 36 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 267 | 0 | running | 94 | $74,550 |
| 24 | 12 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 267 | 0 | running | 91 | $85,625 |
| 25 | 25 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 266 | 0 | running | 88 | $91,512 |
| 26 | 35 | 74 | Tony Raines | BACE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 266 | 0 | running | 85 | $65,625 |
| 27 | 9 | 43 | Jeff Green | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 266 | 0 | running | 82 | $101,203 |
| 28 | 43 | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | 266 | 0 | running | 79 | $64,725 |
| 29 | 2 | 01 | Mike Skinner | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 265 | 1 | running | 81 | $70,414 |
| 30 | 6 | 0 | Jason Leffler | Haas CNC Racing | Pontiac | 265 | 5 | running | 78 | $62,285 |
| 31 | 26 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 264 | 0 | running | 70 | $61,575 |
| 32 | 42 | 09 | Mike Wallace | Phoenix Racing | Dodge | 264 | 0 | running | 67 | $61,375 |
| 33 | 13 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 263 | 25 | engine | 69 | $107,853 |
| 34 | 29 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 263 | 0 | out of gas | 61 | $104,975 |
| 35 | 20 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 248 | 0 | crash | 58 | $87,525 |
| 36 | 37 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 220 | 0 | running | 55 | $68,575 |
| 37 | 30 | 25 | Joe Nemechek | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 211 | 0 | running | 52 | $60,375 |
| 38 | 41 | 37 | Derrike Cope | Quest Motor Racing | Chevrolet | 199 | 0 | engine | 49 | $60,175 |
| 39 | 31 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 197 | 0 | crash | 46 | $77,985 |
| 40 | 21 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 181 | 2 | engine | 48 | $79,785 |
| 41 | 32 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Pontiac | 174 | 0 | engine | 40 | $67,590 |
| 42 | 10 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 104 | 0 | crash | 37 | $93,645 |
| 43 | 28 | 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 80 | 0 | crash | 34 | $67,457 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 14 | Larry Foyt | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Dodge | | | | | |
| 45 | | 4 | Johnny Sauter | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Pontiac | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||