2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series (Simpsonverse)
The 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 55th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 32nd modern-era Cup Series season. The season began on February 8 at the Daytona International Speedway with the Budweiser Shootout and ended on November 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the Ford 400. Despite only winning one race throughout the whole season, Matt Kenseth, driving the No.17 Ford for Roush Racing, was strongly consistent following the lone win, and was crowned the Winston Cup champion. His only win came in the third race of the 36 race season. Chevrolet took home the NASCAR Manufacturers' Championship after capturing 19 wins and 264 points over second-place finisher Dodge, who had nine wins and 203 points. Ford finished the year third with seven wins and 200 points, and Pontiac finished fourth with one win and 125 points.
This was the final year for Winston being the title sponsor of the Cup Series. Winston had been the title sponsor for NASCAR since 1971. After 33 years, Winston decided not to renew its sponsorship. NASCAR announced a tiered sponsorship model for the 2004 season. This was also the last full time season for Pontiac until its return in 2019. Pontiac had been with NASCAR on 2 different occasions. The first was from 1949 to 1964, then they returned in 1981 and continued full time until the end 2003, though a few teams ran Pontiacs on a limited basis in 2004, and they continued running in the Busch Series through 2005 and ARCA as late as 2007. 2003 was also the final year the old body style could legally be run. In addition, this was the final season for eight-time champion Dale Earnhardt, who retired to focus on running his race team, Dale Earnhardt, Inc., and act as a mentor to his son Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Teams and drivers
Complete schedule
| Make | Team | No. | Driver | Crew chief | Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet | BACE Motorsports | 74 | Tony Raines (R) | Larry Carter | 2001 Camaro |
| Dale Earnhardt Incorporated | 1 | Ron Fellows | Tony Gibson | Monte Carlo | |
| 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Tony Eury | |||
| 15 | Michael Waltrip | Slugger Labbe | |||
| 81 | Steve Park | Tony Eury, Sr. | |||
| Hendrick Motorsports | 5 | Terry Labonte | Jim Long | Impala | |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Robbie Loomis | |||
| 25 | Joe Nemechek 32 | Peter Sospenzo | |||
| Brian Vickers 4 | |||||
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chad Knaus | |||
| Joe Gibbs Racing | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Michael McSwain | Impala | |
| 20 | Tony Stewart | Greg Zipadelli | |||
| 80 | Jason Leffler | Bryant Frazier | |||
| NEMCO Motorsports | 87 | John Nemechek | Eric Phillips | Monte Carlo | |
| Richard Childress Racing | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Kevin Hamlin | Monte Carlo | |
| 30 | Kevin Harvick | Todd Berrier | |||
| 31 | Robby Gordon | Mike Beam | |||
| Dodge | A. J. Foyt Racing | 14 | Larry Foyt 33 (R) | Ben Holm | Intrepid |
| P. J. Jones 1 | |||||
| Mark Green 2 | |||||
| BAM Racing | 49 | Ken Schrader | Scott Eggleston | Stratus | |
| Bill Davis Racing | 22 | Ward Burton 32 | Frank Stoddard | Intrepid | |
| Scott Wimmer 4 | |||||
| 23 | Kenny Wallace | Phillipe Lopez | |||
| Chip Ganassi Racing (Start Your Engines!) | 39 | Jamie McMurray (R) | Donnie Wingo | Stratus | |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Lee McCall | |||
| 41 | Casey Mears (R) | Jimmy Elledge | |||
| 42 | Kenny Irwin Jr. | Tony Glover | |||
| Evernham Motorsports | 9 | Bill Elliott | Mike Ford | Intrepid | |
| 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Kenny Francis | |||
| 91 | Blaise Alexander (R) | Sammy Johns | |||
| Penske Racing | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Bill Wilburn | Intrepid | |
| 12 | Ryan Newman | Matt Borland | |||
| Petty Enterprises | 43 | John Andretti | Gary Putnam | Stratus | |
| 44 | Kyle Petty | Mark Tudor | |||
| 45 | Adam Petty | Greg Steadman | |||
| 46 | Austin Petty | Steven Lane | |||
| Ultra Motorsports | 7 | Jimmy Spencer 35 | Tommy Baldwin Jr. | Intrepid | |
| Ted Musgrave 1 | |||||
| Ford | BelCar Motorsports | 54 | Todd Bodine | Gary Cogswell | Mustang |
| Jasper Motorsports | 77 | Dave Blaney | Mark Harrah | 2002 Taurus | |
| Orr Motorsports | 37 | Rodney Orr | John Page | Taurus | |
| Robert Yates Racing | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Raymond Fox Jr. | Taurus | |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Shawn Parker | |||
| Roush Racing | 6 | Mark Martin | Pat Tryson | Roush Mustang | |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | Robbie Reiser | |||
| 60 | Greg Biffle (R) | Doug Richert | |||
| 97 | Kurt Busch | Jimmy Fennig | |||
| 99 | Jeff Burton | Paul Andrews | |||
| Steele/Favre Motorsports | 16 | Tim Steele | Joey Knuckles | Taurus | |
| Wood Brothers Racing | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Ben Leslie | Shelby GT500 | |
| Pontiac | Haas CNC Racing | 0 | Jack Sprague (R) 18 | Tony Furr | Grand Prix |
| John Andretti 3 | |||||
| Jason Leffler 11 | |||||
| Ward Burton 4 | |||||
| MB2 Motorsports | 01 | Jerry Nadeau | Ryan Pemberton | ||
| 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Jay Guy | |||
| Morgan-McClure Motorsports (Start Your Engines!) | 4 | Ernie Irvan | Tim Brewer | ||
| PPI Motorsports | 32 | Ricky Craven | Scott Miller |
Limited schedule
Manufacturer Changes
- Following the discontinuation of the Camaro, Chevrolet switched its second model to the Impala.
- For 2003, Pontiac only fielded the Grand Prix, due to the discontinuation of the Firebird.
Schedule
| No. | Race Title | Track | Date | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budweiser Shootout | Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach | February 8 | MGM | |
| Gatorade 125s | February 13 | MGM | ||
| 1 | Daytona 500 | February 16 | MGM | |
| 2 | Subway 400 | North Carolina Speedway, Rockingham | February 23 | Fox |
| 3 | UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas | March 2 | Fox |
| 4 | Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 | Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton | March 9 | Fox |
| 5 | Old Spice 400 | Gateway International Raceway, Madison | March 16 | CBS |
| 6 | Food City 500 | Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol | March 23 | Fox |
| 7 | Samsung/RadioShack 500 | Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth | March 30 | Fox |
| 8 | Aaron's 499 | Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega | April 6 | Fox |
| 9 | Howard Johnson's 400 | Pikes Peak International Raceway, Fountain | April 13 | CBS |
| 10 | Auto Club 500 | California Speedway, Fontana | April 27 | Fox |
| 11 | Budweiser 400 | Riverside International Raceway, Moreno Valley | May 3 | MGM |
| Winston Open | Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord | May 17 | FX | |
| The Winston | FX | |||
| 12 | Coca-Cola 600 | May 25 | Fox | |
| 13 | MBNA Armed Forces Family 400 | Dover International Speedway, Dover | June 1 | FX |
| 14 | All Grown Up! 400 | Nazareth Speedway, Nazareth | June 8 | FX
Nickelodeon |
| 15 | Sirius 400 | Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn | June 15 | Fox |
| 16 | Checker Auto Parts 500 Presented by Havoline | Phoenix International Raceway, Phoenix | June 22 | Fox |
| 17 | Pepsi 400 | Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach | July 5 | MGM |
| 18 | Tropicana 400 | Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet | July 13 | MGM |
| 19 | New England 300 | New Hampshire International Speedway, Loudon | July 20 | MGM |
| 20 | Pennsylvania 500 | Pocono Raceway, Long Pond | July 27 | NBC |
| 21 | Brickyard 400 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Speedway | August 3 | MGM |
| 22 | Sirius Satellite Radio at The Glen | Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen | August 10 | MGM |
| 23 | Jacob's Grand Prix | Brands Hatch, West Kingsdown, Kent, England | August 17 | TBS |
| 24 | Keystone Light 400 | Milwaukee Mile, West Allis | August 23 | MGM |
| 25 | Mountain Dew Southern 500 | Darlington Raceway, Darlington | August 31 | TBS |
| 26 | Chevy Rock & Roll 400 | Richmond International Raceway, Richmond | September 6 | TBS |
| 27 | Tyson Holly Farms 400 | North Wilkesboro Speedway, North Wilkesboro | September 14 | MGM |
| 28 | MBNA America 400 | Dover International Speedway, Dover | September 21 | NBC |
| 29 | EA Sports 500 | Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega | September 28 | NBC |
| 30 | Banquet 400 Presented by ConAgra Foods | Kansas Speedway, Kansas City | October 5 | TBS |
| 31 | UAW-GM Quality Roval 500 | Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord (Roval) | October 11 | MGM |
| 32 | Subway 500 | Martinsville Speedway, Ridgeway | October 19 | NBC |
| 33 | Ford 400 | Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead | October 26–27 | MGM
TBS |
| 34 | Dodge/Save Mart 350 | Infineon Raceway, Sonoma | November 2 | NBC |
| 35 | Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 | North Carolina Speedway, Rockingham | November 9 | MGM |
| 36 | Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 | Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton | November 16 | NBC |
Races
| No. | Race | Pole position | Most laps led | Winning driver | Make/Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budweiser Shootout | Geoff Bodine | Jeff Gordon | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | |
| Gatorade 125 #1 | Jeff Green | Jeff Green | Robby Gordon | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | |
| Gatorade 125 #2 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | |
| 1 | Daytona 500 | Jeff Green | Michael Waltrip | Michael Waltrip | Chevrolet Monte Carlo |
| 2 | Subway 400 | Dave Blaney | Rusty Wallace | Dale Jarrett | Ford Taurus |
| 3 | UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 | Bobby Labonte | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Matt Kenseth | Ford Roush Mustang |
| 4 | Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 | Ryan Newman | Bobby Labonte | Bobby Labonte | Chevrolet Impala |
| 5 | Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 | Elliott Sadler | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Ricky Craven | Pontiac Grand Prix |
| 6 | Food City 500 | Ryan Newman | Jeff Gordon | Kurt Busch | Ford Roush Mustang |
| 7 | Samsung/Radio Shack 500 | Bobby Labonte | Elliott Sadler | Ryan Newman | Dodge Intrepid |
| 8 | Aaron's 499 | Jeremy Mayfield | Jimmie Johnson | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet Monte Carlo |
| 9 | Howard Johnson's 400 | Terry Labonte | Joe Nemechek | Sterling Marlin | Dodge Stratus |
| 10 | Auto Club 500 | Steve Park | Tony Stewart | Kurt Busch | Ford Roush Mustang |
| 11 | Budweiser 400 | Terry Labonte | Joe Nemechek | Joe Nemechek | Chevrolet Impala |
| Winston Open | Steve Park | Mike Skinner | Jeff Burton | Ford Roush Mustang | |
| The Winston | Bill Elliott | Tony Stewart | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet Impala | |
| 12 | Coca-Cola 600 | Ryan Newman | Matt Kenseth | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet Impala |
| 13 | MBNA Armed Forces Family 400 | Ryan Newman | Ryan Newman | Ryan Newman | Dodge Intrepid |
| 14 | All Grown Up! 400 | Jimmie Johnson | Sterling Marlin | Jerry Nadeau | Pontiac Grand Prix |
| 15 | Sirius 400 | Bobby Labonte | Sterling Marlin | Kurt Busch | Ford Roush Mustang |
| 16 | Dodge/Save Mart 350 | Boris Said | Robby Gordon | Robby Gordon | Chevrolet Monte Carlo |
| 17 | Pepsi 400 | Steve Park | Kevin Harvick | Greg Biffle | Ford Roush Mustang |
| 18 | Tropicana 400 | Tony Stewart | Tony Stewart | Ryan Newman | Dodge Intrepid |
| 19 | New England 300 | Matt Kenseth | Jeff Gordon | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet Impala |
| 20 | Pennsylvania 500 | Ryan Newman | Ryan Newman | Ryan Newman | Dodge Impala |
| 21 | Brickyard 400 | Kevin Harvick | Tony Stewart | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet Monte Carlo |
| 22 | Sirius Satellite Radio at the Glen | Jeff Gordon | Robby Gordon | Robby Gordon | Chevrolet Monte Carlo |
| 23 | Jacob's Grand Prix | Bobby Labonte | Jimmie Johnson | Adam Petty | Dodge Stratus |
| 24 | Keystone Light 400 | Jeff Gordon | Jeff Gordon | Jeff Burton | Chevrolet Monte Carlo |
| 25 | Mountain Dew Southern 500 | Ryan Newman | Ryan Newman | Terry Labonte | Chevrolet Impala |
| 26 | Chevy Rock & Roll 400 | Mike Skinner | Jeff Gordon | Ryan Newman | Dodge Intrepid |
| 27 | Tyson Holly Farms 400 | Ryan Newman | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Jerry Nadeau | Pontiac Grand Prix |
| 28 | MBNA America 400 | Matt Kenseth | Kevin Harvick | Ryan Newman | Dodge Intrepid |
| 29 | EA Sports 500 | Elliott Sadler | Jeff Gordon | Michael Waltrip | Chevrolet Monte Carlo |
| 30 | Banquet 400 Presented by ConAgra Foods | Jimmie Johnson | Bill Elliott | Ryan Newman | Dodge Intrepid |
| 31 | UAW-GM Quality Roval 500 | Ryan Newman | Tony Stewart | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet Impala |
| 32 | Subway 500 | Jeff Gordon | Jeff Gordon | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet Impala |
| 33 | Ford 400 | Jamie McMurray | Bill Elliott | Bobby Labonte | Chevrolet Impala |
| 34 | Dodge/Save Mart 350 | Boris Said | Robby Gordon | Robby Gordon | Chevrolet Monte Carlo |
| 35 | Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 | Ryan Newman | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott | Dodge Intrepid |
| 36 | Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 | Ryan Newman | Tony Stewart | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet Impala |