# 2002 Checker Auto Parts 500

The 2002 Checker Auto Parts 500 presented by Pennzoil was the 35th stock car race of the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 15th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, November 10, 2002, before a crowd of 100,000 in Avondale, Arizona at Phoenix International Raceway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) permanent low-banked tri-oval race track. The race took the scheduled 312 laps to complete. At race's end, Matt Kenseth, driving for Roush Racing, would pull off a clutch two-tire strategy on the final restart of the race to win his fifth career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his fourth of the season. To fill out the podium, Rusty Wallace of Penske Racing and Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

Phoenix International Raceway – also known as PIR – is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It is named after the nearby metropolitan area of Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the IndyCar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The raceway is currently owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.
The raceway was originally constructed with a 2.5 mi (4.0 km) road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991 the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51 mi (2.43 km) interior layout. PIR has an estimated grandstand seating capacity of around 67,000. Lights were installed around the track in 2004 following the addition of a second annual NASCAR race weekend.

### Entry list

* (R) denotes rookie driver.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 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 | Jason Leffler | Ultra Motorsports | Dodge | Sirius Satellite Radio |
| 07 | Ted Musgrave | Ultra Motorsports | Dodge | Kenwood |
| 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 | Mike Wallace | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | Conseco |
| 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | NAPA Auto Parts |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | DeWalt Million Dollar Challenge |
| 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 | 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 | 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 |
| 37 | Jeff Jefferson | Quest Motor Racing | Pontiac | Xtreme Motorsports Marketing |
| 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 | Christian Fittipaldi | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Georgia-Pacific Brawny |
| 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Sprint |
| 47 | Lance Hooper | Dark Horse Motorsports | Ford | Dark Horse Motorsports |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
| 49 | Derrike Cope | BAM Racing | Dodge | BAM Racing |
| 51 | Jerry Robertson | Ware Racing Enterprises | Dodge | Family Tree, Smitty's Motorsports |
| 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Square D |
| 60 | Jack Sprague | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | Haas Automation |
| 74 | Tony Raines | BACE Motorsports | Chevrolet | Outdoor Channel, Staff America |
| 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 83 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | FitzBradshaw Racing | Chevrolet | Racing USA |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | UPS |
| 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Ford | Red Line Oil, Racing with Jesus |
| 93 | Mike Harmon | GIC Motorsports | Ford | GIC Motorsports |
| 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | Sharpie, Stain Shield |
| 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | Citgo |
| Official entry list |||||
*Withdrew. Harmon would withdraw after crashing during practice, and Hooper would withdraw after crashing in practice.

## Practice
### First practice

The first practice session was held on Friday, November 8, at 10:30 AM MST, and would last for 2 hours. Ryan Newman of Penske Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.074 and an average speed of 132.969 miles per hour (213.993 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford | 27.074 | 132.969 |
| 2 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 27.206 | 132.324 |
| 3 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 27.227 | 132.222 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Saturday, November 9, at 8:30 AM MST, and would last for 45 minutes. Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.860 and an average speed of 129.217 miles per hour (207.955 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.860 | 129.217 |
| 2 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 27.980 | 128.663 |
| 3 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 27.993 | 128.604 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Third and final practice

The third and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, November 9, at 10:15 AM MST, and would last for 45 minutes. Kenny Wallace of Bill Davis Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.004 and an average speed of 128.553 miles per hour (206.886 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 28.004 | 128.553 |
| 2 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 28.089 | 128.164 |
| 3 | 27 | Scott Wimmer | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 28.100 | 128.114 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Friday, November 8, at 3:05 PM MST. 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 champion 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 27.138 and an average speed of 132.655 miles per hour (213.488 km/h).
Six drivers would fail to qualify: Ted Musgrave, Jack Sprague, Brett Bodine, Jerry Robertson, Morgan Shepherd, and Jeff Jefferson.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford | 27.138 | 132.655 |
| 2 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 27.152 | 132.587 |
| 3 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 27.204 | 132.333 |
| 4 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.214 | 132.285 |
| 5 | 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 27.249 | 132.115 |
| 6 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 27.304 | 131.849 |
| 7 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.329 | 131.728 |
| 8 | 25 | Joe Nemechek | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.356 | 131.598 |
| 9 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 27.379 | 131.488 |
| 10 | 41 | Jimmy Spencer | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 27.384 | 131.464 |
| 11 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 27.393 | 131.420 |
| 12 | 40 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 27.409 | 131.344 |
| 13 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.462 | 131.090 |
| 14 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 27.465 | 131.076 |
| 15 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 27.474 | 131.033 |
| 16 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 27.478 | 131.014 |
| 17 | 44 | Christian Fittipaldi | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 27.479 | 131.009 |
| 18 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 27.480 | 131.004 |
| 19 | 27 | Scott Wimmer | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 27.492 | 130.947 |
| 20 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.493 | 130.942 |
| 21 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 27.493 | 130.942 |
| 22 | 83 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | FitzBradshaw Racing | Chevrolet | 27.493 | 130.942 |
| 23 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 27.502 | 130.900 |
| 24 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 27.512 | 130.852 |
| 25 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 27.521 | 130.809 |
| 26 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 27.521 | 130.809 |
| 27 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 27.545 | 130.695 |
| 28 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.562 | 130.615 |
| 29 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Ford | 27.579 | 130.534 |
| 30 | 26 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 27.594 | 130.463 |
| 31 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.606 | 130.406 |
| 32 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 27.607 | 130.402 |
| 33 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 27.625 | 130.317 |
| 34 | 4 | Mike Skinner | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.635 | 130.270 |
| 35 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 27.637 | 130.260 |
| 36 | 7 | Jason Leffler | Ultra Motorsports | Dodge | 27.645 | 130.223 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.674 | 130.086 |
| 38 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 27.758 | 129.692 |
| 39 | 30 | Jeff Green | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 27.848 | 129.273 |
| 40 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 27.781 | 129.585 |
| 41 | 14 | Mike Wallace | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 27.883 | 129.111 |
| 42 | 49 | Derrike Cope | BAM Racing | Dodge | 27.959 | 128.760 |
| 43 | 74 | Tony Raines | BACE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.730 | 129.823 |
| Failed to qualify or withdrew |||||||
| 44 | 07 | Ted Musgrave | Ultra Motorsports | Dodge | 27.746 | 129.748 |
| 45 | 60 | Jack Sprague | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | 27.830 | 129.357 |
| 46 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 27.848 | 129.273 |
| 47 | 51 | Jerry Robertson | Ware Racing Enterprises | Dodge | 28.074 | 128.232 |
| 48 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Ford | 28.183 | 127.737 |
| 49 | 37 | Jeff Jefferson | Quest Motor Racing | Pontiac | 28.361 | 126.935 |
| WD | 47 | Lance Hooper | Dark Horse Motorsports | Ford | - | - |
| WD | 93 | Mike Harmon | GIC Motorsports | Ford | | -- |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 28 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 312 | 55 | running | 180 | $211,895 |
| 2 | 29 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Ford | 312 | 0 | running | 170 | $163,825 |
| 3 | 4 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 312 | 16 | running | 170 | $152,328 |
| 4 | 7 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 312 | 2 | running | 165 | $129,218 |
| 5 | 3 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 312 | 105 | running | 160 | $97,850 |
| 6 | 13 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 312 | 117 | running | 160 | $76,500 |
| 7 | 5 | 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 312 | 1 | running | 151 | $86,400 |
| 8 | 16 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 312 | 0 | running | 142 | $101,178 |
| 9 | 27 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 312 | 0 | running | 138 | $89,100 |
| 10 | 15 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 312 | 0 | running | 134 | $76,650 |
| 11 | 6 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 312 | 0 | running | 130 | $57,000 |
| 12 | 20 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 312 | 0 | running | 127 | $93,267 |
| 13 | 24 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 312 | 0 | running | 124 | $92,117 |
| 14 | 2 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 312 | 0 | running | 121 | $77,783 |
| 15 | 37 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 312 | 1 | running | 123 | $51,325 |
| 16 | 23 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 312 | 1 | running | 120 | $73,825 |
| 17 | 25 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 311 | 0 | running | 112 | $88,653 |
| 18 | 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford | 311 | 14 | running | 114 | $69,950 |
| 19 | 26 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 311 | 0 | running | 106 | $85,450 |
| 20 | 38 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 311 | 0 | running | 103 | $56,975 |
| 21 | 32 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 311 | 0 | running | 100 | $75,675 |
| 22 | 30 | 26 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 311 | 0 | running | 97 | $71,262 |
| 23 | 10 | 41 | Jimmy Spencer | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 310 | 0 | running | 94 | $53,739 |
| 24 | 34 | 4 | Mike Skinner | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 310 | 0 | running | 91 | $45,100 |
| 25 | 11 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 310 | 0 | running | 88 | $52,875 |
| 26 | 31 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 310 | 0 | running | 85 | $73,883 |
| 27 | 9 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 310 | 0 | running | 82 | $70,481 |
| 28 | 41 | 14 | Mike Wallace | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 310 | 0 | running | 79 | $44,300 |
| 29 | 40 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 310 | 0 | running | 76 | $51,675 |
| 30 | 14 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 310 | 0 | running | 73 | $67,606 |
| 31 | 36 | 7 | Jason Leffler | Ultra Motorsports | Dodge | 309 | 0 | running | 70 | $40,925 |
| 32 | 18 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 309 | 0 | running | 67 | $40,775 |
| 33 | 8 | 25 | Joe Nemechek | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 309 | 0 | running | 64 | $48,650 |
| 34 | 35 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 309 | 0 | running | 61 | $48,525 |
| 35 | 39 | 30 | Jeff Green | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 307 | 0 | running | 58 | $40,400 |
| 36 | 22 | 83 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | FitzBradshaw Racing | Chevrolet | 307 | 0 | running | 55 | $40,275 |
| 37 | 21 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 306 | 0 | running | 52 | $48,150 |
| 38 | 42 | 49 | Derrike Cope | BAM Racing | Dodge | 302 | 0 | running | 49 | $40,025 |
| 39 | 33 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 269 | 0 | engine | 46 | $85,678 |
| 40 | 12 | 40 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 253 | 0 | crash | 43 | $82,067 |
| 41 | 17 | 44 | Christian Fittipaldi | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 252 | 0 | crash | 40 | $39,600 |
| 42 | 19 | 27 | Scott Wimmer | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 130 | 0 | crash | 37 | $39,475 |
| 43 | 43 | 74 | Tony Raines | BACE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 120 | 0 | engine | 34 | $39,593 |
| Failed to qualify or withdrew |||||||||||
| 44 | | 07 | Ted Musgrave | Ultra Motorsports | Dodge | | | | | |
| 45 | | 60 | Jack Sprague | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 46 | | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| 47 | | 51 | Jerry Robertson | Ware Racing Enterprises | Dodge | | | | | |
| 48 | | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Ford | | | | | |
| 49 | | 37 | Jeff Jefferson | Quest Motor Racing | Pontiac | | | | | |
| WD | | 47 | Lance Hooper | Dark Horse Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| WD | | 93 | Mike Harmon | GIC Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||