|| *Comments on the 2002 Protection One 400:* View the most recent comment <#31> | Post a comment <#post> Tweet 1. Jack Lewis posted: 07.28.2004 - 5:39 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) This was the race in which Sterling Marlin got injured and had to sit out the rest of the 2002 season. This after he led for much of the season up to this point. 2. Heather posted: 02.08.2005 - 6:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Had no idea how much this race would impact the rest of the season... 3. JC posted: 07.30.2005 - 5:18 am Rate this comment: (1) (1) The race that would end Marlin's career year. 4. Steve posted: 07.27.2006 - 6:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) In the Lap 5 crash, Kenny Schrader's car caught air, I believe after hitting Tony Raines' spinning car. In 2001 Gordon and Newman finished 1-2. In 2002 Gordon and Newman finished 1-2. 5. Anonymous posted: 10.07.2006 - 9:33 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sterling's crash was scary. The front of his car was smashed in a way that looked just like Dale Sr.'s fatal Daytona crash. I bet Sterling would have won the title if he had not been injured. At least he is still alive and able to race, albeit at a much lower calibur. 6. JJ Lehto posted: 10.16.2006 - 4:06 am Rate this comment: (0) (2) He WOULD have won the title, there's no doubt in my mind. 7. Anonymous posted: 05.24.2007 - 12:25 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) He would have won the title if the RICHMOND crash wouldn't have happened. 8. kyle posted: 07.24.2007 - 10:26 am Rate this comment: (0) (2) he would had won the title and 5 years later hes out of a ride. 9. Mr. Big posted: 05.04.2008 - 9:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) He basically had the title, then the Richmond crash happened and screwed him up pretty bad. This one just added on to it. 10. Mr. Big posted: 05.04.2008 - 9:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (4) I also forgot to mention, THANKS, Jeff Burton. Way to end Sterling's season. 11. David posted: 06.21.2008 - 7:21 pm Rate this comment: (5) (0) I dont think he woulda won the title. He was 4th in points comming into this race, and Martin, Johnson and Stewart had the momentum going at the time the Richmond crash ended marlins bid 12. Zed 3_88fan4eva posted: 07.03.2008 - 7:49 am Rate this comment: (0) (2) I can't help but wonder that if Richmond and then this race had not happened where not only Sterling Marlin would be but Chip Ganassi, how he'd be doing because just yesterday they shut down the #40 team. I still think Sterling woulda won this title. 13. Rad83 posted: 07.21.2008 - 2:14 am Rate this comment: (6) (1) Sterling was actually injured at Richmond, and this race was the one that destroyed it. He would have NOT won the title even if the wrecks didn't happen. He was getting worse and worse. He would have finished top-3 no doubt. But in no way would he ever win a championship. 14. Willy on Wheels posted: 10.25.2008 - 6:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (3) It took one race from Sterling to go from a star to a has-been. He (as well as a few others out there that won a few races during 2000-2004)deserves a ride a lot more than the punks like Michael McDowell or S**** W****** in NWS that they have now. 15. Art D posted: 02.28.2010 - 2:55 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) 61st career win for J. Gordon. 16. Schroeder51 posted: 01.26.2012 - 1:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'd almost forgotten that this place used to be a crashfest early in its life. Now it's one of the cleanest tracks on the circuit! 17. CBASS posted: 05.13.2012 - 12:27 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sponsor corrections #41 Energizer #10 Zerex/ Valvoline #18 Banquet/ Interstate Batteries #45 Sprint PCS Vision 18. Daniel posted: 05.25.2012 - 12:49 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) In using fastest 43: #11 Brett Bodine & #27 Kirk Shelmerdine Out using fastest 43: #49 Stuart Kirby & #89 Morgan Shepherd 19. Schroeder51 posted: 08.22.2012 - 11:30 pm Rate this comment: (4) (0) First time Johnson ever left a race leading the points standings...in his rookie season, no less! It would certainly not be the last time... 20. David posted: 02.13.2013 - 1:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Webmaster: Gil Martin did not crew chief this race for Kevin Harvick, as he had acute bronchitis. Scott Naset and Richard Childress called the shots for Harvick. 21. David posted: 08.04.2014 - 11:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Webmaster: I'm an idiot. The previous comment should have been posted on the 2012 Kansas page. The crew chief was still Martin. 22. Burton22fan posted: 07.24.2016 - 3:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Man, Ward couldn't get a break that year. This was his 2nd straight 43 place finish. 23. Maverick19 posted: 12.12.2016 - 1:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) No way was Sterling winning the title that year. He started off the season red hot with 2 wins and 8 top 10's in 10 races, but he completely fell off after that. From the first Richmond race to Watkins Glen (a 12 race stretch), he only had 3 top 10's and everyone began to close the gap. He had a nice three race stretch after that, but after that dry spell stretch and the Richmond crash, his momentum was gone just as Martin, Stewart, and Johnson were getting red hot. If he wasn't injured he might have challenged, but the tide had already turned. 24. chevyfan98 posted: 12.12.2016 - 2:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) There's a chance he could've won it if his Richmond crash didn't happen. But I agree, highly doubtful he would've won if not without this wreck. 25. Kyle Busch 18 posted: 10.22.2018 - 10:42 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) The HANS device became mandatory at Talladega one week after this race, I think it was a combination of Sterling Marlins wreck in this race and Blaise Alexanders fatal wreck at Charlotte in the ARCA race that led NASCAR to make that decision. 26. CP posted: 05.27.2019 - 5:22 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Post 25, that was 2001 before fall Talladega. 27. Sector posted: 03.01.2020 - 8:51 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Jimmie Johnson became the first "rookie" driver to ever lead the standings in the Cup series. It would only last for one race as he had an engine failure the following week, which gave Tony Stewart the opening to lead the rest of the way in becoming the 2002 champion. 28. Sector posted: 03.01.2020 - 8:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #27 To this day in 2020, no other rookie has led the standings yet. 29. rm posted: 03.25.2020 - 9:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Steve Letarte - mislabeled as "Latarte" by the NBC broadcast graphic - was highlighted late in the race as the booth touched on the 23-year old's rapid rise as a over-the-wall guy and mechanic on race winner Jeff Gordon's team. Three years later, Letarte had assumed the helm as the team's crew chief and earned his first top ten atop the box in the 2005 running of this race. 30. SweetRich21/43 posted: 07.31.2020 - 4:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The commentators were Allen Bestwick, Benny Parsons and Wally Dallenbach. The pit road reporters were Bill Weber, Matt Yocum, Marty Snider and Dave Burns. 31. TheDewCrew posted: 08.08.2020 - 9:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Bobby Labonte had a hard crash in final practice. Bobby simply lost control of his car in turn 2, then proceeded to hit the gas, to try and miss the wall, only to run head-on into the outside wall. Labonte was ok, but had a limp in his step after getting out of his mangled 18 car ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: