# 2003 Samsung/RadioShack 500

The 2003 Samsung/RadioShack 500 was the seventh stock car race of the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the seventh iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, March 30, 2003, before a crowd of 215,000 in Fort Worth, Texas at Texas Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent tri-oval shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 334 laps to complete. Penske Racing driver Ryan Newman would make a gamble near the end of the race, pitting for only two tires on the final round of pit stops. He would be able to pass and defend Dale Earnhardt, Inc. driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win his second career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his first win of the season. To fill out the podium, Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports would finish third.

## Background

Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas. The track measures 1.5 miles (2.4 km) around and is banked 24 degrees in the turns, and is of the oval design, where the front straightaway juts outward slightly. The track layout is similar to Atlanta Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway (formerly Lowe's Motor Speedway). The track is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., the same company that owns Atlanta and Charlotte Motor Speedway, as well as the short-track Bristol Motor Speedway.

### Entry list

| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 0 | Jack Sprague | Haas CNC Racing | Pontiac | NetZero HiSpeed |
| 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 / Smirnoff Ice Triple Black |
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | Interstate Batteries |
| 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 |
| 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | M&M's |
| 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 | Pillsbury Grands |
| 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Georgia-Pacific Brawny |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
| 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | The Derailers / Sony Music Nashville |
| 54 | Todd Bodine | BelCar Motorsports | Ford | National Guard |
| 74 | Tony Raines | BACE Motorsports | Chevrolet | BACE Motorsports |
| 75 | David Starr | Mike Starr Racing | Chevrolet | Mike Starr Racing |
| 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, March 28, at 12:20 PM CST, and would last for 2 hours. Jerry Nadeau of MB2 Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.870 and an average speed of 193.757 miles per hour (311.822 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 01 | Jerry Nadeau | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 27.870 | 193.757 |
| 2 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing | Dodge | 27.925 | 193.375 |
| 3 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.015 | 192.754 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Saturday, March 29, at 10:30 AM CST, and would last for 45 minutes. Bobby Labonte of Joe Gibbs Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.620 and an average speed of 188.679 miles per hour (303.649 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 28.620 | 188.679 |
| 2 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.661 | 188.409 |
| 3 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 28.668 | 188.363 |
| 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 29, at 12:10 PM CST, and would last for 45 minutes. Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.574 and an average speed of 188.983 miles per hour (304.139 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.574 | 188.983 |
| 2 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing | Dodge | 28.612 | 188.732 |
| 3 | 01 | Jerry Nadeau | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 28.776 | 187.656 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Friday, March 28, at 4:05 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.
Bobby Labonte of Joe Gibbs Racing would win the pole, setting a time of 27.905 and an average speed of 193.514 miles per hour (311.431 km/h).
Two drivers would fail to qualify: Kerry Earnhardt and David Starr.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 27.905 | 193.514 |
| 2 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 27.934 | 193.313 |
| 3 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing | Dodge | 27.959 | 193.140 |
| 4 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.016 | 192.747 |
| 5 | 01 | Jerry Nadeau | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 28.033 | 192.630 |
| 6 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 28.082 | 192.294 |
| 7 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.092 | 192.225 |
| 8 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 28.119 | 192.041 |
| 9 | 25 | Joe Nemechek | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.122 | 192.020 |
| 10 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Dodge | 28.148 | 191.843 |
| 11 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 28.168 | 191.707 |
| 12 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.217 | 191.374 |
| 13 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 28.232 | 191.272 |
| 14 | 30 | Jeff Green | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 28.239 | 191.225 |
| 15 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 28.301 | 190.806 |
| 16 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 28.306 | 190.772 |
| 17 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.311 | 190.739 |
| 18 | 7 | Jimmy Spencer | Ultra Motorsports | Dodge | 28.333 | 190.590 |
| 19 | 54 | Todd Bodine | BelCar Motorsports | Ford | 28.340 | 190.543 |
| 20 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.371 | 190.335 |
| 21 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 28.376 | 190.302 |
| 22 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 28.398 | 190.154 |
| 23 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 28.413 | 190.054 |
| 24 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 28.449 | 189.813 |
| 25 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 28.452 | 189.793 |
| 26 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 28.456 | 189.767 |
| 27 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 28.461 | 189.733 |
| 28 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 28.478 | 189.620 |
| 29 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.494 | 189.514 |
| 30 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.500 | 189.474 |
| 31 | 0 | Jack Sprague | Haas CNC Racing | Pontiac | 28.536 | 189.235 |
| 32 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.541 | 189.202 |
| 33 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 28.546 | 189.168 |
| 34 | 74 | Tony Raines | BACE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.611 | 188.739 |
| 35 | 14 | Larry Foyt | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Dodge | 28.612 | 188.732 |
| 36 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 28.613 | 188.725 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.027 | 186.034 |
| 38 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Pontiac | — | — |
| 39 | 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 28.646 | 188.508 |
| 40 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 28.621 | 188.673 |
| 41 | 4 | Mike Skinner | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Pontiac | 28.864 | 187.084 |
| 42 | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | 28.773 | 187.676 |
| 43 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 28.751 | 187.820 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 83 | Kerry Earnhardt | FitzBradshaw Racing | Chevrolet | 28.877 | 187.000 |
| 45 | 75 | David Starr | Mike Starr Racing | Chevrolet | 28.914 | 186.761 |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 3 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing | Dodge | 334 | 77 | running | 180 | $406,500 |
| 2 | 11 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 334 | 35 | running | 175 | $299,667 |
| 3 | 7 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 334 | 16 | running | 170 | $249,753 |
| 4 | 5 | 01 | Jerry Nadeau | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 334 | 0 | running | 160 | $187,725 |
| 5 | 32 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 334 | 0 | running | 155 | $173,058 |
| 6 | 17 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 334 | 65 | running | 155 | $142,950 |
| 7 | 14 | 30 | Jeff Green | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 334 | 2 | running | 151 | $118,575 |
| 8 | 4 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 334 | 0 | running | 142 | $119,575 |
| 9 | 30 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 334 | 0 | running | 138 | $133,150 |
| 10 | 24 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 334 | 0 | running | 134 | $101,150 |
| 11 | 19 | 54 | Todd Bodine | BelCar Motorsports | Ford | 334 | 0 | running | 130 | $111,750 |
| 12 | 33 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 334 | 0 | running | 127 | $127,906 |
| 13 | 23 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 334 | 1 | running | 129 | $136,528 |
| 14 | 10 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Dodge | 333 | 0 | running | 121 | $126,692 |
| 15 | 8 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 333 | 0 | running | 118 | $128,128 |
| 16 | 12 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 333 | 0 | running | 115 | $115,656 |
| 17 | 37 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 333 | 0 | running | 112 | $102,500 |
| 18 | 21 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 333 | 0 | running | 109 | $112,387 |
| 19 | 43 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 333 | 0 | running | 106 | $121,753 |
| 20 | 29 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 333 | 0 | running | 103 | $120,492 |
| 21 | 38 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Pontiac | 333 | 2 | running | 105 | $102,075 |
| 22 | 31 | 0 | Jack Sprague | Haas CNC Racing | Pontiac | 333 | 0 | running | 97 | $78,975 |
| 23 | 40 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 333 | 0 | running | 94 | $90,164 |
| 24 | 42 | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | 333 | 0 | running | 91 | $75,975 |
| 25 | 27 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 332 | 0 | running | 88 | $85,525 |
| 26 | 16 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 332 | 0 | running | 85 | $84,175 |
| 27 | 26 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 331 | 0 | running | 82 | $82,475 |
| 28 | 20 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 330 | 0 | running | 79 | $68,975 |
| 29 | 36 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 328 | 0 | running | 76 | $111,475 |
| 30 | 35 | 14 | Larry Foyt | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Dodge | 326 | 0 | running | 73 | $69,185 |
| 31 | 25 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 325 | 0 | running | 70 | $67,775 |
| 32 | 13 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 322 | 0 | engine | 67 | $92,450 |
| 33 | 18 | 7 | Jimmy Spencer | Ultra Motorsports | Dodge | 294 | 1 | crash | 69 | $63,075 |
| 34 | 22 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 293 | 0 | engine | 61 | $113,728 |
| 35 | 9 | 25 | Joe Nemechek | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 279 | 0 | crash | 58 | $60,125 |
| 36 | 39 | 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 268 | 0 | engine | 55 | $67,075 |
| 37 | 1 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 260 | 0 | crash | 52 | $117,108 |
| 38 | 28 | 45 | Christian Fittipaldi | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 240 | 0 | crash | 49 | $64,950 |
| 39 | 15 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 234 | 1 | crash | 51 | $82,087 |
| 40 | 41 | 4 | Mike Skinner | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Pontiac | 233 | 0 | crash | 43 | $56,850 |
| 41 | 2 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 167 | 91 | crash | 50 | $92,060 |
| 42 | 34 | 74 | Tony Raines | BACE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 152 | 0 | engine | 37 | $56,765 |
| 43 | 6 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 46 | 43 | engine | 39 | $100,781 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 83 | Kerry Earnhardt | FitzBradshaw Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 45 | | 75 | David Starr | Mike Starr Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||