# 2003 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 (March)

The 2003 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 was the fourth stock car race of the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 45th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, March 9, 2003, in Hampton, Georgia at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a 1.54 miles (2.48 km) permanent asphalt quad-oval intermediate speedway. The race took the scheduled 325 laps to complete. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte would make a late charge against Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon near the end of the race, passing him with nine laps to go to win his 20th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his first of the season. To fill out the podium, Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. would finish third.

## 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

| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 0 | Jack Sprague | Haas CNC Racing | Pontiac | NetZero |
| 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Pennzoil |
| 01 | Jerry Nadeau | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | U.S. Army |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Dodge | Miller Lite |
| 4 | Mike Skinner | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Pontiac | Kodak |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Got Milk?, Kellogg's |
| 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 Dealers, UAW |
| 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | Valvoline |
| 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | Hooters |
| 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing | 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, Advair |
| 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Dodge Dealers, UAW |
| 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 | Jeff Green | 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. Marine Corps |
| 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Pedigree |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Coors Light |
| 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Target |
| 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Texaco, Havoline |
| 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 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 |
| 57 | Jeff Fultz | Team CLR | Ford | Calcium Lime Rust |
| 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

Originally, three practice sessions were going to be held, with one on Friday and two on Saturday. However, fog on Saturday would force NASCAR to combine the two practices on Saturday into one session.

### First practice

The first practice session was held on Friday, March 7, at 11:20 AM EST, and would last for 2 hours. Ryan Newman of Penske Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.895 and an average speed of 191.867 miles per hour (308.780 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing | Dodge | 28.895 | 191.867 |
| 2 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.963 | 191.417 |
| 3 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 28.970 | 191.370 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second and final practice

The second and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, March 8, at 10:15 AM EST, and would last for one hour and 45 minutes. Tony Stewart of Joe Gibbs Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.570 and an average speed of 187.487 miles per hour (301.731 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 29.570 | 187.487 |
| 2 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing | Dodge | 29.664 | 186.893 |
| 3 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Dodge | 29.691 | 186.723 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Friday, March 7, at 3:05 PM EST. 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.
Ryan Newman of Penske Racing would win the pole, setting a time of 31.211 and an average speed of 173.016 miles per hour (278.442 km/h).
Two drivers would fail to qualify: Bobby Hamilton Jr. and Jeff Fultz.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing | Dodge | 28.963 | 191.417 |
| 2 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 28.991 | 191.232 |
| 3 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.044 | 190.883 |
| 4 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 29.088 | 190.594 |
| 5 | 7 | Jimmy Spencer | Ultra Motorsports | Dodge | 29.127 | 190.339 |
| 6 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.135 | 190.287 |
| 7 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Dodge | 29.191 | 189.922 |
| 8 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 29.218 | 189.746 |
| 9 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.224 | 189.707 |
| 10 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 29.225 | 189.701 |
| 11 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.237 | 189.623 |
| 12 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 29.262 | 189.461 |
| 13 | 25 | Joe Nemechek | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.289 | 189.286 |
| 14 | 01 | Jerry Nadeau | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.302 | 189.202 |
| 15 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.326 | 189.047 |
| 16 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.334 | 188.996 |
| 17 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.337 | 188.976 |
| 18 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.354 | 188.867 |
| 19 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 29.367 | 188.783 |
| 20 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.373 | 188.745 |
| 21 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 29.380 | 188.700 |
| 22 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.404 | 188.546 |
| 23 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.412 | 188.495 |
| 24 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.428 | 188.392 |
| 25 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 29.443 | 188.296 |
| 26 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Dodge | 29.470 | 188.124 |
| 27 | 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 29.476 | 188.085 |
| 28 | 30 | Jeff Green | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.480 | 188.060 |
| 29 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.484 | 188.034 |
| 30 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.495 | 187.964 |
| 31 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 29.513 | 187.849 |
| 32 | 4 | Mike Skinner | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.522 | 187.792 |
| 33 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 29.526 | 187.767 |
| 34 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 29.553 | 187.595 |
| 35 | 54 | Todd Bodine | BelCar Motorsports | Ford | 29.568 | 187.500 |
| 36 | 74 | Tony Raines | BACE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.576 | 187.449 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 30.202 | 183.564 |
| 38 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 30.015 | 184.708 |
| 39 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.844 | 185.766 |
| 40 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 29.812 | 185.965 |
| 41 | 14 | Larry Foyt | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Dodge | — | — |
| 42 | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | 29.756 | 186.315 |
| 43 | 0 | Jack Sprague | Haas CNC Racing | Pontiac | 29.823 | 185.897 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 35 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | Team Rensi Motorsports | Ford | 29.916 | 185.319 |
| 45 | 57 | Jeff Fultz | Team CLR | Ford | 30.158 | 183.832 |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 4 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 325 | 172 | running | 185 | $209,233 |
| 2 | 30 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 325 | 68 | running | 175 | $142,778 |
| 3 | 37 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 325 | 23 | running | 170 | $113,917 |
| 4 | 24 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 325 | 0 | running | 160 | $91,850 |
| 5 | 8 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 325 | 17 | running | 160 | $113,328 |
| 6 | 3 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 325 | 1 | running | 155 | $94,450 |
| 7 | 5 | 7 | Jimmy Spencer | Ultra Motorsports | Dodge | 325 | 1 | running | 151 | $79,550 |
| 8 | 27 | 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 325 | 1 | running | 147 | $80,125 |
| 9 | 13 | 25 | Joe Nemechek | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 325 | 19 | running | 143 | $58,225 |
| 10 | 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing | Dodge | 324 | 21 | running | 139 | $94,450 |
| 11 | 23 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 324 | 0 | running | 130 | $84,400 |
| 12 | 22 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Pontiac | 324 | 0 | running | 127 | $76,375 |
| 13 | 20 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 324 | 0 | running | 124 | $51,775 |
| 14 | 34 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 324 | 0 | running | 121 | $93,675 |
| 15 | 7 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Dodge | 324 | 0 | running | 118 | $88,392 |
| 16 | 15 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 324 | 0 | running | 115 | $75,512 |
| 17 | 18 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 323 | 0 | running | 112 | $77,912 |
| 18 | 12 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 323 | 0 | running | 109 | $84,871 |
| 19 | 17 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 323 | 0 | running | 106 | $87,968 |
| 20 | 39 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 323 | 0 | running | 103 | $80,196 |
| 21 | 16 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 323 | 0 | running | 100 | $93,968 |
| 22 | 10 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 322 | 0 | running | 97 | $59,435 |
| 23 | 33 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 322 | 0 | running | 94 | $70,535 |
| 24 | 36 | 74 | Tony Raines | BACE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 322 | 0 | running | 91 | $47,635 |
| 25 | 28 | 30 | Jeff Green | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 322 | 0 | running | 88 | $59,035 |
| 26 | 40 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 322 | 0 | running | 85 | $58,774 |
| 27 | 6 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 321 | 0 | running | 82 | $68,070 |
| 28 | 35 | 54 | Todd Bodine | BelCar Motorsports | Ford | 321 | 0 | running | 79 | $49,920 |
| 29 | 19 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 320 | 0 | running | 76 | $84,988 |
| 30 | 32 | 4 | Mike Skinner | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Pontiac | 318 | 0 | running | 73 | $47,085 |
| 31 | 14 | 01 | Jerry Nadeau | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 316 | 0 | crash | 70 | $46,510 |
| 32 | 11 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 308 | 2 | engine | 72 | $65,835 |
| 33 | 26 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Dodge | 305 | 0 | engine | 64 | $80,687 |
| 34 | 38 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 296 | 0 | running | 61 | $54,325 |
| 35 | 21 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 295 | 0 | engine | 58 | $54,290 |
| 36 | 31 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 293 | 0 | engine | 55 | $46,255 |
| 37 | 43 | 0 | Jack Sprague | Haas CNC Racing | Pontiac | 267 | 0 | overheating | 52 | $46,220 |
| 38 | 42 | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | 182 | 0 | engine | 49 | $46,175 |
| 39 | 2 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 164 | 0 | engine | 46 | $85,723 |
| 40 | 9 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 143 | 0 | engine | 43 | $66,090 |
| 41 | 25 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 141 | 0 | crash | 40 | $46,050 |
| 42 | 29 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 133 | 0 | engine | 37 | $79,843 |
| 43 | 41 | 14 | Larry Foyt | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Dodge | 104 | 0 | engine | 34 | $45,069 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 35 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | Team Rensi Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 45 | | 57 | Jeff Fultz | Team CLR | Ford | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||