# 2002 MBNA America 500

The 2002 MBNA America 500 was the fourth stock car race of the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the fifth iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, March 10, 2002, 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. Tony Stewart, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would pass the worn-out car of Ward Burton with 23 to go to win his 13th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his first of the season. To fill out the podium, Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports 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

| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 1 | Kenny Wallace | 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 |
| 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | Valvoline |
| 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | Hooters |
| 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford | Alltel |
| 14 | Stacy Compton | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | Conseco |
| 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | NAPA Auto Parts |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | DeWalt |
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | Interstate Batteries |
| 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Dodge |
| 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | The Home Depot |
| 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Motorcraft |
| 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | Caterpillar |
| 23 | Hut Stricklin | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | Hills Bros. Coffee |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | DuPont |
| 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | UAW, Delphi |
| 26 | Joe Nemechek | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Haas-Carter Motorsports |
| 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 |
| 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Cingular Wireless |
| 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | Tide |
| 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | Pedigree |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Coors Light |
| 41 | Jimmy Spencer | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Target |
| 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Cheerios A Book For Every Child |
| 44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Georgia-Pacific Brawny |
| 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Sprint |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
| 49 | Shawna Robinson (R) | BAM Racing | Dodge | BAM Racing |
| 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Square D, Schneider Electric |
| 57 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | Team CLR | Ford | Calcium Lime Rust |
| 71 | Dick Trickle | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | Warranty Gold, Williams Bros. Lumber |
| 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 85 | Carl Long (R) | Mansion Motorsports | Dodge | NoopCo |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | UPS |
| 90 | Rick Mast | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Sauer's, Duke's Mayonnaise |
| 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, March 8, 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 29.118 and an average speed of 190.391 miles per hour (306.405 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.118 | 190.391 |
| 2 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.148 | 190.201 |
| 3 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.174 | 190.026 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Saturday, March 9, at 9:30 AM EST, and would last for 45 minutes. Ryan Newman of Penske Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.896 and an average speed of 185.436 miles per hour (298.430 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford | 29.896 | 185.436 |
| 2 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.971 | 184.979 |
| 3 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.981 | 184.917 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Third and final practice

The third and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, March 9, at 11:15 AM EST, and would last for 45 minutes. Jerry Nadeau of Hendrick Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.110 and an average speed of 184.125 miles per hour (296.320 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.110 | 184.125 |
| 2 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 30.115 | 184.087 |
| 3 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 30.125 | 184.026 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Friday, March 8, 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.
Bill Elliott of Evernham Motorsports would win the pole, setting a time of 28.944 and an average speed of 191.542 miles per hour (308.257 km/h).
Two drivers would fail to qualify: Ron Hornaday Jr. and Carl Long.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 28.944 | 191.542 |
| 2 | 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford | 28.955 | 191.462 |
| 3 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 28.975 | 191.337 |
| 4 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.065 | 190.744 |
| 5 | 41 | Jimmy Spencer | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 29.083 | 190.620 |
| 6 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 29.111 | 190.436 |
| 7 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.124 | 190.358 |
| 8 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.135 | 190.286 |
| 9 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.136 | 190.273 |
| 10 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.166 | 190.084 |
| 11 | 1 | Kenny Wallace | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.176 | 190.019 |
| 12 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 29.180 | 189.986 |
| 13 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.180 | 189.986 |
| 14 | 44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 29.184 | 189.960 |
| 15 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.184 | 189.960 |
| 16 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 29.187 | 189.941 |
| 17 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.191 | 189.914 |
| 18 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.193 | 189.908 |
| 19 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.195 | 189.889 |
| 20 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 29.245 | 189.570 |
| 21 | 4 | Mike Skinner | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.260 | 189.473 |
| 22 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 29.268 | 189.415 |
| 23 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.270 | 189.408 |
| 24 | 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 29.273 | 189.389 |
| 25 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.281 | 189.337 |
| 26 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.295 | 189.240 |
| 27 | 26 | Joe Nemechek | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 29.299 | 189.214 |
| 28 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 29.312 | 189.137 |
| 29 | 90 | Rick Mast | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 29.322 | 189.066 |
| 30 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.340 | 188.957 |
| 31 | 49 | Shawna Robinson (R) | BAM Racing | Dodge | 29.374 | 188.738 |
| 32 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.375 | 188.731 |
| 33 | 23 | Hut Stricklin | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 29.375 | 188.731 |
| 34 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 29.378 | 188.706 |
| 35 | 14 | Stacy Compton | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 29.379 | 188.699 |
| 36 | 30 | Jeff Green | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.381 | 188.693 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.659 | 186.924 |
| 38 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Ford | 29.391 | 188.628 |
| 39 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.402 | 188.559 |
| 40 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 29.393 | 188.609 |
| 41 | 7 | Casey Atwood | Ultra-Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 29.518 | 187.811 |
| 42 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 29.426 | 188.404 |
| 43 | 71 | Dick Trickle | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 29.606 | 187.259 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 57 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | Team CLR | Ford | 29.521 | 187.792 |
| 45 | 85 | Carl Long (R) | Mansion Motorsports | Dodge | 29.665 | 186.886 |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 9 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 325 | 143 | running | 185 | $174,978 |
| 2 | 3 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 325 | 38 | running | 175 | $104,600 |
| 3 | 15 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 325 | 0 | running | 165 | $72,350 |
| 4 | 32 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 325 | 46 | running | 165 | $91,700 |
| 5 | 6 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 325 | 0 | running | 155 | $69,950 |
| 6 | 38 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Ford | 325 | 0 | running | 150 | $90,625 |
| 7 | 28 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 325 | 20 | running | 151 | $90,325 |
| 8 | 39 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 325 | 0 | running | 142 | $89,833 |
| 9 | 12 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 325 | 0 | running | 138 | $89,117 |
| 10 | 2 | 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford | 325 | 15 | running | 139 | $78,000 |
| 11 | 4 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 325 | 59 | running | 135 | $62,225 |
| 12 | 14 | 44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 325 | 0 | running | 127 | $58,450 |
| 13 | 7 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 325 | 0 | running | 124 | $77,450 |
| 14 | 13 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 325 | 0 | running | 121 | $76,083 |
| 15 | 34 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 325 | 2 | running | 123 | $44,500 |
| 16 | 19 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 325 | 0 | running | 115 | $96,478 |
| 17 | 24 | 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 324 | 2 | running | 117 | $65,200 |
| 18 | 23 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 324 | 0 | running | 109 | $72,246 |
| 19 | 16 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 324 | 0 | running | 106 | $62,279 |
| 20 | 37 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 324 | 0 | running | 103 | $89,157 |
| 21 | 30 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 324 | 0 | running | 100 | $86,507 |
| 22 | 11 | 1 | Kenny Wallace | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 324 | 0 | running | 97 | $75,010 |
| 23 | 40 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 323 | 0 | running | 94 | $52,835 |
| 24 | 25 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 323 | 0 | running | 91 | $52,535 |
| 25 | 27 | 26 | Joe Nemechek | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 322 | 0 | running | 88 | $69,822 |
| 26 | 5 | 41 | Jimmy Spencer | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 322 | 0 | running | 85 | $43,985 |
| 27 | 10 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 322 | 0 | running | 82 | $51,670 |
| 28 | 21 | 4 | Mike Skinner | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 321 | 0 | running | 79 | $43,420 |
| 29 | 22 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 320 | 0 | running | 76 | $51,110 |
| 30 | 26 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 320 | 0 | running | 73 | $51,385 |
| 31 | 35 | 14 | Stacy Compton | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 320 | 0 | running | 70 | $42,810 |
| 32 | 41 | 7 | Casey Atwood | Ultra-Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 319 | 0 | running | 67 | $42,235 |
| 33 | 29 | 90 | Rick Mast | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 318 | 0 | running | 64 | $39,670 |
| 34 | 31 | 49 | Shawna Robinson (R) | BAM Racing | Dodge | 310 | 0 | running | 61 | $39,625 |
| 35 | 1 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 288 | 0 | crash | 58 | $72,146 |
| 36 | 20 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 288 | 0 | crash | 55 | $66,638 |
| 37 | 18 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 287 | 0 | running | 52 | $85,298 |
| 38 | 42 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 276 | 0 | engine | 49 | $39,475 |
| 39 | 8 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 254 | 0 | engine | 46 | $85,218 |
| 40 | 17 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 204 | 0 | engine | 43 | $47,380 |
| 41 | 36 | 30 | Jeff Green | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 187 | 0 | engine | 40 | $39,345 |
| 42 | 43 | 71 | Dick Trickle | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 178 | 0 | crash | 37 | $39,305 |
| 43 | 33 | 23 | Hut Stricklin | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 164 | 0 | engine | 34 | $38,605 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 57 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | Team CLR | Ford | | | | | |
| 45 | | 85 | Carl Long | Mansion Motorsports | Dodge | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||