By Mark Spoor, Turner Sports Interactive
May 14, 2003
12:11 PM EDT (1611 GMT)
Site: Concord, N.C.
Track: Lowe's Motor Speedway (1.5 miles, 24-degree banking in turns, 5-degree banking in straightaways, Frontstretch: 1,952 feet, Backstretch: 1,360 feet.
Race distance: 90 laps, 135 miles
 | Last year |  | Jeremy Mayfield dominates The Winston Open.
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|  | Newman becomes the final qualifier for The Winston
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|  | Several drivers have trouble early in The Winston
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| |  | Johnson wins the second segment as Gordon is bounced
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|  | Newman and Junior battle to the checkers
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Format: The Winston, NASCAR's all-star race, employs a special format. The race invites drivers/teams who won a NASCAR Winston Cup Series event in a previous or current season. Also eligible are winners of The Winston within the preceding five years or past NASCAR Winston Cup Series champions. And then there's the wild-card entry afforded the winner of The Winston Open, a race for all teams not already eligible for The Winston.
The Winston Open will precede The Winston on Saturday. It will be 30 laps, divided into segments of 20 and 10 laps, with the 10-lap run having only 14 cars.
Qualifying for The Winston will consist of three laps with a mandatory four-tire pit stop included. The total elapsed time of the pit stops and laps will make up each team's qualifying effort. Drivers must adhere to the pit road speed limit when entering pit road, but there is no speed limit when exiting. The winning team will earn $50,000.
Qualifying for The Winston Open will be two laps, with the better of the two representing the team's qualifying effort.
This 30-lap event is for all NASCAR Winston Cup teams that competed in a NASCAR Winston Cup Series event in 2002 or 2003 that are not already eligible for The Winston.
It will be run in two segments. The first segment will be 20 laps after which the field will be reduced to 14 cars. All laps count including caution laps in the first segment. The second segment will be 10 laps and only green-flag laps will count to ensure a green-flag finish. The winner of The Winston Open will advance to The Winston.
The Winston will be 90 laps total and consist of three segments totaling 40, 30 and 20 laps. The field will be inverted for the final segment as determined by a fan vote on NASCAR.com.
The first segment will be 40 laps. Teams must make a mandatory green-flag, four-tire pit stop at some point during this segment and must complete Lap 40 on the track. All restarts will be double-file. All laps count including caution laps. If a late-segment caution occurs, every effort will be made to ensure a green-flag finish. The top-20 finishers from the first segment will advance to the second segment. The winner of the first segment will earn $50,000.
There will be a 10-minute break following the first segment, at which time teams may change tires and make chassis adjustments without losing track position.
The second segment will be 30 laps. The finish of the first segment will determine the double-file starting order of the 20-car field for the second segment. There are no pit-stop requirements, but teams may pit if they wish.
All laps count including caution laps. If a late-segment caution occurs, every effort will be made to ensure a green-flag finish. Only the top-14 finishers in the second segment will advance to the final segment.
The winner of the second segment will earn $50,000. There will be a 10-minute break following the second segment, at which time teams may change tires and make chassis adjustments without losing track position.
The third and final segment will be 20 laps. The top-14 finishers in the second segment will compete in the third and final segment with the field inverted as determined by a fans vote on nascar.com. The start of the final segment will be double file. Only green flag laps count.
The winner of The Winston will win $1 million.
TV: Winston Open Qualifying: SPEED, 6 p.m. ET Friday, The Winston Qualifying: SPEED, 7 p.m. ET Friday, Winston Open: FX, 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, The Winston:
FX 9 p.m. ET Saturday.
Last year's race: Ryan Newman enjoyed a fairy tale trek to Victory Lane, soaring from worst to first to take the checkers in NASCAR's all-star event. After finishing third in the Winston Open, Newman led the now-defunct No Bull Sprint flag-to-flag, qualifying him for The Winston -- in the final transfer spot, 27th position.
Last race: Jerry Nadeau's car didn't win, but the one he drove last year did. Joe Nemechek dominated the Pontiac Excitement 400 for his third career win before paying tribute to the injured Nadeau in Victory Lane. A record 15 cautions slowed the event, which was halted by rain with just seven laps to go.
Last time at Charlotte: Jamie McMurray, making just his second career Winston Cup Series start in the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge, substituting for injured Sterling Marlin, won the UAW-GM Quality 500 on October 13, 2002, making him the quickest winner in NASCAR's modern era.
Potential storyline: At a news conference to announce the format changes for this year's event, Mark Martin joked that some cars may look a little different at the checkered flag than they do at the green flag.
"I think this race pays a million dollars to win -- $50,000 a lap for the last segment -- because there's a good chance we will wreck," he said.
Point to ponder: Officials have implemented the "Jeff Burton Rule" during the first segment, saying a driver has to pit for four tires under green, and the stop must be completed before the final lap. Last year, Burton pitted on the last lap and made up a number of positions because he didn't have to get back up to speed.
Next race: Coca-Cola 600, Lowe's Motor Speedway, May 25
Site: Nazareth, Pa.
Track: Nazareth Speedway (1 mile, 3-degree banking in Turn 1, 4-degree banking in Turn 2, 6-degree banking in Turns 3 and 4, 2.7-degree baning on back straightaway, 3-degree banking in front straightaway. Frontstretch: 800 Feet Backstretch: 1,200 feet)
Race distance: 200 laps, 200 miles
TV: Bud Pole Qualifying: SPEED, 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Race: FX, 1:30 p.m. ET Sunday.
| Last year |  | Three cautions plague the race's first 20 laps
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|  | Keller dominates, but loses the lead after a slow pit stop
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|  | Biffle and Purvis crash as Keller gets the victory
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Last year's race: Jason Keller used the weekend's dominant car and scored an easy victory in the Stacker 2 200. Keller took the lead for the final time with 30 laps remaining under caution after a violent two-car accident involving Jeff Purvis and defending race winner Greg Biffle.
Last week's race: When Mike Bliss ran out of fuel with less than one lap to go, Scott Riggs was there to inherit the win in Saturday's Charter Pipeline 250 at Gateway International Raceway.
Potential storyline: David Green took over the series points lead with a second-place finish last weekend at Gateway. Former points leader Todd Bodine finished 11th and fell to five points behind Green, in second.
Point to ponder: Six of the 15 Busch Series winners at Nazareth have come from the second starting position. Jason Keller was the last one, in last year's race. Only one driver has won from the pole -- Elliott Sadler did it in 1997.
Next race: Carquest Auto Parts 300, Lowe's Motor Speedway, May 24
Site: Concord, N.C.
Track: Lowe's Motor Speedway (1.5 miles, 24-degree banking in turns, 5-degree banking in straightaways, Frontstretch: 1,952 feet, Backstretch: 1,360 feet.
Race distance: 134 laps, 201 miles
TV: Race: SPEED, 8 p.m. ET Friday
Last year's race: Inaugural event
Last race: Dennis Setzer got his second consecutive Martinsville Speedway victory and his second consecutive Craftsman Truck Series victory in the Advance Auto Parts 250 on April 12.
Potential storyline: Mesa Marin and Martinsville winner Dennis Setzer bids to become just the fourth series competitor to register three consecutive victories. A Hardee's 200 win would put the Newton, N.C. veteran in good company with series champions Mike Skinner (1996), Ron Hornaday Jr. (1997) and Greg Biffle (2000). No driver ever has won four in a row.
Point to ponder: Five drivers entered in the race have combined for 197 Winston Cup Series/Busch Series starts at Lowe's Motor Speedway. One of them, Ken Schrader, won the now NASCAR Winston Cup UAW-GM Quality 500 on Oct. 8, 1989. Morgan Shepherd ranks first with 61 appearances, trailed by Schrader (55), Hamilton (31), Robert Pressley (28) and Ted Musgrave (22).
Next race: MBNA Armed Forces Family Truck 200, Dover Int'l Speedway, May 30
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