2003 Daytona 500

The 2003 Daytona 500 was held on February 16 at Daytona International Speedway. 2000 NASCAR Busch Series champion Jeff Green won his second career Winston Cup pole (his first was at Bristol in 2001). Prior to the race, the drivers paid tribute by having decals in their cars in honor of the astronauts who were killed in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster two weeks earlier, similar to the 1986 Daytona 500 in which they paid tribute to the fallen crew members of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.

The race ended after 109 laps when rain had begun pouring on the track. Michael Waltrip won the race for the second time in three years, giving him his third NASCAR Winston Cup win; all of his wins to that point had been in races held at Daytona. It was the first of Waltrip's two wins in 2003, both coming in restrictor plate races (he later won the EA Sports 500 at Talladega in October for his fourth- and to date, last- Cup win). For the first time since 1966, the race was stopped due to rain; at 272.5 miles, this was the shortest ever Daytona 500 race.

During the race, Ryan Newman had a wild accident in the tri-oval, his #12 Dodge tumbling end over end. Fortunately, he was not injured in the crash. Following the incident, both Penske Racing and new manufacturer Dodge were investigated because of the quality of the car.

Race summary

The green flag came nearly half an hour earlier than planned, due to the impending rain showers which officials feared would lead to the race having to be completed on another day. Jeff Green was out in front at the start of the race, but he was quickly passed by Michael Waltrip, who led the first 34 laps. On lap 42, the race's first caution came out after Bobby Labonte spun out entering the backstretch. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. took the lead from Tony Stewart as the field raced back to the caution. The first round of green flag pit stops came on lap 50.

The most significant incident of the race came on lap 58. Ryan Newman was running solidly in the top-15, but defending Daytona 500 champion Ward Burton hit Ken Schrader and both Schrader and Newman hit the wall. The rear tire fixture underneath Newman's car detached from the car as he went sliding into the infield. Newman became airborne and when the car landed, the right-rear wheel dug into the dirt which caused Newman to flip several times and the car landed on its roof. Most of the car came apart in the infield, but Newman was uninjured and was able to walk away from the crash under his own power. Following Newman's flip, there were six caution laps, during which a light rain began to fall, and the race was red-flagged when the rain became heavier.

Following a rain delay which lasted over an hour, the race restarted with Michael Waltrip back in front. The race remained under the green flag until lap 95, when Jeff Green and Jimmy Spencer collided entering turn 4 and brought out a third caution. Spencer ended up hitting the frontstretch wall and coming to rest just past the start-finish line. Spencer had a very similar crash in the 2000 Daytona 500. A debris caution came on lap 103, and then Ward Burton hit the turn 4 wall on lap 106. There were three yellow flag laps after Burton's crash, and then the race was once again red-flagged due to rain. Although it briefly looked as if the race would get back underway, the race was eventually called due to the rain and Michael Waltrip was declared the winner. It was his third career Winston Cup win both overall and at Daytona, and his second career Daytona 500 win. Coincidentally, Waltrip's first three wins came in the first three Daytona races broadcast by Fox.

Results

1. 15-Michael Waltrip, Led 68 of 109 Laps
2. 97-Kurt Busch
3. 48-Jimmie Johnson, Led 8 Laps
4. 29-Kevin Harvick
5. 6-Mark Martin
6. 31-Robby Gordon
7. 20-Tony Stewart, Led 6 Laps
8. 19-Jeremy Mayfield
9. 09-Mike Wallace
10. 88-Dale Jarrett
11. 99-Jeff Burton
12. 24-Jeff Gordon
13. 45-Kyle Petty
14. 0-Jack Sprague*
15. 21-Ricky Rudd
16. 23-Kenny Wallace
17. 40-Sterling Marlin
18. 54-Todd Bodine, Led 1 Lap
19. 10-Johnny Benson
20. 17-Matt Kenseth, Led 2 Laps
21. 16-Greg Biffle*
22. 25-Joe Nemechek
23. 38-Elliott Sadler
24. 77-Dave Blaney
25. 2-Rusty Wallace
26. 32-Ricky Craven, Led 1 Lap
27. 41-Casey Mears*, Led 1 Lap
28. 01-Jerry Nadeau
29. 1-Steve Park
30. 5-Terry Labonte
31. 42-Jamie McMurray*
32. 9-Bill Elliott
33. 74-Tony Raines*
34. 43-John Andretti, 1 Lap down
35. 8-Dale Earnhardt, Jr, 1 Lap down; Led 22 Laps
36. 4-Mike Skinner, 1 Lap down
37. 22-Ward Burton, Completed 105 Laps (Accident)
38. 30-Jeff Green, 94 Laps (Accident)
39. 7-Jimmy Spencer, 94 Laps (Accident)
40. 18-Bobby Labonte, 28 Laps down
41. 49-Ken Schrader, 57 Laps (Accident)
42. 12-Ryan Newman, 56 Laps (Accident)

Failed to qualify:

• 14-Larry Foyt*
• 11-Brett Bodine
• 02-Hermie Sadler
• 60-David Green
• 90-Kirk Shelmerdine
• 37-Derrike Cope
• 78-Mike Harmon