# 2003 Pennsylvania 500

The 2003 Pennsylvania 500 was the 20th stock car race of the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 31st iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, July 27, 2003, before a crowd of 100,000 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, at Pocono Raceway, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) triangular permanent course. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. At race's end, Ryan Newman of Penske Racing South would manage to hold off eventual-second-place finisher Kurt Busch of Roush Racing to win his fifth career NASCAR Winston Cup Series and his fourth win of the year. To fill out the podium, Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. would finish third.

## Background

The race was held at Pocono Raceway, which is a three-turn superspeedway located in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The track hosts two annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, as well as one Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series event. Until 2019, the track also hosted an IndyCar Series race.
Pocono Raceway is one of a very few NASCAR tracks not owned by either Speedway Motorsports, Inc. or International Speedway Corporation. It is operated by the Igdalsky siblings Brandon, Nicholas, and sister Ashley, and cousins Joseph IV and Chase Mattioli, all of whom are third-generation members of the family-owned Mattco Inc, started by Joseph II and Rose Mattioli.
Outside of the NASCAR races, the track is used throughout the year by Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and motorcycle clubs as well as racing schools and an IndyCar race. The triangular oval also has three separate infield sections of racetrack – North Course, East Course and South Course. Each of these infield sections use a separate portion of the tri-oval to complete the track. During regular non-race weekends, multiple clubs can use the track by running on different infield sections. Also some of the infield sections can be run in either direction, or multiple infield sections can be put together – such as running the North Course and the South Course and using the tri-oval to connect the two.

### Entry list

| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 0 | John Andretti | Haas CNC Racing | Pontiac | NetZero HiSpeed |
| 1 | Jeff Green | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Pennzoil |
| 01 | Mike Wallace | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | U.S. Army |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Dodge | Miller Lite |
| 4 | Brett Bodine | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Pontiac | Kodak EasyShare |
| 04 | ?* | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Pontiac | Kodak EasyShare |
| 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 Summer Sales Deal |
| 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | Valvoline |
| 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing South | Dodge | Mobil 1, Speedpass |
| 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 Summer Sales Deal |
| 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | The Home Depot |
| 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Motorcraft 700 Starts |
| 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 |
| 37 | Derrike Cope | Quest Motor Racing | Chevrolet | Friendly's |
| 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 | Christian Fittipaldi | 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 |
| 50 | Larry Foyt | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Dodge | Harrah's "Oh Yeah!" |
| 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 |
| 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Ford | Racing with Jesus |
| 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | Rubbermaid, Sharpie |
| 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | Citgo |
| Official entry list |||||
*Withdrew.

## Practice
### First practice

The first practice session was held on Friday, July 25, at 11:20 AM EST, and would last for 2 hours. Ryan Newman of Penske Racing South would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 53.224 and an average speed of 169.097 miles per hour (272.135 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 53.224 | 169.097 |
| 2 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 53.269 | 168.954 |
| 3 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 53.560 | 168.036 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Saturday, July 26, at 9:30 AM EST, and would last for 45 minutes. Tony Stewart of Joe Gibbs Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 54.251 and an average speed of 165.896 miles per hour (266.984 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 54.251 | 165.896 |
| 2 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 54.468 | 165.235 |
| 3 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 54.480 | 165.198 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Third and final practice

The third and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, July 26, at 11:15 AM EST, and would last for 45 minutes. Ryan Newman of Penske Racing South would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 53.224 and an average speed of 169.097 miles per hour (272.135 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 54.732 | 164.438 |
| 2 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 54.796 | 164.246 |
| 3 | 1 | Jeff Green | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 54.850 | 164.084 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Friday, July 25, 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.
Ryan Newman of Penske Racing South would win the pole, setting a time of 52.830 and an average speed of 170.358 miles per hour (274.165 km/h).
Brett Bodine would be the only driver to fail to qualify.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 52.830 | 170.358 |
| 2 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 52.997 | 169.821 |
| 3 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 53.177 | 169.246 |
| 4 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 53.276 | 168.932 |
| 5 | 0 | John Andretti | Haas CNC Racing | Pontiac | 53.278 | 168.925 |
| 6 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 53.331 | 168.757 |
| 7 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 53.346 | 168.710 |
| 8 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 53.371 | 168.631 |
| 9 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 53.403 | 168.530 |
| 10 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 53.445 | 168.397 |
| 11 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 53.478 | 168.294 |
| 12 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 53.479 | 168.290 |
| 13 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 53.532 | 168.124 |
| 14 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 53.546 | 168.080 |
| 15 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 53.546 | 168.080 |
| 16 | 30 | Steve Park | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 53.579 | 167.976 |
| 17 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 53.588 | 167.948 |
| 18 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 53.640 | 167.785 |
| 19 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 53.666 | 167.704 |
| 20 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 53.677 | 167.670 |
| 21 | 7 | Jimmy Spencer | Ultra Motorsports | Dodge | 53.691 | 167.626 |
| 22 | 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 53.694 | 167.617 |
| 23 | 54 | Todd Bodine | BelCar Racing | Ford | 53.711 | 167.563 |
| 24 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 53.746 | 167.454 |
| 25 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 53.748 | 167.448 |
| 26 | 25 | Joe Nemechek | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 53.770 | 167.380 |
| 27 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 53.774 | 167.367 |
| 28 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 53.802 | 167.280 |
| 29 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 53.812 | 167.249 |
| 30 | 74 | Tony Raines | BACE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 53.870 | 167.069 |
| 31 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 53.872 | 167.063 |
| 32 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Pontiac | 53.874 | 167.057 |
| 33 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 53.916 | 166.926 |
| 34 | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | 53.955 | 166.806 |
| 35 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 54.026 | 166.587 |
| 36 | 43 | Christian Fittipaldi | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 54.076 | 166.432 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 54.233 | 165.951 |
| 38 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 54.085 | 166.405 |
| 39 | 1 | Jeff Green | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 54.206 | 166.033 |
| 40 | 01 | Mike Wallace | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 54.559 | 164.959 |
| 41 | 37 | Derrike Cope | Quest Motor Racing | Chevrolet | 55.141 | 163.218 |
| 42 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Ford | 55.604 | 161.859 |
| 43 | 50 | Larry Foyt | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Dodge | 54.468 | 165.235 |
| Failed to qualify or withdrew |||||||
| 44 | 4 | Brett Bodine | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Pontiac | 54.274 | 165.825 |
| WD | 04 | ? | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Pontiac | — | — |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 200 | 88 | running | 185 | $180,575 |
| 2 | 13 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 200 | 1 | running | 175 | $152,695 |
| 3 | 18 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 200 | 25 | running | 170 | $131,037 |
| 4 | 17 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 200 | 18 | running | 165 | $94,355 |
| 5 | 6 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 155 | $100,581 |
| 6 | 19 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 200 | 17 | running | 155 | $97,107 |
| 7 | 26 | 25 | Joe Nemechek | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 146 | $65,190 |
| 8 | 23 | 54 | Todd Bodine | BelCar Racing | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 142 | $76,390 |
| 9 | 22 | 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 138 | $79,390 |
| 10 | 20 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 200 | 0 | running | 134 | $97,790 |
| 11 | 7 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 200 | 23 | running | 135 | $88,107 |
| 12 | 31 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 127 | $88,428 |
| 13 | 9 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 200 | 2 | running | 129 | $68,590 |
| 14 | 3 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 121 | $85,240 |
| 15 | 2 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 118 | $67,840 |
| 16 | 30 | 74 | Tony Raines | BACE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 115 | $47,490 |
| 17 | 11 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 200 | 0 | running | 112 | $85,123 |
| 18 | 37 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 109 | $74,977 |
| 19 | 38 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 200 | 0 | running | 106 | $81,896 |
| 20 | 29 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 200 | 1 | running | 108 | $78,265 |
| 21 | 8 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 100 | $91,168 |
| 22 | 21 | 7 | Jimmy Spencer | Ultra Motorsports | Dodge | 200 | 3 | running | 102 | $61,690 |
| 23 | 40 | 01 | Mike Wallace | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 199 | 0 | running | 94 | $59,765 |
| 24 | 36 | 43 | Christian Fittipaldi | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 199 | 0 | running | 91 | $83,893 |
| 25 | 16 | 30 | Steve Park | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 198 | 0 | running | 88 | $56,240 |
| 26 | 34 | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | 198 | 0 | running | 85 | $47,590 |
| 27 | 24 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 197 | 0 | running | 82 | $47,340 |
| 28 | 12 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 195 | 0 | running | 79 | $47,190 |
| 29 | 43 | 50 | Larry Foyt | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Dodge | 188 | 0 | running | 76 | $44,015 |
| 30 | 4 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 180 | 0 | engine | 73 | $89,448 |
| 31 | 39 | 1 | Jeff Green | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 180 | 0 | running | 70 | $71,402 |
| 32 | 28 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 178 | 0 | running | 67 | $51,954 |
| 33 | 5 | 0 | John Andretti | Haas CNC Racing | Pontiac | 176 | 0 | running | 64 | $44,265 |
| 34 | 35 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 170 | 0 | running | 61 | $51,165 |
| 35 | 10 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 164 | 8 | crash | 63 | $50,990 |
| 36 | 25 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 155 | 0 | crash | 55 | $90,168 |
| 37 | 33 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 153 | 14 | engine | 57 | $105,203 |
| 38 | 15 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 123 | 0 | crash | 49 | $50,500 |
| 39 | 27 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 121 | 0 | engine | 46 | $50,385 |
| 40 | 32 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Pontiac | 115 | 0 | engine | 43 | $50,230 |
| 41 | 14 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 74 | 0 | crash | 40 | $75,923 |
| 42 | 41 | 37 | Derrike Cope | Quest Motor Racing | Chevrolet | 66 | 0 | fuel pump | 37 | $42,000 |
| 43 | 42 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Ford | 44 | 0 | handling | 34 | $42,186 |
| Failed to qualify or withdrew |||||||||||
| 44 | | 4 | Brett Bodine | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Pontiac | | | | | |
| WD | | 04 | ? | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Pontiac | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||