The Pontiac Excitement 400 rolled to a start under the lights at Richmond International Raceway earlier than scheduled, as NASCAR officials hoped to squeeze in a full race before the coming rain began. The 300 mile event marked 50 years of racing at Richmond. The atmosphere in the garage and the grandstands was subdued before the race, everyone's thoughts on driver Jerry Nadeau, who was critically injured in the previous day's practice.
Once the cars took the track, the focus was once more on racing. Terry Labonte scored his first pole position since 2000, and was joined in the front row by teammate Joe Nemechek. Point leader Matt Kenseth started from the 18th spot. Busch Series driver Jason Keller made his Winston Cup debut, filling in for the injured Jerry Nadeau, started from the back of the field.
Joe Nemechek edged past Terry Labonte on the start to lead the first lap, but Labonte got to the front on lap 3 to lead a lap. Nemechek charged back to the front and opened up a comfortable lead over Labonte and the rest of the field. Over a 40-lap green flag run, Nemechek closed on the cars at the back of the field, putting the struggling Robby Gordon a lap down. Gordon headed into the pits to make adjustments to his car, and lost 2 more laps before returning to the track.
The first caution of the day came on lap 44 when Steve Park spun in turn two, hitting the outside wall. Behind him, Jamie McMurray lost control of his car while trying to avoid Park and spun as well. The entire field headed to pit road, where Terry Labonte reclaimed the lead. The second caution followed quickly, as Jack Sprague made contact with Kyle Petty and went spinning up the track.
On the restart, Ryan Newman passed Labonte for the lead, but was black flagged when his car began smoking several laps later leaving Nemechek in the lead. Newman took his car to the garage for repairs. Behind the leaders, Mike Skinner and Todd Bodine shared a scary moment as they made contact while racing for position, but both straightened their cars and continued racing. Point leader Matt Kenseth slid up the track and brushed the wall, but also managed to recover without difficulty.
Lap 141 brought the third caution, when a flat tire sent Jimmy Spencer hard into the outside wall in turn 3. Mark Martin brought his car to pit lane before the pits were open, opting to take the penalty rather than attempt to complete another lap, and his crew raised the hood immediately. When the pits opened, all of the leaders came in for service. This time the younger Labonte brother, Bobby, was the one to lead off of pit road. A light drizzle began to fall, making the track a little slick for the restart and increasing the pace on the track as each driver fought to be the one in the lead at the halfway point, in case the race was called due to rain.
A long green flag run brought Joe Nemechek slowly back to the front, and he took the lead from Bobby Labonte on lap 204, just 6 laps before the rain picked up and the yellow flag waved. Soon the rain subsided, though, and the race resumed with one eye on the radar screen. Just laps into the restart, defending champion Tony Stewart spun into the outside wall. Elliott Sadler also spun, separately, and both headed into the garage. Many of the leaders pitted, but several cars stayed out, wanting to make up as much track position as possible before the rain began in earnest. Jeff Gordon took the lead.
After several more cautions for minor incidents, Robby Gordon managed to work his way back onto the lead lap, and Mark Martin took the lead from Jeff Gordon. A multi-car collision on lap 268 brought some teams into the pits, including Martin, and Bill Elliott took the lead. Kevin Harvick, working his way up form a 36th starting position, followed. Another caution, the second involving Jack Sprague, brought the most of the leaders into the pits. Robby Gordon stayed out to become the record-tying 11th different leader.
John Andretti spun alone, bringing out the 11th caution of the race and giving the teams who had stayed out through the last few yellows to pit, including teammates Terry Labonte and Jeff Gordon. Joe Nemechek reclaimed the lead again on the restart.
The last 50 laps brought a barrage of yellow flags, starting on lap 363 when Dale Jarrett spun into the inside wall, ending his day. Eight laps later, Jimmie Johnson went around and into the wall in another of the late race incidents that have plagued his season. Shortly after the restart, Ricky Rudd and Mike Skinner made contact and spun to bring out another caution flag. With 11 laps to go, Jack Sprague brought was involved in his third incident of the day after Harvick bumped him from behind. Kenny Wallace, trying to avoid the spinning #0, skidded across the infield and into the wall. As the field followed the pace car in anticipation of the green flag and a 7-lap shootout to the checkered flag, the rain started coming down. NASCAR halted the race, and Joe Nemechek became the 10th winner of the 2003 season. Bobby Labonte scored his third consecutive second place finish second place finish, and behind him, Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished third, narrowing Matt Kenseth's lead in the championship standings to just 20 points. Robby Gordon, who fell 3 laps down and into the last position early in the race, finished 4th, and Mark martin rounded out the top 5.
Unofficial Results
- Joe Nemechek
- Bobby Labonte
- Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Robby Gordon
- Mark Martin
- Kevin Harvick
- Matt Kenseth
- Kurt Busch
- Jeff Burton
- Rusty Wallace
Unofficial Standings
- Matt Kenseth
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. -20
- Kurt Busch -167
- Jeff Gordon -181
- Bobby Labonte -243
- Jimmie Johnson -247
- Michael Waltrip -258
- Kevin Harvick -291
- Rusty Wallace -345
- Sterling Marlin -360
