The Hardee's 250 rolled to a start under the lights of Richmond International Raceway amidst concern for injured driver Jerry Nadeau. The weather was clear as the field followed the pace car onto the <= mile oval for the start of the start of the race. A last minute, single race sponsorship deal allowed point leader Todd Bodine to start the race that, just the day before qualifying, he was not scheduled to enter.
Michael Waltrip posted the fastest qualifying time and led the field from the pole position, joined in the front row by Jason Keller. Todd Bodine started 16th. Newcomer Martin Truex Jr., driving a Dale Earnhardt Jr. owned Chevy, started 6th in the first of several races he is scheduled to run for the team.
As the green flag waved, pole sitter Michael Waltrip jumped ahead of the field. Just a few laps in, Kerry Earnhardt slid up the track into the outside wall in turn one, but recovered and did not bring out a yellow flag. The first caution of the day came on lap seven, when Mike Harmon spun hard into the outside wall in the same corner, collecting Morgan Shepard, Larry Gunselman and Chris Bingham in the aftermath.
A long green flag stretch gave Johnny Sauter the chance to catch Waltrip and take the lead. Stanton Barrett, racing just ahead of the leader and trying to hold the lead lap, drove too hard into the corner and spun into the outside wall, bringing out the second caution of the race. The entire field headed for pit road, where Sauter missed his pit stall and had to go back around, falling from the lead back to 30th position.
Several more cautions for cars spinning across the track slowed the race again and again through the first half of the race. On lap 88, contact with Caleb Holman sent Todd Bodine spinning into the outside wall, ending his hopes for a strong finish and narrowing his lead in the point standings. At the halfway point, there had been a total of seven cautions, most for single car incidents, and Scott Riggs continued to lead the field.
Kevin Harvick charged into the lead with the help of a good pit stop, and began to pull away from the field. A multi-car collision with 112 laps to go damaged the cars of Joe Nemechek, Jason Keller, Kasey Kahne, and Coy Gibbs. Kevin Grubb spun into the wall, bringing out another caution after a short green flag stretch. Yet another caution waved when a transmission failure slowed the second place car of Martin Truex Jr. and Randy LaJoie hit him from behind, ending the race for both drivers.
The record breaking 12th caution came in turn 4, when Ashton Lewis spun up the track in the middle of the field, starting a chain reaction that involved four other cars, including Mike McLaughlin and David Stremme. Scott Riggs, running a close second, challenged Harvick for the lead and the win, but another caution with 11 laps to go put the battle on hold. On the restart, Riggs looked as though he would be able to take the top spot, until Brian Vickers and Ron Hornaday made contact and both spun with 4 laps to go, bringing out another yellow flag and effectively ending the race. Harvick too the checkered flag under caution to become the second repeat winner of the 2003 season.
Unofficial Results
- Kevin Harvick
- Scott Riggs
- Tony Raines
- Michael Waltrip
- Scott Wimmer
- Johnny Sauter
- Stacy Compton
- Shane Hmiel
- David Green
- Bobby Hamilton Jr.
Unofficial Standings
- Todd Bodine
- David Green -40
- Shane Hmiel -44
- Ron Hornaday -57
- Scott Riggs -118
- Jason Keller -129
- Mike Bliss -142
- Johnny Sauter -150
- Kasey Kahne -188
- Brian Vickers -220
