Looking back at the 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400

By RJ Kraft | Published: June 25, 2019 20

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(Editor's note: Gallery first published March, 5, 2018)

The 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington Raceway featured one of NASCAR's most famous and closest finishes as Kurt Busch (No. 97) and Ricky Craven (No. 32) went door to door for the win. Craven edged Busch by .002 seconds for the win on March 16, 2003. Take a look back at some of the scenes from that March weekend in 2003.

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Elliott Sadler (No. 38) won the pole for Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 and led 12 laps on the day. The pole position is the first of eight that Sadler has registered in the sport's top series thus far in his career.

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Four-time champion Jeff Gordon has the look of intense focus during a practice session that weekend. Gordon led 79 laps but finished 33rd in the race after several brushes with the wall.

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A look at a pit stop for Bill Elliott during the race. Elliott's ninth-place finish was his first top 10 of 2003 for car owner Ray Evernham. Years later, Elliott and Evernham both went on to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

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Driving for Penske Racing, eventual NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace would finish 16th on the day in this race.

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Dave Blaney, whose son Ryan now races in the Monster Energy Series, comes in for a pit stop. Driving the No. 77 Ford for team owner Doug Bawel, Blaney finished third in the race -- his first career top-five finish in the series.

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A pack of cars including Jimmy Spencer (No. 7), Sterling Marlin (No. 40), Jeremy Mayfield (No. 19), Rusty Wallace (No. 2) and Ward Burton (No. 22) go through Turn 1 during the NASCAR Carolina Dodge Dealers 400. None of these drivers finished in the top 10 in the race.

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The 2003 season marked Jamie McMurray's rookie voyage in NASCAR's top series. Back then, he was driving for team owner Chip Ganassi, but in the No. 42 car -- not the No. 1 that he drives today.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. made some noise in this race in the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet. Earnhardt led a race-high 91 laps en route to a sixth-place finish at the track that is 'Too Tough to Tame.' The laps led total was the most Junior led in a race at Darlington in the Monster Energy Series.

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Darlington was just the fifth career start in the sport's top series for Casey Mears. At the time, Mears drove the No. 41 for team owner Chip Ganassi and was part of a three-car team that included Jamie McMurray and Sterling Marlin.

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It's a battle of the brothers Wallace as Kenny (No. 23) races ahead of Rusty (No. 2) during the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400. Rusty finished seven spots ahead of Kenny on this day.

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The final lap -- Lap 293 saw plenty of action unfold between Kurt Busch and Ricky Craven coming to the checkered flag.

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Coming off of Turn 4, Ricky Craven got a nice run on the inside to pull even with Kurt Busch as they closed on the start/finish line.

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Kurt Busch and Ricky Craven touch on the front straightaway. To that point in the season, neither driver had a win yet.

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A closer look at the cars of Kurt Busch (No. 97 Rubbermaid Ford) and Ricky Craven (No. 32 Tide Pontiac) as they approach the start/finish line.

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Another look at the finish that shows Ricky Craven just barely ahead of Kurt Busch at the finish.

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Lots of smoke from the close finish. The runner-up finish would be Kurt Busch's third in five races to open the 2003 season. He would win the following week at Bristol after leading 23 laps this day. Thus far, it is the closest Busch has come to a win at Darlington.

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The win for Ricky Craven was his second and final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory. He led just one lap on the day -- the final one -- Lap 293. The victory was also the last one for team owner Cal Wells.

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Members of the No. 32 team are up on top of the pit road wall in celebration after Ricky Craven's win at Darlington.

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Ricky Craven celebrates with his crew in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Carolina Dodge Dealers 400. Craven would make his last NASCAR national series start in 2006 and is currently an analyst for ESPN.