2003 Sirius Satellite Radio at The Glen explained
The 2003 Sirius Satellite Radio at The Glen was the 22nd stock car race of the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 18th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, August 10, 2003, before a crowd of 100,000 at the shortened layout of Watkins Glen International, a 2.454 miles (3.949 km) permanent road course. The race took the scheduled 90 laps to complete. At race's end, Robby Gordon of Richard Childress Racing would stretch out a fuel run in the last 39 laps of the race to win his third and final career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his second and final win of the season.[1] To fill out the podium, Scott Pruett of Chip Ganassi Racing and Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Dale Earnhardt Jr. would finish second and third, respectively.
Background
Watkins Glen International (nicknamed "The Glen") is an automobile race track located in Watkins Glen, New York at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. It was long known around the world as the home of the Formula One United States Grand Prix, which it hosted for twenty consecutive years (1961–1980), but the site has been home to road racing of nearly every class, including the World Sportscar Championship, Trans-Am, Can-Am, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the International Motor Sports Association and the IndyCar Series.
Initially, public roads in the village were used for the race course. In 1956 a permanent circuit for the race was built. In 1968 the race was extended to six hours, becoming the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen. The circuit's current layout has more or less been the same since 1971, although a chicane was installed at the uphill Esses in 1975 to slow cars through these corners, where there was a fatality during practice at the 1973 United States Grand Prix. The chicane was removed in 1985, but another chicane called the "Inner Loop" was installed in 1992 after J.D. McDuffie's fatal accident during the previous year's NASCAR Winston Cup event.
The circuit is known as the Mecca of North American road racing and is a very popular venue among fans and drivers. The facility is currently owned by International Speedway Corporation.
Entry list
| Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
|---|
| 0 | John Andretti | Haas CNC Racing | Pontiac | NetZero HiSpeed |
| 1 | Ron Fellows | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Pennzoil |
| 01 | Boris Said | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | USG Sheetrock |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Dodge | Miller Lite |
| 4 | P. J. Jones | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Pontiac | Kodak Perfect Touch |
| 04 | Johnny Miller | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Pontiac | Kodak EasyShare |
| 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 |
| 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | Valvoline |
| 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing South | Dodge | Alltel |
| 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | NAPA Auto Parts |
| 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | Grainger |
| 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 | U.S. Air Force |
| 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 | Steve Park | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | America Online |
| 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Cingular Wireless, New York City Fire Department |
| 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Pontiac | Tide |
| 33 | Paul Menard | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Menards, Turtle Wax |
| 35 | Joe Varde | Joe Varde Racing | Chevrolet | Air Logic Solutions |
| 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | M&M's |
| 39 | Scott Pruett | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Target |
| 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 | Scott Maxwell | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Cheerios |
| 44 | Christian Fittipaldi | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | New York Yankees |
| 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Georgia-Pacific Brawny |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
| 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | BAM Racing |
| 50 | Larry Foyt | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Dodge | Harrah's "Oh Yeah!" |
| 54 | Todd Bodine | BelCar Motorsports | Ford | National Guard, Subway |
| 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 session was held on Friday, August 8, at 11:00 AM EST, and would last for 2 hours.[2] Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:10.981 and an average speed of 124.259mph.[3]
Second practice
The second practice session was held on Saturday, August 9, at 9:30 AM EST, and would last for 45 minutes.[4] Tony Stewart of Joe Gibbs Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:12.050 and an average speed of 122.415mph.[5]
Third and final practice
The third and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, August 9, at 11:10 AM EST, and would last for 45 minutes.[6] Greg Biffle of Roush Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:12.050 and an average speed of 122.415mph.[7]
Qualifying
Qualifying was held on Friday, August 8, at 3:05 PM EST. Drivers would each have one lap to set a lap time.[8] 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.[9]
Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports would win the pole, setting a time of 1:10.798 and an average speed of 124.58mph.[10]
Four drivers would fail to qualify: Ken Schrader, Joe Varde, Scott Maxwell, and Larry Foyt.
Full qualifying results
Race results
| Fin[11] | St | | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
|---|
| 1 | 14 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 90 | 30 | running | 185 | $156,272 |
|---|
| 2 | 28 | 39 | Scott Pruett | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 90 | 9 | running | 175 | $88,210 |
|---|
| 3 | 6 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 90 | 11 | running | 170 | $127,202 |
|---|
| 4 | 20 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 90 | 0 | running | 160 | $86,850 |
|---|
| 5 | 11 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 90 | 0 | running | 155 | $96,408 |
|---|
| 6 | 22 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 90 | 0 | running | 150 | $94,046 |
|---|
| 7 | 30 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 90 | 0 | running | 146 | $98,688 |
|---|
| 8 | 7 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 90 | 0 | running | 142 | $70,535 |
|---|
| 9 | 13 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 90 | 0 | running | 138 | $83,930 |
|---|
| 10 | 3 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 90 | 0 | running | 134 | $90,598 |
|---|
| 11 | 4 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 90 | 0 | running | 130 | $101,233 |
|---|
| 12 | 8 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 90 | 0 | running | 127 | $85,100 |
|---|
| 13 | 34 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 90 | 0 | running | 124 | $65,800 |
|---|
| 14 | 9 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 90 | 5 | running | 126 | $93,443 |
|---|
| 15 | 24 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 90 | 0 | running | 118 | $86,820 |
|---|
| 16 | 40 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 90 | 0 | running | 115 | $59,600 |
|---|
| 17 | 21 | 25 | Joe Nemechek | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 90 | 0 | running | 112 | $50,830 |
|---|
| 18 | 19 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 90 | 0 | running | 109 | $76,566 |
|---|
| 19 | 15 | 0 | John Andretti | Haas CNC Racing | Pontiac | 90 | 0 | running | 106 | $50,055 |
|---|
| 20 | 25 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 90 | 0 | running | 103 | $86,693 |
|---|
| 21 | 26 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 90 | 1 | running | 105 | $72,535 |
|---|
| 22 | 29 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 90 | 1 | running | 102 | $50,715 |
|---|
| 23 | 39 | 7 | Jimmy Spencer | Ultra Motorsports | Dodge | 90 | 0 | running | 94 | $62,795 |
|---|
| 24 | 33 | 4 | P. J. Jones | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Pontiac | 90 | 0 | running | 91 | $59,135 |
|---|
| 25 | 16 | 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 90 | 0 | running | 88 | $65,189 |
|---|
| 26 | 41 | 30 | Steve Park | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 90 | 0 | running | 85 | $56,140 |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 90 | 0 | running | 82 | $74,565 |
|---|
| 28 | 38 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Pontiac | 90 | 0 | running | 79 | $55,555 |
|---|
| 29 | 43 | 33 | Paul Menard | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 90 | 0 | running | 76 | $52,410 |
|---|
| 30 | 2 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 90 | 23 | running | 78 | $47,825 |
|---|
| 31 | 23 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 90 | 10 | running | 75 | $80,157 |
|---|
| 32 | 12 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 90 | 0 | running | 67 | $52,150 |
|---|
| 33 | 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 89 | 0 | crash | 64 | $97,353 |
|---|
| 34 | 35 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 89 | 0 | running | 61 | $44,015 |
|---|
| 35 | 17 | 54 | Todd Bodine | BelCar Racing | Ford | 89 | 0 | running | 58 | $43,950 |
|---|
| 36 | 32 | 04 | Johnny Miller | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Pontiac | 89 | 0 | running | 55 | $43,875 |
|---|
| 37 | 5 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Dodge | 84 | 0 | running | 52 | $78,492 |
|---|
| 38 | 18 | 1 | Ron Fellows | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 82 | 0 | handling | 49 | $68,927 |
|---|
| 39 | 10 | 01 | Boris Said | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 80 | 0 | running | 46 | $43,690 |
|---|
| 40 | 36 | 44 | Christian Fittipaldi | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 80 | 0 | running | 43 | $43,615 |
|---|
| 41 | 42 | 74 | Tony Raines | BACE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 78 | 0 | running | 40 | $43,555 |
|---|
| 42 | 31 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 74 | 0 | running | 37 | $51,485 |
|---|
| 43 | 37 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 1 | 0 | engine | 34 | $86,809 |
|---|
| Failed to qualify |
|---|
| 44 | | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | |
|---|
| 45 | 35 | Joe Varde | Joe Varde Racing | Chevrolet |
|---|
| 46 | 43 | Scott Maxwell | Petty Enterprises | Dodge |
|---|
| 47 | 50 | Larry Foyt | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Dodge |
|---|
| Official race results | |
|---|
Notes and References
- Web site: 2003-08-10. Robby Gordon wins at Watkins Glen. 2022-01-31. wthr.com. en-US.
- Web site: Jayski's Silly Season Site - Race Info Page. https://web.archive.org/web/20050204155955/http://www.jayski.com/next/2003/2003theglen.htm. 2005-02-04. 2022-01-31. Jayski's Silly Season Site.
- Web site: NASCAR.com - Races - 2003 Watkins Glen Practice 1 Results. https://web.archive.org/web/20050205031140/http://www.nascar.com/races/wc/2003/22/data/practice1_speeds.html. 2005-02-05. 2022-01-31. NASCAR.com.
- Web site: Jayski's Silly Season Site - Race Info Page. https://web.archive.org/web/20050204155955/http://www.jayski.com/next/2003/2003theglen.htm. 2005-02-04. 2022-01-31. Jayski's Silly Season Site.
- Web site: NASCAR.com - Races - 2003 Watkins Glen Practice 2 Results. https://web.archive.org/web/20050205032208/http://www.nascar.com/races/wc/2003/22/data/practice2_speeds.html. 2005-02-05. 2022-01-31. NASCAR.com.
- Web site: Jayski's Silly Season Site - Race Info Page. https://web.archive.org/web/20050204155955/http://www.jayski.com/next/2003/2003theglen.htm. 2005-02-04. 2022-01-31. Jayski's Silly Season Site.
- Web site: NASCAR.com - Races - 2003 Watkins Glen Practice 3 Results. https://web.archive.org/web/20050205032458/http://www.nascar.com/races/wc/2003/22/data/practice3_speeds.html. 2005-02-05. 2022-01-31. NASCAR.com.
- Web site: Jayski's Silly Season Site - Race Info Page. https://web.archive.org/web/20050204155955/http://www.jayski.com/next/2003/2003theglen.htm. 2005-02-04. 2022-01-31. Jayski's Silly Season Site.
- Web site: Jayski's Silly Season Site - 2003 Provisional Land Page. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20050204083118/http://www.jayski.com/stats/2003/2003prov.htm. 2005-02-04. 2022-01-08. Jayski's Silly Season Site.
- Web site: Brinster. Dick. Jeff Gordon grabs pole at Watkins Glen. 2022-01-31. Ocala. en-US.
- Web site: 2003 Sirius Satellite Radio at the Glen - The Third Turn. 2022-01-30. www.thethirdturn.com. en.
