# 2003 Dodge/Save Mart 350

The 2003 Dodge/Save Mart 350 was the 16th stock car race of the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 15th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 22, 2003, in Sonoma, California, at the club layout in Infineon Raceway, a 1.99 miles (3.20 km) permanent road course layout. The race took the scheduled 110 laps to complete. At race's end, Robby Gordon of Richard Childress Racing would win under caution, but not before making a controversial pass racing back to the line against eventual third-place finisher, teammate Kevin Harvick on lap 71 that sealed Gordon's victory. The win was Gordon's second career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his first of the season. To fill out the podium, Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports would finish second.
That was first race when NEXTEL became the new title sponsor starting in next season.

## Background

Infineon Raceway is one of two road courses to hold NASCAR races, the other being Watkins Glen International. The standard road course at Infineon Raceway is a 12-turn course that is 2.52 miles (4.06 km) long; the track was modified in 1998, adding the Chute, which bypassed turns 5 and 6, shortening the course to 1.95 miles (3.14 km). The Chute was only used for NASCAR events such as this race, and was criticized by many drivers, who preferred the full layout. In 2001, it was replaced with a 70-degree turn, 4A, bringing the track to its current dimensions of 1.99 miles (3.20 km).

### Entry list

| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 0 | Jack Sprague | Haas CNC Racing | Pontiac | NetZero HiSpeed |
| 00 | Jim Inglebright | Bill McAnally Racing | Chevrolet | Big O Tires, Jelly Belly |
| 1 | Ron Fellows | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Pennzoil |
| 01 | Boris Said | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | U.S. Army |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Dodge | Miller Lite |
| 02 | Brandon Ash | Ash Motorsports | Ford | Ash Motorsports |
| 4 | Johnny Miller | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Pontiac | Kodak |
| 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 |
| 09 | Scott Pruett | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Target |
| 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | Valvoline |
| 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing | Dodge | Alltel |
| 14 | P. J. Jones | 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 Lighting Solutions! |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | DeWalt |
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | Interstate Batteries |
| 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 |
| 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, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle |
| 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Pontiac | Tide |
| 33 | Paul Menard | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Menards, Turtle Wax |
| 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 | Brawny, Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
| 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | BAM Racing |
| 54 | Todd Bodine | BelCar Racing | Ford | National Guard |
| 66 | Hideo Fukuyama | BelCar Racing | Ford | Kikkoman |
| 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
### First practice

The first practice would occur on Friday, June 20, at 11:20 AM PST, and would last for two hours. Boris Said of MB2 Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:17.264 and an average speed of 92.721 miles per hour (149.220 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 01 | Boris Said | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 1:17.264 | 92.721 |
| 2 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 1:17.284 | 92.697 |
| 3 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 1:17.322 | 92.652 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice would occur on Saturday, June 21, at 9:30 AM PST and would last for 45 minutes. Kurt Busch of Roush Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:17.622 and an average speed of 92.293 miles per hour (148.531 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 1:17.622 | 92.293 |
| 2 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1:17.765 | 92.124 |
| 3 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1:17.788 | 92.096 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Third and final practice

The third and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, would occur on Saturday, June 21, at 11:10 AM PST and would last for 45 minutes. Boris Said of MB2 Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:17.265 and an average speed of 92.720 miles per hour (149.218 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 01 | Boris Said | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 1:17.265 | 92.720 |
| 2 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 1:17.331 | 92.641 |
| 3 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 1:17.338 | 92.632 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Friday, June 20, at 3:05 PM PST. Drivers would each have one lap to set a lap time. 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.
Boris Said of MB2 Motorsports would win the pole, setting a time of 1:16.522 and an average speed of 93.620 miles per hour (150.667 km/h).
Two incidents would occur during the session. First, Jimmie Johnson would spin in Turn 10, forcing him to use a provisional. Then, Ricky Craven would blow an engine, also forcing him to use a provisional.
Four drivers would fail to qualify: P. J. Jones, Paul Menard, Jim Inglebright, and Brandon Ash.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 01 | Boris Said | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 1:16.522 | 93.620 |
| 2 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 1:16.816 | 93.262 |
| 3 | 1 | Ron Fellows | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 1:16.972 | 93.073 |
| 4 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 1:17.133 | 92.879 |
| 5 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 1:17.133 | 92.879 |
| 6 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 1:17.165 | 92.840 |
| 7 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 1:17.180 | 92.822 |
| 8 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1:17.198 | 92.800 |
| 9 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 1:17.255 | 92.732 |
| 10 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 1:17.310 | 92.666 |
| 11 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 1:17.414 | 92.541 |
| 12 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 1:17.488 | 92.453 |
| 13 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 1:17.510 | 92.427 |
| 14 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 1:17.587 | 92.335 |
| 15 | 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 1:17.603 | 92.316 |
| 16 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 1:17.622 | 92.293 |
| 17 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 1:17.701 | 92.200 |
| 18 | 09 | Scott Pruett | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 1:17.719 | 92.178 |
| 19 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 1:17.776 | 92.111 |
| 20 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 1:17.808 | 92.073 |
| 21 | 25 | Joe Nemechek | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1:17.851 | 92.022 |
| 22 | 54 | Todd Bodine | BelCar Motorsports | Ford | 1:17.884 | 91.983 |
| 23 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1:17.945 | 91.911 |
| 24 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 1:18.015 | 91.828 |
| 25 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 1:18.036 | 91.804 |
| 26 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 1:18.142 | 91.679 |
| 27 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 1:18.147 | 91.673 |
| 28 | 0 | Jack Sprague | Haas CNC Racing | Pontiac | 1:18.233 | 91.573 |
| 29 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 1:18.286 | 91.511 |
| 30 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 1:18.305 | 91.488 |
| 31 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 1:18.333 | 91.456 |
| 32 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 1:18.334 | 91.454 |
| 33 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 1:18.391 | 91.388 |
| 34 | 74 | Tony Raines | BACE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1:18.439 | 91.332 |
| 35 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 1:18.621 | 91.121 |
| 36 | 4 | Johnny Miller | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Pontiac | 1:18.679 | 91.053 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1:36.655 | 74.119 |
| 38 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Pontiac | — | — |
| 39 | 7 | Jimmy Spencer | Ultra Motorsports | Dodge | 1:18.892 | 90.808 |
| 40 | 30 | Steve Park | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 1:19.698 | 89.889 |
| 41 | 43 | Christian Fittipaldi | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 1:18.688 | 91.043 |
| 42 | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | 1:20.589 | 88.896 |
| 43 | 66 | Hideo Fukuyama | BelCar Racing | Ford | 1:20.284 | 89.233 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 14 | P. J. Jones | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Dodge | 1:18.926 | 90.769 |
| 45 | 33 | Paul Menard | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 1:19.656 | 89.937 |
| 46 | 00 | Jim Inglebright | Bill McAnally Racing | Chevrolet | 1:20.451 | 89.048 |
| 47 | 02 | Brandon Ash | Ash Motorsports | Ford | 1:19.205 | 90.449 |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 2 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 110 | 81 | running | 185 | $204,512 |
| 2 | 8 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 110 | 0 | running | 170 | $143,203 |
| 3 | 6 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 110 | 0 | running | 165 | $119,128 |
| 4 | 12 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 110 | 0 | running | 160 | $119,748 |
| 5 | 13 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 110 | 0 | running | 155 | $101,140 |
| 6 | 1 | 01 | Boris Said | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 110 | 1 | running | 155 | $90,990 |
| 7 | 3 | 1 | Ron Fellows | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 110 | 21 | running | 151 | $92,927 |
| 8 | 7 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 110 | 0 | running | 142 | $99,482 |
| 9 | 14 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 110 | 0 | running | 138 | $105,223 |
| 10 | 31 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 110 | 0 | running | 134 | $80,335 |
| 11 | 11 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 110 | 0 | running | 130 | $100,292 |
| 12 | 10 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 110 | 0 | running | 127 | $110,988 |
| 13 | 20 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 110 | 0 | running | 124 | $75,950 |
| 14 | 4 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 110 | 0 | running | 121 | $78,975 |
| 15 | 9 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 110 | 0 | running | 118 | $84,825 |
| 16 | 19 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 110 | 0 | running | 115 | $93,406 |
| 17 | 37 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 110 | 0 | running | 112 | $75,630 |
| 18 | 27 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 110 | 0 | running | 109 | $99,775 |
| 19 | 17 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 110 | 0 | running | 106 | $93,208 |
| 20 | 26 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 110 | 0 | running | 103 | $62,525 |
| 21 | 38 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Pontiac | 110 | 0 | running | 100 | $80,050 |
| 22 | 24 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 110 | 0 | running | 97 | $93,125 |
| 23 | 22 | 54 | Todd Bodine | BelCar Motorsports | Ford | 110 | 0 | running | 94 | $70,125 |
| 24 | 36 | 4 | Johnny Miller | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Pontiac | 110 | 0 | running | 91 | $66,939 |
| 25 | 23 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 110 | 0 | running | 88 | $84,886 |
| 26 | 33 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 110 | 0 | running | 85 | $66,300 |
| 27 | 35 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 110 | 0 | running | 82 | $66,160 |
| 28 | 5 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 110 | 0 | running | 79 | $75,255 |
| 29 | 30 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 110 | 0 | running | 76 | $58,035 |
| 30 | 25 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 109 | 7 | running | 78 | $84,745 |
| 31 | 34 | 74 | Tony Raines | BACE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 109 | 0 | running | 70 | $54,925 |
| 32 | 15 | 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 109 | 0 | running | 67 | $62,865 |
| 33 | 42 | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | 109 | 0 | running | 64 | $55,745 |
| 34 | 18 | 09 | Scott Pruett | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 109 | 0 | running | 61 | $54,825 |
| 35 | 21 | 25 | Joe Nemechek | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 109 | 0 | running | 58 | $54,805 |
| 36 | 39 | 7 | Jimmy Spencer | Ultra Motorsports | Dodge | 109 | 0 | running | 55 | $54,785 |
| 37 | 32 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 106 | 0 | out of gas | 52 | $54,765 |
| 38 | 16 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 102 | 0 | running | 49 | $88,162 |
| 39 | 28 | 0 | Jack Sprague | Haas CNC Racing | Pontiac | 95 | 0 | running | 46 | $54,720 |
| 40 | 41 | 43 | Christian Fittipaldi | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 86 | 0 | transmission | 43 | $90,463 |
| 41 | 40 | 30 | Steve Park | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 85 | 0 | crash | 40 | $62,650 |
| 42 | 29 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 83 | 0 | transmission | 37 | $100,403 |
| 43 | 43 | 66 | Hideo Fukuyama | BelCar Racing | Ford | 68 | 0 | rear end | 34 | $54,829 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 14 | P. J. Jones | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Dodge | | | | | |
| 45 | | 33 | Paul Menard | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 46 | | 00 | Jim Inglebright | Bill McAnally Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 47 | | 02 | Brandon Ash | Ash Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||