Allen Bestwick provided the play-by-play in the booth with color commentators Benny Parsons and Wally Dallenbach Jr.

The prerace show was hosted by Bill Weber, who reported from the pits with Matt Yocum, Marty Snider, and Dave Burns.

Ricky Rudd, Ward Burton, Dale Jarrett, Robert Pressley, Mike Wallace, Bill Elliott, and Kevin Harvick made up positions four to ten.

Rudd, Gordon, Ward Burton, Nadeau, Terry Labonte, Jarrett, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Johnny Benson Jr. and Waltrip rounded out the top ten drivers.

[28] He became the third rookie driver in history to claim pole position for the Daytona 500 after Loy Allen Jr. in the 1994 event and Skinner in the 1997 race.

[1] Notwithstanding this statement, NASCAR announced from the third practice session onward, teams entering Ford cars would be permitted to lower the height of their spoiler by a further 1⁄4 in (6.4 mm) to 6 in (150 mm) tall in an attempt to decrease aerodynamic drag produced, and in response to the manufacturer getting two of its cars in the first 20 positions in qualifying, and its sub-par results in the 2002 Budweiser Shootout.

[34] Mark Martin led the fourth practice session with a time of 47.933 seconds, with Johnson, Rusty Wallace, Benson, Jeff Burton, Jarrett, Elliott Sadler, John Andretti, Nadeau and Biffle in positions two to ten.

[35] With ten minutes of the session remaining,[36] Brett Bodine experienced understeer exiting the second corner, causing him to slow in a plethora of cars, and drift up the circuit.

[36] Hamilton, Jeff Burton and Todd Bodine ventured to the infield medical center, and were released after precautionary check-ups.

[42] The eleven drivers who failed to qualify were Spencer, Hut Stricklin, Buckshot Jones, Biffle, Rick Mast, Bobby Gerhart, Hermie Sadler, Carl Long, Benning, Shelmerdine, and Dwayne Leik.

Kurt Busch, Rudd, Andretti, Ricky Craven, Brett Bodine, Robby Gordon and Rusty Wallace followed in positions four to ten.

[43] Craven's engine failed as he was drafting Jarrett, prompting the latter to steer right to avoid a collision, and causing a four-car accident involving Petty, Terry Labonte, Marcis, and Brett Bodine on the backstretch.

[45] The drama started almost immediately as one of the pre-race favourites, shootout winner Tony Stewart, blew an engine on just the third lap.

The race's first caution flew as another favourite, Dale Earnhardt Jr., ran over debris and cut a front right tire in turn 1 on lap 23 while running in second-place.

Dave Marcis’ final Winston Cup start was brought to an end on lap 79 due to engine trouble, bringing out the second caution of the day.

Just before halfway, Earnhardt Jr. got into more trouble when he this time lost a rear tire in turn 4, then ended up driving through the infield grass as he tried to get onto pit road as the flailing rubber had damaged a brake line.

[2] On lap 138, rookie Shawna Robinson and Mike Skinner tangled exiting turn 2, bringing out the fifth caution of the day.

These included Matt Kenseth, Ricky Rudd, Joe Nemechek, Ken Schrader, Jeremy Mayfield, John Andretti, Bobby Hamilton, Jerry Nadeau and Earnhardt Jr. (his third incident of the race) amongst others.

[2] Polesitter Jimmie Johnson’s chances of victory were dashed on lap 173 when he blew a tire exiting the tri-oval towards turn 1.

Burton inherited the lead for the 3-lap shootout, followed by fellow Virginia native Elliott Sadler and 1986 race winner Geoffrey Bodine.

These three would remain pretty much single file to the finish, while a further eleven cars set about a frantic scrap from fourth on back.

3-time 500 winner Dale Jarrett collided with Mark Martin upon taking the white flag and became yet another car to be sent spinning through the grass entering turn 1.

Burton held off Sadler to claim the win, with Bodine finishing third just two years after a crash that nearly took his life in the Craftsman Truck Series' Daytona 250 at the same racetrack.