The 2002 Eastern Creek V8 Supercar round was the third round of the 2002 V8 Supercar Championship Series. It was held on the weekend of 26 to 28 April at the Eastern Creek Raceway, New South Wales Australia.

The round was dominated by Mark Skaife, who took pole position and won every race of the weekend. These results helped further cement his lead in the championship. Marcos Ambrose was second for the round whilst the podium was rounded out by Craig Lowndes.

Race results

Pre-qualifying In a tense pre-qualifying session, several key drivers failed to qualify for the event. Paul Morris and Steve Owen collided, resulting in a puncture for the former toward the end of the session. He was unable to improve on his time and thus became one of the casualties. It was also said to be the first time Wayne Gardner failed to qualify for a motor race. Despite rule changes introduced the round prior in an attempt to aid those who had to undertake pre-qualifying, the system was still universally unpopular with the teams and drivers.

Pos No Name Team Vehicle Time 1 21 Brad Jones Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:33.0200 2 5 Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:33.2849 3 27 Neil Crompton 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 1:33.4170 4 71 Greg Ritter Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:33.5169 5 3 Cameron McConville Lansvale Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 1:33.5503 6 10 Mark Larkham Larkham Motor Sport Ford Falcon (AU) 1:33.5718 7 40 Cameron McLean Paragon Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 1:33.5740 Did not qualify 8 24 Paul Romano Romano Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 1:33.6100 9 36 Wayne Gardner Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:33.7429 10 29 Paul Morris Paul Morris Motorsport Holden Commodore (VX) 1:33.8544 11 75 Anthony Tratt Paul Little Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:34.1156 12 22 Dugal McDougall McDougall Motorsport Holden Commodore (VX) 1:35.0030 13 14 Steve Owen Imrie Motor Sport Holden Commodore (VX) 1:35.1333

Qualifying Friday afternoon's qualifying session provided a few surprises. Brazilian Max Wilson clocked the second-fastest time in just his third weekend in the category. Series veteran John Faulkner stunned the paddock by qualifying in fourth place after years of struggling with budget and equipment. Lowndes qualified outside the top 10 whilst the Dick Johnson Racing Falcon's struggled, with their inexplicable lack of pace leaving them in the mid-pack as they attempted to find a solution. Skaife meanwhile set the benchmark, with a time nearly half a second faster than the rest of the pack, to take provisional pole position.

Pos No Name Team Vehicle Time 1 1 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 1:31.8873 2 65 Max Wilson Briggs Motor Sport Ford Falcon (AU) 1:32.3208 3 34 Garth Tander Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VX) 1:32.3955 4 46 John Faulkner John Faulkner Racing Holden Commodore (VT) 1:32.4509 5 31 Steven Ellery Steven Ellery Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:32.4681 6 51 Greg Murphy Kmart Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 1:32.4739 7 4 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:32.4802 8 8 Russell Ingall Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 1:32.4995 9 16 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 1:32.6782 10 9 David Besnard Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:32.7186 11 2 Jason Bright Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 1:32.7706 12 15 Todd Kelly Kmart Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 1:32.8048 13 00 Craig Lowndes 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 1:32.8511 14 888 John Bowe Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:32.8647 15 02 Rick Kelly Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 1:32.8716 16 18 Paul Radisich Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:32.9025 17 17 Steven Johnson Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:32.9815 18 5 Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:33.0320 19 71 Greg Ritter Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:33.0703 20 27 Neil Crompton 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 1:33.1175 21 40 Cameron McLean Paragon Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 1:33.1346 22 021 Jason Richards Team Kiwi Racing Holden Commodore (VT) 1:33.1425 23 66 Tony Longhurst Briggs Motor Sport Ford Falcon (AU) 1:33.1488 24 11 Larry Perkins Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 1:33.1661 25 3 Cameron McConville Lansvale Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 1:33.2054 26 21 Brad Jones Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:33.2267 27 43 Paul Weel Paul Weel Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:33.2354 28 35 Jason Bargwanna Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VX) 1:33.2659 29 600 Simon Wills Briggs Motor Sport Ford Falcon (AU) 1:33.3197 30 54 Craig Baird Rod Nash Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 1:33.2054 31 10 Mark Larkham Larkham Motor Sport Ford Falcon (AU) 1:33.9715 32 7 Rodney Forbes 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 1:34.3204

Top Ten Shootout Pos No Name Team Vehicle Time 1 1 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 1:31.3824 2 4 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:32.0264 3 46 John Faulkner John Faulkner Racing Holden Commodore (VT) 1:32.3034 4 31 Steven Ellery Steven Ellery Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:32.3773 5 51 Greg Murphy Kmart Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 1:32.5073 6 34 Garth Tander Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VX) 1:32.5614 7 8 Russell Ingall Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 1:32.6291 8 65 Max Wilson Briggs Motor Sport Ford Falcon (AU) 1:32.7077 9 9 David Besnard Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:32.7970 10 16 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 1:32.8942

Race 1 Pos No Name Team Vehicle Laps Time / Retired Grid 1 1 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 13 20min 12.5059sec 1 2 4 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 13 + 2.820 s 2 3 46 John Faulkner John Faulkner Racing Holden Commodore (VT) 13 + 11.393 s 3 4 51 Greg Murphy Kmart Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 13 + 13.565 s 5 5 8 Russell Ingall Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 13 + 15.528 s 7 6 31 Steven Ellery Steven Ellery Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 13 + 20.147 s 4 7 9 David Besnard Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 13 + 22.668 s 9 8 34 Garth Tander Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VX) 13 + 22.898 s 6 9 00 Craig Lowndes 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 13 + 23.314 s 13 10 16 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 13 + 24.168 s 10 11 15 Todd Kelly Kmart Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 13 + 24.664 s 12 12 888 John Bowe Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 13 + 25.322 s 14 13 02 Rick Kelly Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 13 + 26.194 s 15 14 18 Paul Radisich Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 13 + 26.949 s 16 15 17 Steven Johnson Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 13 + 31.418 s 17 16 5 Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 13 + 32.198 s 18 17 021 Jason Richards Team Kiwi Racing Holden Commodore (VT) 13 + 32.739 s 22 18 27 Neil Crompton 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 13 + 33.623 s 20 19 71 Greg Ritter Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 13 + 35.635 s 19 20 21 Brad Jones Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 13 + 36.320 s 26 21 65 Max Wilson Briggs Motor Sport Ford Falcon (AU) 13 + 37.997 s 8 22 66 Tony Longhurst Briggs Motor Sport Ford Falcon (AU) 13 + 38.633 s 23 23 11 Larry Perkins Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 13 + 38.930 s 24 24 35 Jason Bargwanna Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VX) 13 + 39.197 s 28 25 43 Paul Weel Paul Weel Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 13 + 39.613 s 27 26 54 Craig Baird Rod Nash Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 13 + 41.036 s 30 27 40 Cameron McLean Paragon Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 13 + 42.390 s 21 28 10 Mark Larkham Larkham Motor Sport Ford Falcon (AU) 13 + 42.868 s 31 29 7 Rodney Forbes 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 13 + 43.650 s 32 Ret 2 Jason Bright Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 8 Engine 11 Ret 600 Simon Wills Briggs Motor Sport Ford Falcon (AU) 8 Retired 29 Ret 3 Cameron McConville Lansvale Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 4 Retired 25

Race 2 Pos No Name Team Vehicle Laps Time / Retired Grid 1 1 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 39 1hr 1min 53.0093sec 1 2 4 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 39 + 2.144 s 2 3 00 Craig Lowndes 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 39 + 27.157s 9 4 34 Garth Tander Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VX) 39 + 31.984 s 8 5 15 Todd Kelly Kmart Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 39 + 49.156 s 11 6 46 John Faulkner John Faulkner Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 39 + 51.706 s 3 7 51 Greg Murphy Kmart Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 39 + 57.211 s 4 8 17 Steven Johnson Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 39 + 1:08.673 s 15 9 18 Paul Radisich Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 39 + 1:09.122 s 14 10 888 John Bowe Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 39 + 1:09.467 s 12 11 16 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 39 + 1:10.317 s 10 12 27 Neil Crompton 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 39 + 1:12.583 s 18 13 2 Jason Bright Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 39 + 1:12.732 s 30 14 3 Cameron McConville Lansvale Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 39 + 1:13.589 s 32 15 5 Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 39 + 1:14.493 s 16 16 10 Mark Larkham Larkham Motor Sport Ford Falcon (AU) 39 + 1:19.112 s 28 17 66 Tony Longhurst Briggs Motor Sport Ford Falcon (AU) 39 + 1:20.994 s 22 18 9 David Besnard Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 39 + 1:22.099 s 7 19 600 Simon Wills Briggs Motor Sport Ford Falcon (AU) 39 + 1:24.775 s 31 20 54 Craig Baird Rod Nash Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 39 + 1:27.556 s 26 21 31 Steven Ellery Steven Ellery Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 39 + 1:28.857 s 6 22 02 Rick Kelly Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 39 + 1:29.119 s 13 23 11 Larry Perkins Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 39 + 1:32.342 s 23 24 21 Brad Jones Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 39 + 1:32.589 s 20 25 021 Jason Richards Team Kiwi Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 39 + 1:52.595 s 17 26 35 Jason Bargwanna Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VX) 38 + 1 lap 24 27 65 Max Wilson Briggs Motor Sport Ford Falcon (AU) 38 + 1 lap 21 28 7 Rodney Forbes 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 38 + 1 lap 29 29 8 Russell Ingall Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 38 + 1 lap 5 30 43 Paul Weel Paul Weel Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 35 + 4 laps 25 Ret 40 Cameron McLean Paragon Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 29 Retired 27 Ret 71 Greg Ritter Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 21 Retired 19

Race 3