2003 Subway 400

Second stock car race of the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series February 2019 February 2019 NASWINSTON Subway 400 2003 Subway 400 https://www.racing-reference.info/race/2003_Subway_400/W live https://web.archive.org/web/20190214061503/https://www.racing-reference.info/race/2003_Subway_400/W February 14, 2019 February 12, 2019 Racing-ReferenceThe Race: Subway 400 http://www.jayski.com/next/2003/2003rockingham1.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/20050204153500/http://www.jayski.com/next/2003/2003rockingham1.htm February 4, 2005 May 4, 2015 Jayski's Silly Season Site ESPN Internet Ventures 2003 02 23 2003 2 36 Rockingham Speedway.svg Layout of North Carolina Speedway Rockingham, North Carolina 1.017 1.637 393 399.681 643.224 117.852 mph km/h on 40,000 Dave Blaney Jasper Motorsports 23.669 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing 182 88 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Fox Broadcasting Company Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds 6.3/13 (Overnight)2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series TV Ratings http://www.jayski.com/pages/tvratings2003.htm Jayski's Silly Season Site ESPN Internet Ventures December 22, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20050207192126/http://www.jayski.com/pages/tvratings2003.htm February 7, 2005 North Carolina Speedway The 2003 Subway 400 was the second stock car race of the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series. It was held on February 23, in Rockingham, North Carolina at North Carolina Speedway. 40,000 spectators attended the event. Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett won the 393-lap race starting from 9th-place. Roush Racing teammates Kurt Busch and Matt Kenseth finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Dave Blaney won the first pole position of his career by posting the fastest lap in qualifying. He led the first eight laps before Mark Martin passed him on lap nine. Ricky Craven took the lead eight laps later, which he lost to Rusty Wallace on lap 27. Wallace led four times for a total of 182 laps, more than any other driver. On lap 220, Busch became the leader, holding the position for a total of four times over 149 laps. He was passed by Jarrett on the 384th lap. Busch retook the position five laps later before Jarrett reclaimed first place on lap 390. He maintained it for the rest of the race to win. There were seven yellow caution flags and twenty lead changes among eleven different drivers. It was Jarrett's second victory at North Carolina Speedway, and the 31st of his career. The result advanced him from 10th to 2nd in the Drivers' Championship, 31 points behind Busch. The latter took the points lead after Michael Waltrip finished in 19th place; this dropped Waltrip to fifth, 15 points behind Martin. The lead of the Manufacturers' Championship changed from Chevrolet to Ford. Pontiac passed Dodge for third with 34 races left in the season. Background 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series#Teams and drivers left|thumb|North Carolina Speedway (pictured in 2012), where the race was held The 2003 Subway 400 was the second of thirty-six scheduled stock car races of the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series. It was held on February 23, in Rockingham, North Carolina, at North Carolina Speedway. The Winston Cup Series first came to North Carolina Speedway late in the 1965 season and it hosted two events on the series calendar.https://goldmine.uncc.edu/islandora/object/motorsports%3A5122 Rockingham Speedway University of North Carolina at Charlotte https://archive.today/20190212173140/https://goldmine.uncc.edu/islandora/object/motorsports%253A5122 February 12, 2019 live February 12, 2019 mdy-allhttp://www.foxsports.com/nascar/shake-and-bake/story/rockingham-speedway-condition-former-racetrack-sprint-cup-xfinity-camping-world-truck-090815 You won't believe how The Rock looks these days September 8, 2015 Fox Sports https://web.archive.org/web/20170404232850/http://www.foxsports.com/nascar/shake-and-bake/story/rockingham-speedway-condition-former-racetrack-sprint-cup-xfinity-camping-world-truck-090815 April 4, 2017 live February 12, 2019 The track at North Carolina Speedway is a 1.017 mi km on four-turn D-shaped oval. Its turns are banked between 22 and 25 degrees; both the front stretch and the back stretch are banked at eight degrees.http://premium.nascar.com/TRACKS/northcarolina/ NASCAR Tracks – North Carolina Speedway NASCAR https://web.archive.org/web/20041022023008/http://premium.nascar.com/TRACKS/northcarolina/ October 22, 2004 dead February 12, 2019https://www.wral.com/news/local/story/1885014/ Rockingham Speedway Purchased for $4 Million October 2, 2007 November 27, 2019 WRAL-TV September 2, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200902065030/https://www.wral.com/news/local/story/1885014/ live Before the race, Michael Waltrip led the Drivers' Championship with 185 points, with Kurt Busch in second place with 170 points. Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick were third and fourth with 170 and 160 points respectively. Mark Martin in fifth had 155 points. Rounding out the top ten were Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon, Jeremy Mayfield, Mike Wallace, and Dale Jarrett.Drivers' Championship Classification http://www.jayski.com/stats/2003standings/feb16.htm Jayski's Silly Season Site ESPN Internet Ventures February 17, 2003 May 4, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20081202062327/http://www.jayski.com/stats/2003standings/feb16.htm December 2, 2008 In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet led with nine points, three points ahead of Ford in the second position. Third-placed Dodge, with four points, was one point ahead of Pontiac in fourth.Manufacturers' Championship Classification http://www.jayski.com/stats/2003/manu2003.htm Jayski's Silly Season Site ESPN Internet Ventures November 29, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20050204084345/http://www.jayski.com/stats/2003/manu2003.htm February 4, 2005 dead Matt Kenseth was the race's defending champion.http://www.racing-reference.info/race/2002_Subway_400/W 2002 Subway 400 Racing-Reference May 4, 2015 April 18, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150418183409/http://www.racing-reference.info/race/2002_Subway_400/W live The Subway 400 was the first round of the 2003 season to be held without the use of restrictor plates.http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-hinton21feb21,0,4766867.column?coll=sfla-sports-front Between a 'Rock' and a hard place Hinton Ed February 21, 2003 Sun-Sentinel February 12, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20030303233025/http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-hinton21feb21,0,4766867.column?coll=sfla-sports-front March 3, 2003 deadhttp://www.fayettevillenc.com/story.php?Template=motorsports&Story=5488545 NASCAR teams settle in at 'The Rock' Pope Thomas February 21, 2003 The Fayetteville Observer February 12, 2019 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20030313133343/http://www.fayettevillenc.com/story.php?Template=motorsports&Story=5488545 March 13, 2003 NASCAR retained a regulation it instituted at the season-opening Daytona 500 held one week earlier. A race slowed by a yellow caution flag with five or fewer laps to run would not recommence.http://www.thatsracin.com/mld/thatsracin/5246297.htm Mandatory caution coming at 45-lap mark Utter Jim February 23, 2003 The Charlotte Observer November 27, 2019 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20030805013655/http://www.thatsracin.com/mld/thatsracin/5246297.htm August 5, 2003 Practice and qualifying thumb|right|upright|Dave Blaney (pictured in 2007) had the first pole position of his career. Three practice sessions were scheduled before the Sunday race—one on Friday and two on Saturday. The first session lasted 120 minutes, and the final two sessions were due to run for 45 and 40 minutes, respectively. Wind, rain and a tornado alert cancelled the Saturday morning practice sessions. In the first practice session, Ryan Newman was the fastest driver with a lap of 23.525 seconds. Ken Schrader, Joe Nemechek, Martin, Busch, Jerry Nadeau, Mike Skinner, Ward Burton, Mayfield and Jamie McMurray were in positions two to ten.Practice One Speeds http://www.nascar.com/races/wc/2003/2/data/practice1_speeds.html NASCAR Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. February 21, 2003 May 4, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20050913000815/http://www.nascar.com/races/wc/2003/2/data/practice1_speeds.html September 13, 2005 A forecast of rain later on Friday caused teams to concentrate on race setup during practice.Coble Don Dave Blaney wins the pole for Subway 400 http://augustachronicle.com/stories/022203/nas_047-4646.001.shtml The Augusta Chronicle Morris News Service February 22, 2003 May 4, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20030421164319/http://augustachronicle.com/stories/022203/nas_047-4646.001.shtml April 21, 2003 dead A total of 43 drivers entered the qualifying session on Friday afternoon.http://www.nascar.com/races/wc/2003/2/data/qual_order.html Qualifying Order February 21, 2003 NASCAR Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. dead https://web.archive.org/web/20030416175211/http://www.nascar.com/races/wc/2003/2/data/qual_order.html April 16, 2003 May 4, 2015 mdy-all Each driver ran two timed laps to determine pole position to 36th. The remainder of the field qualified through the use of provisionals.http://www.jayski.com/stats/2003/2003prov.htm 2003 Winston Cup Provisional Page and Owners Points May 12, 2003 Jayski's Silly Season Site ESPN Internet Ventures dead https://web.archive.org/web/20050204083118/http://www.jayski.com/stats/2003/2003prov.htm February 4, 2005 December 4, 2019 Rain delayed qualifying for an hour and 15 minutes; because some teams concentrated on car setups, it created a mixed starting order.Caraviello David Blaney claims first career pole http://charleston.net/stories/022203/spo_22rocklede.shtml The Post and Courier February 22, 2003 February 12, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20030227231003/http://www.charleston.net/stories/022203/spo_22rocklede.shtml February 27, 2003 dead mdy-all In his 113th race, Dave Blaney took his first career pole position, with a time of 23.669 seconds, and Jasper Motorsports' first since the 1994 season.http://www.fayettevillenc.com/story.php?Template=motorsports&Story=5490408 Blaney wins Subway 400 pole on a wet day Pope Thomas February 22, 2003 The Fayetteville Observer February 12, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20030318060348/http://www.fayettevillenc.com/story.php?Template=motorsports&Story=5490408 March 18, 2003 dead He was joined on the grid's front row by Johnny Benson Jr., who was two-hundredths of a second slower. Martin qualified third, Sterling Marlin fourth, and Bill Elliott fifth. Ricky Craven, McMurray, Wallace, Dale Jarrett and Bobby Labonte rounded out the top ten qualifiers.http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/nascar/5222/ Blaney Gains First Career Pole at Rockingham Blake Ben February 21, 2003 Speed dead https://web.archive.org/web/20030410043557/http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/nascar/5222/ April 10, 2003 February 12, 2019 During the session, a fuel line detached from Newman's carburetor on his first lap. Nadeau lost control of his car during his second lap. Jeff Burton set no qualifying lap due to a pirouette after he spun his rear tires, and had an accident against a barrier.http://www.thatsracin.com/mld/thatsracin/5234961.htm Blaney scores first Cup pole on a rainy day at Rockingham Poole David February 21, 2003 The Charlotte Observer February 12, 2019 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20040306091649/http://www.thatsracin.com/mld/thatsracin/5234961.htm March 6, 2004 Once qualifying had concluded, Blaney said, "This was a new type of car and we hadn't done any testing with it. We didn't know what to expect. But it was really good from the start. Winning the pole only made it better." Qualifying results GridCar Car number Driver Team Manufacturer Time Time in seconds Speed Speed in MPH 1 77Dave BlaneyJasper MotorsportsFord 23.669154.683 2 10Johnny Benson Jr.MBV MotorsportsPontiac 23.689154.553 3 6Mark MartinRoush Racing Ford 23.708154.429 4 40Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge 23.709154.422 5 9Bill ElliottEvernham Motorsports Dodge 23.710154.416 6 32Ricky CravenPPI Motorsports Pontiac 23.716154.377 7 42Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge 23.731154.279 8 2Rusty WallacePenske Racing Dodge 23.743152.201 9 88Dale JarrettRobert Yates Racing Ford 23.746154.182 10 18Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet 23.767154.046 11 38Elliott Sadler Robert Yates Racing Ford 23.768154.039 12 8Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet 23.769154.033 13 16Greg Biffle Roush Racing Ford 23.787153.916 14 25Joe NemechekHendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 23.792153.884 15 22Ward BurtonBill Davis Racing Dodge 23.802153.819 16 41Casey Mears Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge 23.821153.696 17 23Kenny Wallace Bill Davis Racing Dodge 23.823153.683 18 17Matt Kenseth Roush Racing Ford 23.845153.542 19 31Robby GordonRichard Childress Racing Chevrolet 23.850153.509 20 4Mike SkinnerMorgan-McClure Motorsports Pontiac 23.856153.471 21 12Ryan Newman Penske Racing Dodge 23.861153.439 22 15Michael Waltrip Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet 23.877153.336 23 24Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 23.881153.310 24 01Jerry Nadeau MB2 Motorsports Pontiac 23.924153.035 25 1Steve ParkDale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet 23.926153.022 26 29Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 23.936152.958 27 97Kurt Busch Roush Racing Ford 23.940152.932 28 21Ricky RuddWood Brothers Racing Ford 23.959152.811 29 19Jeremy Mayfield Evernham Motorsports Dodge 23.961152.798 30 45Kyle PettyPetty Enterprises Dodge 23.962152.792 31 5Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 23.968152.754 32 43John Andretti Petty Enterprises Dodge 23.972152.728 33 20Tony Stewart Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet 23.974152.715 34 0Jack SpragueHaas CNC Racing Pontiac 23.990152.614 35 49Ken SchraderBAM Racing Dodge 23.991152.602 36 7Jimmy SpencerUltra Motorsports Dodge 23.999152.556 37 48Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Provisional 38 99Jeff Burton Roush Racing Ford Provisional 39 30Jeff Green Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Provisional 40 54Todd BodineBelCar Motorsports Ford Provisional 41 14Larry FoytA. J. Foyt Racing Dodge Provisional 42 74Tony RainesBACE Motorsports Chevrolet Provisional 43 37Derrike CopeQuest Motor Racing Chevrolet ProvisionalSources:Bud Pole qualifying results – Subway 400 https://www.crash.net/nascar/news/87168/1/bud-pole-qualifying-results-subway-400 Crash February 21, 2003 November 27, 2019 live September 2, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200902085108/https://www.crash.net/nascar/news/87168/1/bud-pole-qualifying-results-subway-400 Race The 393-lap race commenced at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, and was televised live in the United States on Fox.2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Schedule http://www.jayski.com/pages/2003wc_sched.htm Jayski's Silly Season Site ESPN Internet Ventures January 20, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20051116082526/http://www.jayski.com/pages/2003wc_sched.htm November 16, 2005 dead Around the start of the race, weather conditions were sunny and cold with blustery winds;Long Dustin No I in team, but Jarrett in Victory Lane http://www1.roanoke.com/sports/racing/8267.html The Roanoke Times February 24, 2003 February 12, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20030421155145/http://www1.roanoke.com/sports/racing/8267.html April 21, 2003 dead the ambient temperature ranged between 54 - 55 F C and the track temperature at 78 F C. Jim Ritter, pastor of the Marston Baptist Church in Marston, North Carolina, began pre-race ceremonies with an invocation. Members of the ECU and the Carolina Marching Band performed the national anthem, and the race's sponsor spokesperson Clay Henry commanded the drivers to start their engines.NASCAR on Fox Television production Rockingham, North Carolina February 23, 2003 Jet dryers were deployed to clean the track and remove paper debris. NASCAR announced a competition caution would occur on lap 45 due to the previous day's rainfall, meaning drivers would be required to make mandatory pit stops to evaluate their car's performance. left|thumb|upright|Rusty Wallace (pictured in 1998) led the most laps of any driver with 182. Blaney led the opening eight laps before Martin passed him on the ninth lap.Cady Matthew Dale Jarrett wins at 'The Rock' http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Articles/022403Cady.asp SpeedwayMedia February 24, 2003 February 12, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20030401064639/http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Articles/022403Cady.asp April 1, 2003 dead Jeff Gordon made contact with Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car on the 12th lap, pushing a chunk of sheet metal into Earnhardt's front-left tire, and causing it to rub onto it.Sims Neal Jarrett beats Busch with thrilling run to the finish http://www.al.com/motorsports/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/sports/104608175547180.xml The Birmingham News February 24, 2003 February 13, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20030421161914/http://www.al.com/motorsports/birminghamnews/index.ssf?%2Fxml%2Fstory.ssf%2Fhtml_standard.xsl%3F%2Fbase%2Fsports%2F104608175547180.xml April 21, 2003 dead mdy-all On lap 17, Craven passed Martin to take the lead. McMurray and Nemechek made contact with each other around the 23rd lap, causing the latter's right front fender to detach, possibly from the collision. Craven lost the first position to Rusty Wallace on the 27th lap. Six laps later, Tony Raines cut a tire and collided with a wall; series officials did not wave a yellow caution flag. It later came on the 44th lap as Earnhardt's left-rear tire burst.https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/2003-02-23-rockingham-final_x.htm Jarrett outduels Busch to win at Rockingham Jenkins Chris February 23, 2003 USA Today February 13, 2019 live https://archive.today/20190213132118/https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/2003-02-23-rockingham-final_x.htm February 13, 2019 Hembree Mike mdy-all During the caution, Earnhardt made five pit stops since his vehicle had a rubber strip lodged in its front left rotor and possibly the suspension. Additionally, Gordon damaged his car's right-front corner against the pit barrier. Rusty Wallace continued to lead the field at the lap 55 restart. Todd Bodine cut his right front tire on lap 88, and collided with a barrier exiting turn two, bringing out the second caution. The caution remained out for five laps. Kyle Petty and Martin led one and three laps, respectively. Rusty Wallace led the field back to racing speeds at the restart on the 93rd lap. On lap 107, Jack Sprague hit the rear of Kenny Wallace's vehicle leaving the second turn. Kenny Wallace spun towards the outside pit road wall, and damaged the right front of his car, prompting the third caution. The five-lap caution had Rusty Wallace retain the first position; he continued to pace the field as Earnhardt, on lap 122, hit the left rear of Nadeau's vehicle and caused the latter to spin. Mayfield slowed in response and John Andretti struck his car, triggering the fourth caution. Martin led from the 124th to 126th laps. Green flag racing resumed on the 127th lap with Rusty Wallace leading; he maintained it for the next 48 laps. A fifth caution came out when Earnhardt spun on lap 174; Stewart hit the rear of Petty's slower car, causing damage to both of Stewart's front fenders. thumb|upright|Dale Jarrett took his 31st career victory and his second at North Carolina Speedway.|alt= Martin took the lead on lap 175 and held it at the resumption of racing on lap 178. Rusty Wallace overtook Martin for first place on lap 179. Busch passed Rusty Wallace for the first position on the 220th lap. During laps 240 and 252, several teams elected to make green-flag pit stops. Busch maintained the first position during this period and at the lap 253 restart. Kenseth took the lead on lap 255. He held it until Marlin took the position and led laps 258 to 260 before Busch returned to first place. On lap 275, the sixth caution came out as Earnhardt spun again. Mayfield was possibly hit by Jeff Burton and stalled after contact with a wall. Kurt Busch maintained the first position at the lap 292 restart and the next seven laps. On lap 298, Gordon hit the rear of Earnhardt's car, sending him spinning into the frontstretch grass, and causing the final caution. The majority of drivers made pit stops during the caution. Labonte moved into the lead on lap 300 and led at the lap 303 restart.Montgomery Lee Notebook: Subway 400 http://www.nascar.com/2003/news/headlines/wc/02/24/rockingham_notebook/index.html NASCAR February 24, 2003 February 13, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20030226102612/http://www.nascar.com/2003/news/headlines/wc/02/24/rockingham_notebook/index.html February 26, 2003 dead mdy-all Jeff Burton passed Labonte to assume the lead on the next lap. Six laps later, Busch got ahead of Jeff Burton to retake the first position. During the last 30 laps, Busch and second-placed Jarrett negotiated slower traffic, as Busch led for much of that period in time and Jarrett was close by him.http://www.accessatlanta.com/coxnet/nascar/text/0222_rockingham.html Jarrett Outfoxes Busch at Rockingham Minter Rick February 23, 2003 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution February 13, 2019 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20030402100549/http://www.accessatlanta.com/coxnet/nascar/text/0222_rockingham.html April 2, 2003 On lap 383, Jarrett drew alongside Busch and provided him with little space between his car and the backstretch wall. Busch lost control of his car and Jarrett advanced to first place on the 384th lap. Jarrett was delayed by Sprague's lapped car on lap 387. Busch then overtook Jarrett to move into first place on the outside two laps later. Jarrett retook the lead on lap 390, making the pass on the approach to turn four.Fofaria Ruben Jarrett rocks on: Veteran holds off young gun in tense duel http://newsobserver.com/sports/story/2238432p-2109686c.html The News & Observer February 24, 2003 February 13, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20030307093954/http://newsobserver.com/sports/story/2238432p-2109686c.html March 7, 2003 dead Busch was unable to continue the challenge for the victory because he had worn out his rear tires in the process. Jarrett held the first position through slower traffic during the last four laps to claim his second win at North Carolina Speedway, and the 31st of his career.Pearce Al Jarrett wins at the Rock: Will it be the last NASCAR spring race held there? http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat_code=motorsportsnews&loc_code=index&content_code=04570972 Autoweek February 23, 2003 February 12, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20030623172518/http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat_code=motorsportsnews&loc_code=index&content_code=04570972 June 23, 2003 dead This extended Jarrett's run of winning at least one race every year to eleven. Busch finished second, Kenseth third, Craven fourth, and McMurray fifth. Rusty Wallace, Martin, Johnson, Elliott Sadler and Blaney rounded out the top ten finishers. There were a total of seven yellow caution flags, lasting a cumulative total of 46 laps. There were 20 lead changes; 11 drivers lead at least one lap during the race. Rusty Wallace's 182 laps lead was the most of any competitor. Jarrett led twice for a total of nine laps. Post-race Jarrett appeared in Victory Lane to celebrate his 31st career win in front of the crowd of 40,000 people; the win earned him $167,050. Sadler tested at the track beforehand and provided Jarrett with a suspension setup for his teammate's car. Jarrett's crew chief Brad Parrott stated the close collaboration between the two would help Robert Yates Racing achieve more success during the year. Jarrett also dedicated the victory to the "older generation" and said he was confident he could challenge them, "Those [young] guys are really talented and are getting some well-deserved attention. But [the veterans are] giving them a race, and I think that we can." Busch commented on his second consecutive second-place finish of 2003: "This one is much more difficult to swallow than the [Daytona] race. We had a great run today. I'm real upset we didn't win. I would have loved to have gotten off to Victory Lane so early in the year." Third-placed Kenseth said he was happy with the work his team put in for the event and hailed his car's performance, "I'm real happy finishing third. I think we had a car that definitely could have contended for the win, we were just a little too far behind on the last restart and was a little too loose that last run to be able to get up there, but it was a great day for us."http://www.fordracing.com/news/?article=21464&flashcheck=1 Ford Cars Takes Top 3 At The Rock February 23, 2003 Ford Racing https://web.archive.org/web/20030628005039/http://www.fordracing.com/news/?article=21464&flashcheck=1 June 28, 2003 dead February 13, 2019 Rusty Wallace described his car as "a damn bullet" when he was leading and said, "About three-quarters of the way through the race, I could see the track getting real black. I had the thing really turning good. It just got too free on me. It got so loose you could hardly touch the throttle."http://www.nascar.com/2003/news/headlines/wc/02/23/rwallace_fades/index.html Strong run ends without victory for Wallace Montgomery Lee February 24, 2003 NASCAR https://web.archive.org/web/20030225023944/http://www.nascar.com/2003/news/headlines/wc/02/23/rwallace_fades/index.html February 25, 2003 dead February 13, 2019 Earnhardt said he acknowledged Jeff Gordon's car hitting him was unintentional; he described his car's handling afterward as causing tire damage and rubbing that caused its failure, "The car would just get loose, really loose. It would just snap out from under me, and that's why I spun a couple of times. It felt to me like it was going to crash or spin out on every lap." McMurray said he believed his fifth-place result increased his confidence with his crew chief Donnie Wingo, "I think it makes me feel good. I had to work with three crew chiefs last year. Coming in I didn't even know Donnie (Wingo). I was a little bit nervous about that, and (journalists) would just tear me up if I didn't do well." The result promoted Busch to the lead of the Drivers' Championship with 345 points. Jarrett's victory advanced him from tenth to second as he had a total of 314 points. Johnson maintained the third position with 312 points, as Martin moved to fourth with 306 points. Waltrip dropped to fifth, and Kenseth stood in sixth place. Burton, Craven, Stewart were seventh to ninth. Harvick, Rusty Wallace, and Rudd tied for tenth position. In the Manufacturers' Championship, Ford took the lead with 15 points, three points ahead of Chevrolet in the second position. Pontiac, with nine points, was one point in front of Dodge in fourth place with thirty-four races left in the season. The race took three hours, 23 minutes and 29 seconds to complete, and the margin of victory was 0.966 seconds. Race results Pos Position Car Car number Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Laps completed Points 1 88 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Ford 3931801 2 97 Kurt Busch Roush Racing Ford 3931751 3 17 Matt Kenseth Roush Racing Ford 3931701 4 32 Ricky Craven PPI Motorsports Pontiac 3931651 5 42 Jamie McMuray Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge 393155 6 2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing Dodge 3931602 7 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 3931511 8 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 393142 9 38 Elliott Sadler Robert Yates Racing Ford 393138 10 77 Dave Blaney Jasper Motorsports Ford 3931391 11 21 Ricky Rudd Wood Brothers Racing Ford 393130 12 99 Jeff Burton Roush Racing Ford 3921321 13 10 Johnny Benson Jr. MBV Motorsports Pontiac 392124 14 12 Ryan Newman Penske Racing Dodge 392121 15 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 392118 16 18 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet 3921201 17 4 Mike Skinner Morgan-McClure Motorsports Pontiac 392112 18 22 Ward Burton Bill Davis Racing Dodge 392109 19 15 Michael Waltrip Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet 392106 20 20 Tony Stewart Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet 392103 21 1 Steve Park Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet 392100 22 16 Greg Biffle Roush Racing Ford 39297 23 25 Joe Nemechek Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 39294 24 49 Ken Schrader BAM Racing Dodge 39291 25 29 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 39188 26 01 Jerry NadeauMB2 Motorsports Pontiac 39185 27 5 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 39182 28 7 Jimmy Spencer Ultra Motorsports Dodge 39179 29 31 Robby Gordon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 39176 30 41 Casey Mears Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge 39073 31 30 Jeff GreenRichard Childress Racing Chevrolet 39070 32 9 Bill Elliott Evernham Motorsports Dodge 39067 33 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet 39064 34 0 Jack Sprague Haas CNC Racing Pontiac 39061 35 45 Kyle Petty Petty Enterprises Dodge 389631 36 14 Larry Foyt A. J. Foyt Racing Dodge 38855 37 74 Tony Raines BACE Motorsports Chevrolet 38752 38 23 Kenny Wallace Bill Davis Racing Dodge 38649 39 43 John Andretti Petty Enterprises Dodge 34746 40 40 Sterling Marlin Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge 319481 41 19 Jeremy Mayfield Evernham Motorsports Dodge 27140 42 54 Todd Bodine BelCar Motorsports Ford 8537 43 37 Derrike Cope Quest Motor Racing Chevrolet 3434Sources:Subway 400 – Result https://www.crash.net/nascar/news/87187/1/subway-400-result Crash February 23, 2003 November 28, 2019 live November 28, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20191128091732/https://www.crash.net/nascar/news/87187/1/subway-400-result2003 Nascar Cup Series Subway 400 https://results.motorsportstats.com/results/2003-subway-400/classification Motorsport Stats December 1, 2019 live September 2, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200902071948/https://results.motorsportstats.com/results/2003-subway-400/classificationNASCAR Winston Cup Series Race No. 2: Subway 400: North Carolina Speedway http://www.jayski.com/stats/2003standings/feb23results.htm Jayski's Silly Season Site ESPN Internet Archives November 27, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20050204150830/http://www.jayski.com/stats/2003standings/feb23results.htm February 4, 2005 dead 1 Includes five bonus points for leading a lap2 Includes ten bonus points for leading the most laps Standings after the race + Drivers' Championship standings Rank +/– Driver Points 1 10px 1 Kurt Busch 345 2 10px 8 Dale Jarrett 314 (−31) 3 10px Jimmie Johnson 312 (−33) 4 10px 1 Mark Martin 306 (−39) 5 10px 4 Michael Waltrip 291 (−54) 6 10px 13 Matt Kenseth 278 (−67) 7 10px 4 Jeff Burton 262 (−83) 8 10px 17 Ricky Craven 255 (−90) 9 10px 3 Tony Stewart 254 (−91) 10 10px 6 Kevin Harvick 248 (−97) 10px 16 Rusty Wallace 248 (−97) 10px 5 Ricky Rudd 248 (−97)Sources: + Manufacturers' Championship standings Rank +/– Manufacturer Points 1 10px 1 Ford 15 2 10px 1 Chevrolet 12 (−3) 3 10px 1 Pontiac 9 (−6) 4 10px 1 Dodge 8 (−7)Source: Note: Only the top ten positions are included for the driver standings. References 30em Winston Cup Series 2003 2003 Daytona 500 2003 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 Sports United States Subway 400 Subway 400 Category:NASCAR races at Rockingham Speedway Category:February 2003 sports events in the United States