2002 New Hampshire 300
# 2002 New Hampshire 300

The 2002 New Hampshire 300 was the 27th stock car race of the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the sixth iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, September 15, 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 was shortened from its scheduled 300 laps to 207 due to darkness. At race's end, Ryan Newman, driving for Penske Racing, would dominate the race until the end to win his first career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his only win of the season. To fill out the podium, Kurt Busch of Roush Racing and Tony Stewart of Joe Gibbs Racing would finish second and third, respectively.

## 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 |
| 02 | Hermie Sadler | SCORE Motorsports | Chevrolet | Dixie Chopper |
| 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 |
| 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Budweiser |
| 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Dodge |
| 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | Valvoline |
| 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | Hooters |
| 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford | Mobil 1, Speedpass |
| 14 | Mike Wallace | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | Conseco |
| 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | NAPA Auto Parts |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | DeWalt |
| 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 Dealers |
| 23 | Kenny Wallace | 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 |
| 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Havoline |
| 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | God Bless America |
| 30 | Jeff Green | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | America Online |
| 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Cingular Wireless "Home of the Brave" |
| 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | Tide |
| 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | M&M's |
| 37 | Kevin Lepage | Quest Motor Racing | Ford | Friendly'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 | Jerry Nadeau | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Georgia-Pacific Brawny |
| 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Sprint |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
| 51 | Carl Long (R) | Ware Racing Enterprises | Dodge | Revival Soy |
| 55 | Greg Biffle | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Square D |
| 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | UPS |
| 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Ford | Racing for Jesus, Red Line Oil |
| 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, September 13, at 11:20 AM EST, and would last for 2 hours. Ryan Newman of Penske Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.799 and an average speed of 132.255 miles per hour (212.844 km/h).

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford | 28.799 | 132.255 |
| 2 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 28.881 | 131.879 |
| 3 | 55 | Greg Biffle | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 28.895 | 131.815 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Saturday, September 14, at 9:30 AM EST, and would last for 45 minutes. Ward Burton of Bill Davis Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.421 and an average speed of 129.459 miles per hour (208.344 km/h).

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 29.421 | 129.459 |
| 2 | 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford | 29.422 | 129.454 |
| 3 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.440 | 129.375 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Third and final practice

The third and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, September 14, at 11:15 AM EST, and would last for 45 minutes. Greg Biffle of Andy Petree Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.350 and an average speed of 129.772 miles per hour (208.848 km/h).

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 55 | Greg Biffle | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 29.350 | 129.772 |
| 2 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.500 | 129.112 |
| 3 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 29.524 | 129.007 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Friday, September 13, at 3:05 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 champion needs the provisional, the next team in the owner points will be awarded a provisional.

Ryan Newman of Penske Racing would win the pole, setting a time of 28.802 and an average speed of 132.241 miles per hour (212.821 km/h).

Carl Long was the only driver to fail to qualify.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford | 28.802 | 132.241 |
| 2 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.031 | 131.198 |
| 3 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.040 | 131.157 |
| 4 | 55 | Greg Biffle | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 29.048 | 131.121 |
| 5 | 4 | Mike Skinner | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.052 | 131.103 |
| 6 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.075 | 130.999 |
| 7 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.117 | 130.810 |
| 8 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 29.120 | 130.797 |
| 9 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 29.166 | 130.590 |
| 10 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.190 | 130.483 |
| 11 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 29.200 | 130.438 |
| 12 | 44 | Jerry Nadeau | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 29.211 | 130.389 |
| 13 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 29.247 | 130.229 |
| 14 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.254 | 130.198 |
| 15 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Ford | 29.262 | 130.162 |
| 16 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.265 | 130.149 |
| 17 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.271 | 130.122 |
| 18 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.272 | 130.117 |
| 19 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.299 | 129.998 |
| 20 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 29.330 | 129.860 |
| 21 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.341 | 129.811 |
| 22 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.345 | 129.794 |
| 23 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.348 | 129.781 |
| 24 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 29.352 | 129.763 |
| 25 | 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 29.364 | 129.710 |
| 26 | 37 | Kevin Lepage | Quest Motor Racing | Ford | 29.370 | 129.683 |
| 27 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 29.419 | 129.467 |
| 28 | 41 | Jimmy Spencer | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 29.436 | 129.393 |
| 29 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.461 | 129.283 |
| 30 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 29.482 | 129.191 |
| 31 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.528 | 128.989 |
| 32 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.532 | 128.972 |
| 33 | 30 | Jeff Green | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.536 | 128.954 |
| 34 | 25 | Joe Nemechek | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.541 | 128.933 |
| 35 | 26 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 29.547 | 128.906 |
| 36 | 7 | Casey Atwood | Ultra-Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 29.555 | 128.872 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.669 | 128.376 |
| 38 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 29.571 | 128.802 |
| 39 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | — | — |
| 40 | 14 | Mike Wallace | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 29.705 | 128.221 |
| 41 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 29.694 | 128.268 |
| 42 | 02 | Hermie Sadler | SCORE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.174 | 126.228 |
| 43 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Ford | 29.909 | 127.346 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 51 | Carl Long (R) | Ware Racing Enterprises | Dodge | 29.847 | 127.611 |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford | 207 | 143 | running | 185 | $202,550 |
| 2 | 6 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 207 | 7 | running | 175 | $144,300 |
| 3 | 10 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 207 | 0 | running | 165 | $138,328 |
| 4 | 2 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 207 | 53 | running | 165 | $113,625 |
| 5 | 3 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 207 | 0 | running | 155 | $113,578 |
| 6 | 8 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 207 | 0 | running | 150 | $70,150 |
| 7 | 23 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 207 | 0 | running | 146 | $94,625 |
| 8 | 14 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 207 | 2 | running | 147 | $66,025 |
| 9 | 19 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 207 | 0 | running | 138 | $56,225 |
| 10 | 17 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 207 | 0 | running | 134 | $73,875 |
| 11 | 37 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 207 | 0 | running | 130 | $70,425 |
| 12 | 18 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 207 | 0 | running | 127 | $94,442 |
| 13 | 16 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 207 | 0 | running | 124 | $74,525 |
| 14 | 21 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 207 | 0 | running | 121 | $101,803 |
| 15 | 28 | 41 | Jimmy Spencer | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 207 | 0 | running | 118 | $66,250 |
| 16 | 7 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 207 | 0 | running | 115 | $85,433 |
| 17 | 29 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 207 | 1 | running | 117 | $76,731 |
| 18 | 30 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 207 | 0 | running | 109 | $49,975 |
| 19 | 15 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Ford | 207 | 0 | running | 106 | $90,425 |
| 20 | 22 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 207 | 0 | running | 103 | $94,092 |
| 21 | 24 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 207 | 0 | running | 100 | $88,067 |
| 22 | 11 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 207 | 0 | running | 97 | $76,108 |
| 23 | 20 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 206 | 1 | running | 99 | $74,781 |
| 24 | 9 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 206 | 0 | running | 91 | $56,425 |
| 25 | 25 | 77 | Dave Blaney | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 206 | 0 | running | 88 | $64,514 |
| 26 | 33 | 30 | Jeff Green | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 206 | 0 | running | 85 | $48,225 |
| 27 | 4 | 55 | Greg Biffle | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 206 | 0 | running | 82 | $56,000 |
| 28 | 12 | 44 | Jerry Nadeau | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 206 | 0 | running | 79 | $47,325 |
| 29 | 39 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 206 | 0 | running | 76 | $76,425 |
| 30 | 31 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 206 | 0 | running | 73 | $73,158 |
| 31 | 40 | 14 | Mike Wallace | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 206 | 0 | running | 70 | $43,625 |
| 32 | 34 | 25 | Joe Nemechek | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 205 | 0 | running | 67 | $51,425 |
| 33 | 32 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 205 | 0 | running | 64 | $89,003 |
| 34 | 36 | 7 | Casey Atwood | Ultra-Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 205 | 0 | running | 61 | $43,000 |
| 35 | 38 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 205 | 0 | running | 58 | $50,800 |
| 36 | 41 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 204 | 0 | running | 55 | $42,600 |
| 37 | 42 | 02 | Hermie Sadler | SCORE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 204 | 0 | running | 52 | $42,450 |
| 38 | 27 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 191 | 0 | running | 49 | $85,300 |
| 39 | 13 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 139 | 0 | running | 46 | $42,225 |
| 40 | 26 | 37 | Kevin Lepage | Quest Motor Racing | Ford | 84 | 0 | engine | 43 | $42,145 |
| 41 | 43 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Ford | 53 | 0 | brakes | 40 | $42,050 |
| 42 | 35 | 26 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 52 | 0 | engine | 37 | $67,187 |
| 43 | 5 | 4 | Mike Skinner | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 40 | 0 | engine | 34 | $42,164 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 51 | Carl Long (R) | Ware Racing Enterprises | Dodge | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||
