 |
 |
 |
| Home |
| Winston Cup |
| Busch Series |
| Photo Gallery |
| Forum |
| Silly Season |
| Newsletter |
| Racefan's Rave |
| Fire and Ice |
|
|
| Winston Cup Series |
Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 - North Carolina Speedway
Elliott Wins at The Rock, Kenseth Wins Championship
Newman Does it Again
Bill Elliott won the battle but Matt Kenseth won the war. Elliott took the checkered flag and the victory in the Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 at North Carolina Speedway and Kenseth took the 2003 Winston Cup championship. Elliott, who started at the rear of the field after blowing an engine on Friday, pulled away from Jimmie Johnson on the final restart with 11 laps to go and went on to win by a margin of 1.23 seconds. Elliott led a race-high 140 of the event’s 393 laps despite starting at the back. Elliott’s 44th win, and first of the 2003 season, comes in his 730th career start. Johnson finished in the runner up spot, marking his fifth straight finish of third or better. Elliott’s teammate Jeremy Mayfield captured a third-place finish, while Kenseth settled for fourth. Ryan Newman brought his Dodge home in fifth, giving Dodge three of the top-five finishing positions. Kenseth entered the day needing only a seventh-place effort to clinch the title but bettered that by three positions to capture his first Winston Cup Championship. Kenseth has led the point standings since March in Atlanta, the fourth race of the season.
The Rocket Man blasted off yet again. For the third consecutive week, there is a familiar name atop the starting grid, Ryan Newman. Newman has now won three straight pole positions and four of the last five. Newman turned in a qualifying lap of 23.533 seconds, at an average speed of 155.577 mph, to earn the pole for the final Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 at North Carolina Speedway. It is Newman’s 11th pole of the 2003 season and the 18th of his career. Brain Vickers, making his fourth career start, will start on the outside pole for the second straight week. Vickers also won the Busch series pole earlier in the day. The second row on the starting grid will go to a pair of drivers who had identical times, Jeremy Mayfield and rookie Tony Raines tied and will start third and fourth respectively.
