|| *Comments on the 2003 EA Sports 500:* View the most recent comment <#69> | Post a comment <#post> Tweet 1. Jake posted: 06.07.2004 - 1:48 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Awesome to see what Michael Waltrip did w/ the escape hatch after he won. If there was an award for Funniest NASCAR driver, Michael Waltrip would win!!! 2. abcdefghijkl posted: 02.25.2005 - 3:55 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) mikey blocked all lanes on last lap 3. Brett posted: 02.25.2005 - 11:09 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) For the record, blocking lanes is the general idea if you wanna win at 'Dega, Mr...er, Alphy. Elliott Sadler takes the hellacious ride of the year award. 4. Chicago posted: 03.17.2005 - 2:00 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Blocking on the last lap is generally expected -- plus, that was a pretty good move, heading all the way up to block Gordon, Harvick, and then back down in front of his teammate, Earnhardt. Say what you will about being handed his first Great American Race, hanging on to win under caution at the Firecracker, or the rain handing him another Daytona win, but Michael earned this one fair and square. 5. Chicago posted: 03.17.2005 - 2:02 am Rate this comment: (4) (0) Also rather impressive was Buckshot Jones, leading twenty laps in Michael Waltrip's Crown Fiber Chevrolet. Maybe Roy did have some talent after all ... 6. HomeDepotKid posted: 03.25.2005 - 9:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And best of all, Waltrip did the blocking move on the LAST LAP. That's how you are SUPPOSED to race on the last lap. If it was any other time, there's no excuse. 7. carl edwards fan posted: 04.25.2005 - 1:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) i saw elliott sadler's flip with 7 laps to go. that was the wildest flip ive seen since tony stewart's flip in the 2001 Daytona 500. 8. Chicago posted: 05.30.2005 - 5:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Buckshot Jones didn't crash. He blew his left and right front tires and the fenders were damaged enough to where they decided that they wouldn't be competitive. 9. CBCMikeyfan posted: 07.30.2005 - 5:52 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think it's one of the best races I've seen, but then again I'm probably biased. LOL. Way to go Mikey, you earned this one. 10. Darrell posted: 10.21.2005 - 10:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It was Bucky's last NASCAR race too. Heck of a way to go out. 11. HomeDepot20TS posted: 03.08.2006 - 12:03 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The four laps after the restart from Sadler's crash were some of the most exciting in recent memory. 12. Darrell posted: 03.19.2006 - 9:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jason Jarrett makes his NASCAR debut in a car purchased from Morgan Shepherd. 13. nascarman posted: 05.14.2006 - 1:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) A crash after the finish involved: Bobby Labonte, Mark Martin, and Kenny Wallace. 14. dalejrfan15 posted: 06.19.2006 - 11:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) sorta reminicent of the 2001 500 dont you think 15. dalejrfan15 posted: 06.19.2006 - 11:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) also wasnt there a crash after the race 16. Miller4Prez64 posted: 07.15.2006 - 2:50 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) Michael Waltrip's last win to date and probably ever. 17. JJ Lehto posted: 10.15.2006 - 1:00 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Michael Waltrip's last win to date and probably ever." Very harsh words...unfortunatley that's probably true. 18. Brock posted: 01.19.2007 - 3:15 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Elliott Sadler's spotter goes birdwatching. 19. Mike posted: 09.17.2007 - 12:35 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jason Keller makes his second (and probably last) Cup start. If I remember correctly, he had a pretty good car, but got trapped a lap down by a caution. Also, in the second race with the lucky dog, two of the three drivers who got them got top five finishes--Junior and Newman. (Schrader was the third driver.) 20. adamal82 posted: 09.19.2007 - 3:02 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) This was the race that caused Kasey Kahne to sue Ford and RYR because he was promised the next available Ford ride in a cup race and it went to Jason Jarrett. The courts saw it as a breach of contract and the rest is history. 21. DNQ List posted: 09.24.2007 - 7:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Although it's kind of surprising given his reputation as a human wrecking ball, Buckshot was always a great driver in restrictor plate races. 22. most posted: 10.30.2007 - 7:31 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Ford then sued the 77 team for running a Dodge which lost them the manufacture support, didn't matter though since they were going to Dodge anyway. I am sure Kasey would give Ford all that money back, seeing as he could have ended up at RYR in Cup, that would have been a disaster for him! John Andretti ran the 90 for Childress, strange combo but got a good finish! 23. RaceFanX posted: 03.09.2008 - 3:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jason Keller scores his best career finish in the Cup series, a 26th. Why didn't anyone ever give him a real shot at the Cup series? 24. Anonymous posted: 04.20.2008 - 10:30 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Wasn't this Craven's last top 10? 25. Rad83 posted: 07.02.2008 - 4:21 am Rate this comment: (1) (2) This tragic race saw a real hypocrite of a man win. Waltrip was good in this race, only because of the equipment. Let's face it: anyone can win a plate race. Waltrip only does good, because of the draft. He is only good in the draft due to his experience. This will be Waltrip's last win. And hopefully, 2008 will be his last year. 26. Fenway posted: 07.09.2008 - 12:42 am Rate this comment: (1) (1) Think someone needs to cut back on the vitrol where Michael Waltrip is concerned. Obsessions aren't healthy. This might be his last victory. But as Loudon this year showed, anything is possible, and you can never say never until he announces his retirement -- which could be soon, or could not. 27. JCS posted: 09.02.2008 - 11:31 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Say what you will about Michael Waltrip's racing, he sure knows how to line up some high-dollar sponsorship. Every time he left a team, he seemed to take the sponsor with him. Elliott Sadler's wreck was particularly violent in this race. He managed to hit the concrete instead of the grass when he started rolling. 28. jp posted: 05.01.2009 - 9:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think I have a tape of the flip... yet again, it's been so long, I could have dreamed it. 29. Andre posted: 09.30.2010 - 10:20 am Rate this comment: (1) (2) lol to the comment above about Waltrip only being good at the draft... Well then, let's take away Dale Sr.'s plate wins, because he won them *only* because of the draft. What a horrible driver he was!!! In all seriousness, longevity in itself is saying something. He was competitive most of his career with teams that weren't necessarily at the top of the heap at the time (Bahari Racing, Wood Brothers weren't that competitive when he was with them, the #7 of Jim Matei's, which never really was particularly stellar)... so he was a journeyman, much like guys like Mast, Trickle, or Dave Marcis. They stuck around forever and perhaps had a shot or two at victory, just like Michael did. My two cents... Canadian cents. So there. One American cent. ;) 30. Evan posted: 12.20.2010 - 12:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jeff Green ran a YuGiOh Paint Scheme in this race and one of his crew members got hit in this race, with the back end of a car. He was not hurt but it was the second of two pit accidents in the '03 season. There were talks of a Pokemon scheme to be run, but the idea never took. 31. Sebastien Vettel likes to kill McLarens posted: 12.23.2010 - 10:03 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Somehow Sadler escaped those flips uninjured. He made it round 1.5 times in the air. 32. RaceFanX posted: 04.13.2012 - 9:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sponsor: #5 Terry Labonte- Kellogg's / got milk? / Winston Cup Victory Lap The Winston 'Victory Lap' program honored Alabama's own Bobby Allison and Terry Labonte at this race. Allison had a special white #22 Chevrolet painted to resemble the Buick he won the title with in 1983. Bobby's son Davey wasn't a Cup champion but was somewhat honored as Havoline ran Davey's old 1987-1989 white-and-black 'Battlestar' paint scheme as a throwback on Jamie McMurray's #42 in this race. McMurray ran at the front for much of the race with the colors that took Davey to his first-career win at Talladega in 1987. This was the second-time Havoline brought those colors back out, Ernie Irvan ran them in the 1997 Coca-Cola 600. If I'm not mistaken this race was actually the first time Michael Waltrip ran with an escape hatch, he was the driver who really lobbied to NASCAR for them after a couple flips where he (being over 6 foot tall, rare for NASCAR racers) found himself stuck in his car. If there was any concern it hurt aerodynamics he put them to rest with his victory here. Still the escape hatch was destined not to catch on, even Michael quit installing them on his car within a few years of this race. 33. Steve posted: 04.22.2012 - 12:42 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think this is the most recent Cup race with a driver from South Carolina: Jason Keller. 70+ year old James Harvey Hylton has attepmted a Cup race or two since then, but hasn't qualified. South Carolina drivers account for 254 wins; 2nd on the all time list regarding states. North Carolina drivers still lead with 733. 34. Daniel posted: 05.24.2012 - 10:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) In using fastest 43: #0 Jason Leffler, #4 Kevin Lepage, #45 Kyle Petty Out using fastest 43: #1 Jason Keller, #8 Dale Earnhardt Jr., #99 Jeff Burton 35. CBASS posted: 01.17.2013 - 5:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sponsor updates #90 AOL 9.0 Optimized #44 Bugles Racing #15 NAPA Auto Parts #80 Advair Discus http://archives.ciastockphoto.com/cgi/images.php?group=w0330 36. TTF24 posted: 01.26.2013 - 10:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Uh Oh Trouble Elliot Sadler is flipping over and over again. He has crashed! Caution is out. Are you okay? 37. Nascar Lead Lap Points posted: 08.03.2014 - 10:40 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Withdrew 89 Morgan Shepherd Racing With Jesus/Red Line Oil Ford Morgan Shepherd https://web.archive.org/web/20030925083537/http://www.nascar.com/races/wc/2003/29/data/entry_list.html 38. Mike posted: 01.27.2015 - 11:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Steve from three years ago: Last time a driver from SC started a race, yeah. Kertus Davis attempted a few Cup races in 2006, but never made the show for any of them. 39. JA28 posted: 07.03.2015 - 9:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 16. Miller4Prez64 posted: 07.15.2006 - 2:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Michael Waltrip's last win to date and probably ever. He came within half a lap of winning the 2012 version of this event somehow. 40. Anonymous posted: 12.04.2015 - 8:02 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Last top 10 for Ricky Craven 41. Jared DiCarlo posted: 08.03.2016 - 8:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) An interesting thing about this race is that Buckshot Jones led more laps than Jimmie Johnson. 42. Evan posted: 08.03.2016 - 9:09 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) A few observations * John Andretti ran a car numbered 90 out of the RCR shops, for the AOL Optimized 9.0. This was the first time the number ran that wasn't owned by Junie Donlavey. * A diecast version of Christian Fittipaldi's Bugles Ride came in packages of Bugles and can be still found on ebay. * This was the only the first engine failure Matt Kenseth had all season. The other was at the final race Homestead, when Kenseth had all but clinched the title. * Jason Jarrett ran his only Cup race against his father in a third Yates car, numbered 98. * Buckshot Jones ran a Michael Waltrip Racing car, and led 19 laps but crashed later in the race. It was a last hurrah of sorts for Buckshot as he had his fair share of incidents during his NASCAR career. * During the pre-race show Wally Dallenbach took Brian Williams, NBC Nightly News Anchor at the time around the track. Williams also took some time behind the wheel as well. * Kurt Busch ran the Irwin colors for the first time in this race. 43. Maverick11 posted: 08.04.2016 - 12:46 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Actually, the Irwin colors were first used at the Pepsi 400. But other than that, everything else is right. 44. chevyfan98 posted: 08.04.2016 - 12:54 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The Jason Jarrett thing is incorrect as well. He raced at Pocono in 2004 for Hermie Sadler's team. This was his only race driving for Yates though, so if that's what you were trying to say, then you are right. 45. 18fan posted: 09.01.2016 - 6:27 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) This was the last race Matt Kenseth led in his championship season. 46. sk posted: 12.03.2016 - 3:14 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Larry Foyt suffered a broken wrist and bruised kidney in his accident in this race, and after DNQ-ing the following week at Kansas stepped out of the car for the two races to follow. Mark Green (who was helping Foyt as a driver coach and consultant) stepped in but missed the field both weeks. 47. RWR posted: 12.23.2017 - 2:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) few cars DNQed surprisingly (#45 #30 #54...) for this race, anyone know what happened? 48. Anonymous posted: 12.23.2017 - 3:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @47 Look at who took provisionals. Lots of teams high in the points. IIRC the #8 and #1 got their time dissalowed too. 49. Mile501 posted: 12.23.2017 - 8:41 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) #48 is correct. Here is the qualifying page from Jayski: http://www.jayski.com/stats/2003grids/2003tss2-grid.html Along with the fact that there was a high number of quality teams in 2003, this race (as was often the case in certain races towards the end of the season back then) featured a few extra teams that didn't run the full schedule, like an extra Hendrick car and an extra Yates car, along with an extra Gibbs car that failed to qualify. When several high-ranking teams needed provisionals, the #1, ranked 30th in owner points and 95 points ahead of the #30 at the time, claimed the final spot while the #30 and several others went home. Owner standings prior to this race: http://www.jayski.com/stats/2003standings/sept21.htm 50. rm posted: 12.23.2017 - 11:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I have a lengthy writeup somewhere about this. Short version is the R&D cars that tested - which were required to attempt the race - all made the field sans Bliss and almost everyone that needed to make it on time did. Add in the Roush boys struggling badly and some teams that otherwise wouldn't sweat being in provisional land were suddenly outside of the field. 51. Mile501 posted: 12.24.2017 - 7:55 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) If the #8 and #1 hadn't needed provisionals, if their qualifying times hadn't been disallowed, the #14 of Larry Foyt would have missed the race and the #30 of Steve Park would have made it. That's especially interesting considering the #1 and #30 essentially swapped drivers earlier in the season (though Jeff Green was no longer driving the #1 at this point). 52. Jason24 posted: 12.25.2017 - 1:08 am Rate this comment: (3) (0) Quite a bit here. - Craven's final Cup series Top 10. - Jason Jarrett makes his Cup debut in a RYR entry which causes Kasey Kahne to leave Ford. - Michael Waltrip wins his final Cup race. -Elliott Sadler goes for a famous tumble with about 5 to go. -Buckshot Jones makes his final start in the Cup Series and leads 19 laps, the only time he led more than 1 lap his entire career. Quite the day for sure. Also a large field led to a few surprising DNQ's by full time teams as mentioned above. 53. Jason24 posted: 12.25.2017 - 1:29 am Rate this comment: (3) (0) Kind of ironic on a few of those DNQ's. The full time #30 RCR entry DNQ'd but the part time 90 RCR entry made the show. The full time #0 HAAS entry missed the show but the part time #60 Hendrick car sponsored by HAAS made the show. Buckshot Jones a former Petty driver makes the show in the part time 00 while Petty's full time 45 team goes home. 54. RWR posted: 12.25.2017 - 7:30 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) You forgot a former Morgan-McClure qualified but not Kevin Lepage haha. 55. TeamDCR fan posted: 12.25.2017 - 12:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Larry McReynolds served as the spotter for Buckshot in this race 56. joey2448 posted: 01.02.2018 - 2:35 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) Interesting to note is that the #30 Childress car DNQed here, while qualifying a lowly 30th in the spring Talladega race. But, the same #30 car qualified on pole at both Daytona races in 2003, Jeff Green driving the car in the 500 in February and Steve Park in the July race. 57. Matt posted: 02.24.2019 - 10:49 am Rate this comment: (1) (1) One of NASCAR on NBC's ways of communicating with the fans in 2003 was the "Cingular Wireless Poll", where you texted the answer to their poll question. Interestingly, only fans with Cingular Wireless cell phones could participate. This race's poll question was "What do you think of the "Lucky Dog" getting his lap back under NASCAR's new rule?" A-- It Has Little Impact On The Race (20%) B-- Nobody Should Get A Free Lap Back (37%) C-- I Liked It Better When They Raced Back (43%) (Note: this was the 3rd race where fans voiced their displeasure over this rule. NASCAR still did not listen.) 58. Corey posted: 02.24.2019 - 10:55 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) There are a few cases where NASCAR shouldn't listen to the fans. Racing back to the caution is one of them. No other major racing series allows it. 59. Matt posted: 02.24.2019 - 11:00 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) @58: I remember back when that stupid Overtime Line was a thing, I actually had an idea to improve on it: Say a wreck happens on the final lap. If it's behind the overtime line, caution comes out, field is frozen, race over. If the incident is past the overtime line, the field races back under green. Now that I look back, not as good of an idea as I thought 60. RaceFanX posted: 02.24.2019 - 11:08 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Fans at the time weren't exactly signing off on that. For years NASCAR drivers had a unofficial "gentleman's agreement" that driver's would never race each other back to the line when a caution came out, although drivers a lap down could run up to get a lap back. It only became a rule in 2003 after a few incidents left NASCAR with no choice to get involved; mainly Robby Gordon passing Kevin Harvick for the lead (and the win) at Sonoma while racing back to the yellow and the scary incident where drivers racing back almost crashed into Dale Jarrett when he wrecked at New Hampshire a few weeks earlier. It wasn't that fans wanted to see drivers race back, it's more that many thought it didn't need to be a rule and the drivers should/could take care of that themselves even if the drivers' way was losing its impact. 61. Jimmie4life posted: 02.24.2019 - 11:25 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) @58 Like you said, the 2003 fall race at Loudon had a car sitting in the middle of the track. No one hit it, but it did cause NASCAR to change this rule. Also, 1997 Texas race, cars were crashing coming to the caution and some serious wrecks, too. 62. TheDewCrew posted: 05.10.2020 - 9:51 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Elliott Sadler over once an a half an on his roof! Now the car tumbling hard onto the pavement in turn 3." That should be in the running for best calls of the century so far 63. Foote posted: 05.10.2020 - 2:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) Rick Allen having NBC's broadcast job over Bestwick is a good lesson to me and other young people entering the workforce: Even if you are objectively better at something than someone, they'll get the job instead because you're only 5'9" and they are 6'4". 64. SK posted: 07.09.2020 - 3:16 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) Sponsor update: #00 Buckshot Jones - Quanta Services / Crown Fiber Buckshot's father had sold his company (Crown Fiber) to Quanta in 1999 but stayed on as a VP - this was one of only 2 occasions where the family business adorned Buckshot's car after the sale. 65. SweetRich posted: 07.09.2020 - 10:03 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The 2nd and final career Cup Series race for Jason Keller. 66. SweetRich posted: 07.09.2020 - 10:05 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ricky Craven's final career top ten cup series finish as well as well the final top ten finish for PPI Motorsports, owned and operated by Cal Wells. 67. 52 posted: 07.09.2020 - 10:23 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) @66 Sonoma 2005. 68. SweetRich posted: 07.09.2020 - 10:53 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) You are correct. Ron Fellows competed in the tide ride at Sonoma and oddly enough finished in 8th place. 69. Rich posted: 08.06.2020 - 11:35 am 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: