The 2002 Sharpie 500 was the 24th stock car race of the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 42nd iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, August 24, 2002, in Bristol, Tennessee at Bristol Motor Speedway, a 0.533 miles (0.858 km) permanent oval-shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 500 laps to complete. At race's end, Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would complete a bump-and-run with less than three to go on eventual second-place finisher, Penske Racing driver Rusty Wallace, to win his 59th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his first of the season. To fill out the podium, Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. would finish third. But the race became notable for it being a night of tempers were there was 4 different instances where drivers showed their tempers to other drivers.
Background
The Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway, is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. Despite its short length, Bristol is among the most popular tracks on the NASCAR schedule because of its distinct features, which include extraordinarily steep banking, an all concrete surface, two pit roads, and stadium-like seating. It has also been named one of the loudest NASCAR tracks.
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver.
#DriverTeamMake1Steve ParkDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet2Rusty WallacePenske RacingFord02Hermie SadlerSCORE MotorsportsChevrolet4Mike SkinnerMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet5Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6Mark MartinRoush RacingFord7Casey AtwoodUltra-Evernham MotorsportsDodge8Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet9Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge10Johnny Benson Jr.MBV MotorsportsPontiac11Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord12Ryan Newman (R)Penske RacingFord14Mike WallaceA. J. Foyt EnterprisesPontiac15Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet17Matt KensethRoush RacingFord18Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac19Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge20Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac21Elliott SadlerWood Brothers RacingFord22Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge23Hut StricklinBill Davis RacingDodge24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet25Joe NemechekHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet26Todd BodineHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord27Scott WimmerBill Davis RacingDodge28Ricky RuddRobert Yates RacingFord29Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet30Jeff GreenRichard Childress RacingChevrolet31Robby GordonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet32Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsFord36Ken SchraderMB2 MotorsportsPontiac40Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge41Jimmy SpencerChip Ganassi RacingDodge43John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesDodge44Jerry NadeauPetty EnterprisesDodge45Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge48Jimmie Johnson (R)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet49Derrike CopeBAM RacingDodge51Carl LongWare Racing EnterprisesDodge55Bobby HamiltonAndy Petree RacingChevrolet71Tim SauterMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet77Dave BlaneyJasper MotorsportsFord88Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord89Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesFord90Lance HooperDonlavey RacingFord97Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord99Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFordOfficial entry list
Practice Originally, three practice sessions were going to be held, with all three being held on Friday, August 23. However, due to a long rain delay during qualifying, the second practice session was canceled.
First practice The first practice session was held on Friday, August 23, at 11:20 AM EST, and would last for two hours. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 15.420 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed124Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.420124.43628Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet15.507123.73839Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge15.526123.586Full first practice results
Final practice The final practice session was held on Friday, August 23, at 6:15 PM EST, and would last for 45 minutes. Ryan Newman of Penske Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 15.790 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed112Ryan Newman (R)Penske RacingFord15.790121.52029Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge15.889120.763330Jeff GreenRichard Childress RacingChevrolet15.985120.037Full Final practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Friday, August 23, 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.
Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports would win the pole, setting a time of 15.470 and an average speed of .
Four drivers would fail to qualify: Hermie Sadler, Carl Long, Morgan Shepherd, and Tim Sauter.
Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed124Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.470124.03428Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet15.482123.938315Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet15.486123.90642Rusty WallacePenske RacingFord15.490123.87359Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge15.492123.857610Johnny Benson Jr.MBV MotorsportsPontiac15.505123.754732Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsFord15.516123.666897Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord15.526123.586922Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingDodge15.528123.5701017Matt KensethRoush RacingFord15.532123.5381141Jimmy SpencerChip Ganassi RacingDodge15.532123.5381218Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac15.544123.4431319Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge15.545123.4351412Ryan Newman (R)Penske RacingFord15.555123.3561528Ricky RuddRobert Yates RacingFord15.560123.316164Mike SkinnerMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet15.565123.277177Casey AtwoodUltra-Evernham MotorsportsDodge15.575123.1971830Jeff GreenRichard Childress RacingChevrolet15.582123.1421988Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord15.587123.1032025Joe NemechekHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.618122.858216Mark MartinRoush RacingFord15.621122.8352245Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge15.624122.8112329Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet15.639122.693245Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.646122.6382526Todd BodineHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord15.647122.6312620Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac15.648122.6232740Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge15.660122.5292811Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord15.662122.5132949Derrike CopeBAM RacingDodge15.671122.4433031Robby GordonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet15.672122.4353127Scott WimmerBill Davis RacingDodge15.679122.3803248Jimmie Johnson (R)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.684122.3413314Mike WallaceA. J. Foyt EnterprisesPontiac15.684122.3413455Bobby HamiltonAndy Petree RacingChevrolet15.708122.1543544Jerry NadeauPetty EnterprisesDodge15.741121.8983699Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord15.769121.682Provisionals3777Dave BlaneyJasper MotorsportsFord15.891120.7483821Elliott SadlerWood Brothers RacingFord15.787121.5433943John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesDodge15.848121.0754036Ken SchraderMB2 MotorsportsPontiac——4123Hut StricklinBill Davis RacingDodge15.840121.136421Steve ParkDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet15.791121.5124390Lance HooperDonlavey RacingFord16.072119.388Failed to qualify4402Hermie SadlerSCORE MotorsportsChevrolet15.831121.2054551Carl LongWare Racing EnterprisesDodge15.942120.3614689Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesFord16.098119.1954771Tim SauterMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet16.198118.459Official qualifying results
Race Dale Earnhardt Jr. led the first lap of the race from pole sitter Jeff Gordon. The first caution flew on lap 5 when Todd Bodine, Steve Park, and Lance Hooper crashed on the backstretch. Dale Earnhardt Jr. held on to his lead on the restart of the race on lap 12. On lap 17, the second caution flew when Todd Bodine crashed on the backstretch. The race restarted on lap 23 and Dale Jr. held on to his lead. The third caution flew on lap 30 when Robby Gordon spun in turn 4. The race restarted on lap 36 and no one could catch Dale Earnhardt Jr. as Jr. went on to lead the first 130 laps of the race. After only 21 green flag laps, the fourth caution flew on lap 56 when Ricky Craven spun in turn 2 after he got dumped by Robby Gordon. On pit road during the caution, points leader Sterling Marlin was penalized for dragging his jack out of his pit box and had to go to the rear of the field. The race restarted on lap 62. On lap 68, the 5th caution flew when Elliott Sadler crashed on the backstretch after contact with Joe Nemechek. Sadler got out of his car and pointed at his head at Nemechek as Nemechek went by as if Sadler was saying "I will remember that." The race restarted on lap 76. On lap 131, Jeff Gordon took the lead from Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Gordon would go on to lead the next 116 laps of the race. After 75 green flag laps, The 6th caution flew on lap 150 when rookie star Jimmie Johnson spun in turn 4. Jeff Gordon beat out Jimmy Spencer to win the race off of pit road to keep his lead and the race restarted on lap 157. The 7th caution flew on lap 168 when multiple cars like Scott Wimmer, Terry Labonte, and Derrike Cope cut tires after running over debris. The race restarted on lap 175. On lap 247, Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the lead from Jeff Gordon. But 11 laps later on lap 257, Jeff Gordon took the lead back from Dale Jr. and Gordon would lead the next 116 laps. After the longest green flag run of 117 laps, the 8th caution flew on lap 291 when Steve Park spun in turn 2. Jeff Gordon won the race off of pit road to keep his lead. On the restart on lap 298, chaos ensued that collected a total of 9 cars. Jeremy Mayfield got turned by Dale Jarrett and Mayfield spun up and back down and clipped Jarett causing Jarrett to spin in turn 1 and collect more cars. The wreck also collected Jeff Burton, Ryan Newman, Mark Martin, Jerry Nadeau, Bobby Labonte, Michael Waltrip, and Kurt Busch. The race restarted on lap 308. On lap 315, the 10th caution flew when Ricky Craven slowed on the backstretch and was run into from behind by Jeff Green giving Green major front end damage. The race restarted on lap 331 but on lap 333, the 11th caution flew when Ryan Newman crashed in turn 4 after contact with Mark Martin. Terry Labonte also spun trying to avoid the crash. The race restarted on lap 339.
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