2002 New England 300
# 2002 New England 300

The 2002 New England 300 was the 19th stock car race of the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 10th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, July 21, 2002, in Loudon, New Hampshire, at New Hampshire International Speedway, a 1.058-mile (1.703 km) permanent, oval-shaped, low-banked racetrack. The race took the scheduled 300 laps to complete. At race's end, Ward Burton, driving for Bill Davis Racing, took advantage of a disaster-stricken Matt Kenseth to win his fifth and final career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his second and final win of the season. To fill out the podium, Jeff Green of Richard Childress Racing and Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. would finish second and third, respectively.

The race was marred by poor track conditions, as the sealer of the racetrack came apart due to a repave the speedway had which affected the corners of the track.

## Background

New Hampshire International Speedway is a 1.058-mile (1.703 km) oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s, as well as an IndyCar weekend and the oldest motorcycle race in North America, the Loudon Classic. Nicknamed "The Magic Mile", the speedway is often converted into a 1.6-mile (2.6 km) road course, which includes much of the oval. The track was originally the site of Bryar Motorsports Park before being purchased and redeveloped by Bob Bahre. The track is currently one of eight major NASCAR tracks owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports.

### Entry list

* (R) denotes rookie driver.

| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Pennzoil |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Ford | Miller Lite |
| 4 | Mike Skinner | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kodak |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kellogg's |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Viagra |
| 7 | Casey Atwood | Ultra-Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Sirius Satellite Radio, Darryl Worley |
| 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Budweiser |
| 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Dodge |
| 10 | Jerry Nadeau | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | Valvoline |
| 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | Hooters |
| 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford | Alltel |
| 14 | Stacy Compton | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | Conseco |
| 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | NAPA Auto Parts |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | AT&T Broadband |
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | Interstate Batteries |
| 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Dodge |
| 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | The Home Depot |
| 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Motorcraft |
| 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | Caterpillar |
| 23 | Hut Stricklin | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | Hills Bros. Coffee |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | DuPont |
| 25 | Joe Nemechek | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | UAW, Delphi |
| 26 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Discover Card |
| 27 | Kirk Shelmerdine | Kirk Shelmerdine Racing | Ford | Naturally Fresh Foods |
| 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Texaco, Havoline |
| 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench |
| 30 | Jeff Green | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | America Online |
| 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Cingular Wireless |
| 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | Tide "Give Kids the World!" |
| 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | M&M's |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Coors Light |
| 41 | Jimmy Spencer | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Target |
| 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Cheerios |
| 44 | Steve Grissom | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Georgia-Pacific Brawny |
| 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Sprint |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
| 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Square D |
| 66 | Geoff Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Discover Card |
| 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | UPS |
| 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Ford | Red Line Oil, Berlin City Ford |
| 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, July 19, at 11:20 AM EST, and would last for 2 hours. John Andretti of Petty Enterprises would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.795 and an average speed of 132.273 miles per hour (212.873 km/h).

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Speed | Time |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 28.795 | 132.273 |
| 2 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 28.890 | 131.838 |
| 3 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.897 | 131.806 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Saturday, July 20, at 9:30 AM EST, and would last for 45 minutes. Matt Kenseth of Roush Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.560 and an average speed of 128.850 miles per hour (207.364 km/h).

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Speed | Time |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.560 | 128.850 |
| 2 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.635 | 128.524 |
| 3 | 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford | 29.660 | 128.415 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Third and final practice

The third and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, July 20, at 11:15 AM EST, and would last for 45 minutes. Bobby Hamilton of Andy Petree Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.463 and an average speed of 129.274 miles per hour (208.046 km/h).

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Speed | Time |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 29.463 | 129.274 |
| 2 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.584 | 128.745 |
| 3 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.626 | 128.563 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Friday, July 19, at 3:00 PM EST. 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 champ needs the provisional, the next team in the owner points will be awarded a provisional.

Bill Elliott of Evernham Motorsports would win the pole, setting a time of 28.971 and an average speed of 131.469 miles per hour (211.579 km/h).

No drivers would fail to qualify.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 28.971 | 131.469 |
| 2 | 4 | Mike Skinner | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.036 | 131.175 |
| 3 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Ford | 29.048 | 131.121 |
| 4 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.075 | 130.999 |
| 5 | 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 29.096 | 130.905 |
| 6 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.099 | 130.891 |
| 7 | 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford | 29.103 | 130.873 |
| 8 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.110 | 130.842 |
| 9 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 29.117 | 130.810 |
| 10 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 29.122 | 130.788 |
| 11 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.142 | 130.698 |
| 12 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.193 | 130.470 |
| 13 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.195 | 130.461 |
| 14 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 29.196 | 130.456 |
| 15 | 10 | Jerry Nadeau | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.201 | 130.434 |
| 16 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.204 | 130.421 |
| 17 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.227 | 130.318 |
| 18 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 29.238 | 130.269 |
| 19 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.240 | 130.260 |
| 20 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.240 | 130.260 |
| 21 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.245 | 130.238 |
| 22 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.253 | 130.202 |
| 23 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.283 | 130.069 |
| 24 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.306 | 129.967 |
| 25 | 44 | Steve Grissom | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 29.321 | 129.900 |
| 26 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.372 | 129.674 |
| 27 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 29.378 | 129.648 |
| 28 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.383 | 129.626 |
| 29 | 25 | Joe Nemechek | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.396 | 129.569 |
| 30 | 30 | Jeff Green | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.429 | 129.423 |
| 31 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 29.438 | 129.384 |
| 32 | 26 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 29.444 | 129.357 |
| 33 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.453 | 129.318 |
| 34 | 41 | Jimmy Spencer | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 29.461 | 129.283 |
| 35 | 7 | Casey Atwood | Ultra-Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 29.504 | 129.094 |
| 36 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 29.558 | 128.859 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 29.565 | 128.828 |
| 38 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 29.798 | 127.821 |
| 39 | 23 | Hut Stricklin | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 30.109 | 126.500 |
| 40 | 14 | Stacy Compton | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 29.728 | 128.122 |
| 41 | 66 | Geoff Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 30.787 | 123.715 |
| 42 | 27 | Kirk Shelmerdine | Kirk Shelmerdine Racing | Ford | 30.516 | 124.813 |
| 43 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Ford | 30.436 | 125.141 |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 31 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 300 | 29 | running | 180 | $231,850 |
| 2 | 30 | 30 | Jeff Green | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 300 | 0 | running | 170 | $113,750 |
| 3 | 33 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 300 | 40 | running | 170 | $127,500 |
| 4 | 3 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Ford | 300 | 59 | running | 165 | $120,525 |
| 5 | 7 | 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford | 300 | 1 | running | 160 | $90,900 |
| 6 | 32 | 26 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 300 | 0 | running | 150 | $92,737 |
| 7 | 26 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 300 | 0 | running | 146 | $84,081 |
| 8 | 23 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 300 | 0 | running | 142 | $64,925 |
| 9 | 24 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 300 | 0 | running | 138 | $97,803 |
| 10 | 38 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 300 | 10 | running | 139 | $77,275 |
| 11 | 34 | 41 | Jimmy Spencer | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 300 | 0 | running | 130 | $70,125 |
| 12 | 21 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 300 | 1 | running | 132 | $94,892 |
| 13 | 4 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 300 | 0 | running | 124 | $95,903 |
| 14 | 18 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 300 | 0 | running | 121 | $91,142 |
| 15 | 13 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 300 | 0 | running | 118 | $54,950 |
| 16 | 17 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 300 | 0 | running | 115 | $85,233 |
| 17 | 8 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 300 | 0 | running | 112 | $91,392 |
| 18 | 15 | 10 | Jerry Nadeau | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 300 | 37 | running | 114 | $76,825 |
| 19 | 14 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 300 | 0 | running | 106 | $57,775 |
| 20 | 16 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 300 | 0 | running | 103 | $60,425 |
| 21 | 9 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 300 | 0 | running | 100 | $57,650 |
| 22 | 19 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 300 | 0 | running | 97 | $77,658 |
| 23 | 28 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 300 | 43 | running | 99 | $64,925 |
| 24 | 20 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 300 | 0 | running | 91 | $64,714 |
| 25 | 27 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 300 | 0 | running | 88 | $75,508 |
| 26 | 10 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 300 | 0 | running | 85 | $55,725 |
| 27 | 36 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 300 | 1 | running | 87 | $47,500 |
| 28 | 25 | 44 | Steve Grissom | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 300 | 0 | running | 79 | $46,825 |
| 29 | 11 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 300 | 0 | running | 76 | $97,028 |
| 30 | 40 | 14 | Stacy Compton | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 300 | 0 | running | 73 | $44,325 |
| 31 | 39 | 23 | Hut Stricklin | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 299 | 0 | running | 70 | $43,625 |
| 32 | 22 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 299 | 0 | running | 67 | $73,300 |
| 33 | 6 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 299 | 77 | running | 74 | $71,225 |
| 34 | 1 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 291 | 0 | running | 61 | $75,556 |
| 35 | 5 | 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 285 | 0 | running | 58 | $50,800 |
| 36 | 35 | 7 | Casey Atwood | Ultra-Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 257 | 0 | crash | 55 | $42,600 |
| 37 | 37 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 241 | 0 | running | 52 | $42,450 |
| 38 | 2 | 4 | Mike Skinner | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 230 | 1 | running | 54 | $44,800 |
| 39 | 12 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 121 | 1 | crash | 51 | $89,803 |
| 40 | 43 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Ford | 43 | 0 | handling | 43 | $42,145 |
| 41 | 29 | 25 | Joe Nemechek | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28 | 0 | crash | 40 | $50,050 |
| 42 | 42 | 27 | Kirk Shelmerdine | Kirk Shelmerdine Racing | Ford | 10 | 0 | oil pressure | 37 | $42,000 |
| 43 | 41 | 66 | Geoff Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 0 | 0 | rear end | 0 | $42,164 |
| Official race results |||||||||||
