| Type: | NASWINSTON |
| Date: | November 10 |
| Caption: | The 2002 Checker Auto Parts 500 program cover. |
| Pole Team: | Penske Racing |
| First Team: | Roush Racing |
| First Driver: | Matt Kenseth |
| Most Team: | Roush Racing |
| Most Driver: | Kurt Busch |
| Most Laps: | 117 |
| Pole Driver: | Ryan Newman |
| Network: | NBC |
| Announcers: | Allen Bestwick, Benny Parsons, Wally Dallenbach Jr. |
| Car: | 17 |
| Radio: | Motor Racing Network |
| Avg: | 113.857mph |
| Season No: | 36 |
| Location: | Avondale, Arizona, Phoenix International Raceway |
| Race No: | 35 |
| Scheduled Km: | 502.115 |
| Distance Km: | 502.115 |
| Scheduled Laps: | 312 |
| Distance Laps: | 312 |
| Course Km: | 1.6 |
| Scheduled Mi: | 312 |
| Course Mi: | 1 |
| Official Name: | 15th Annual Checker Auto Parts 500 presented by Pennzoil |
| Race Name: | Checker Auto Parts 500 presented by Pennzoil |
| Year: | 2002 |
| Pole Time: | 27.138 |
| Distance Mi: | 312 |
| Attendance: | 100,000 |
The 2002 Checker Auto Parts 500 presented by Pennzoil was the 35th stock car race of the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 15th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, November 10, 2002, before a crowd of 100,000 in Avondale, Arizona at Phoenix International Raceway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) permanent low-banked tri-oval race track. The race took the scheduled 312 laps to complete. At race's end, Matt Kenseth, driving for Roush Racing, would pull off a clutch two-tire strategy on the final restart of the race to win his fifth career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his fourth of the season.[1] [2] To fill out the podium, Rusty Wallace of Penske Racing and Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports would finish second and third, respectively.
Phoenix International Raceway – also known as PIR – is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It is named after the nearby metropolitan area of Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the IndyCar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The raceway is currently owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.
The raceway was originally constructed with a 2.5 mi (4.0 km) road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991 the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51 mi (2.43 km) interior layout. PIR has an estimated grandstand seating capacity of around 67,000. Lights were installed around the track in 2004 following the addition of a second annual NASCAR race weekend.
The first practice session was held on Friday, November 8, at 10:30 AM MST, and would last for 2 hours. Ryan Newman of Penske Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.074 and an average speed of 132.969mph.[4]
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford | 27.074 | 132.969 | |
| 2 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 27.206 | 132.324 | |
| 3 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 27.227 | 132.222 | |
| Full first practice results | |||||||
The second practice session was held on Saturday, November 9, at 8:30 AM MST, and would last for 45 minutes. Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.860 and an average speed of 129.217mph.[5]
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.860 | 129.217 | |
| 2 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 27.980 | 128.663 | |
| 3 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 27.993 | 128.604 | |
| Full second practice results | |||||||
The third and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, November 9, at 10:15 AM MST, and would last for 45 minutes. Kenny Wallace of Bill Davis Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.004 and an average speed of 128.553mph.[6]
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 28.004 | 128.553 | |
| 2 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 28.089 | 128.164 | |
| 3 | 27 | Scott Wimmer | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 28.100 | 128.114 | |
| Full Happy Hour practice results | |||||||
Qualifying was held on Friday, November 8, at 3:05 PM MST. 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 champion needs the provisional, the next team in the owner points will be awarded a provisional.[7]
Ryan Newman of Penske Racing would win the pole, setting a time of 27.138 and an average speed of 132.655mph.[8]
Six drivers would fail to qualify: Ted Musgrave, Jack Sprague, Brett Bodine, Jerry Robertson, Morgan Shepherd, and Jeff Jefferson.