2003 Budweiser Shootout
Although Geoff Bodine won the pole position by lot, he was immediately passed by Jimmie Johnson into turn one.
The race, designed to promote Busch Beer, invites the fastest NASCAR drivers from the previous season to compete.
[6] Races where qualifying was cancelled due to rain or where the points leader started from the pole position did not count.
[7] Teams could change tires, add fuel, and make normal chassis tweaks during the pit stop, but not springs, shock absorbers or rear ends.
[15] The smaller fuel cells required teams to make an extra pit stop in the second segment.
The redesigned car package's body design was uniform in the center, but the front and rear were reshaped slightly.
[2] Ryan Newman lapped fastest in the first practice session with a time of 48.330 seconds, ahead of Jeff Gordon, Stewart, Terry Labonte, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Bill Elliott, Matt Kenseth, and Ricky Rudd in positions second through tenth.
Mark Martin, Ward Burton, Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Dale Jarrett, Ken Schrader, and Gordon completed the top ten quickest competitors.
[20] Ricky Craven drew sixth place, and Jarrett, Todd Bodine, Martin, and Burton selected positions seven, eight, nine and ten.
Schrader, Stewart, Elliott, Rusty Wallace, Newman, Harvick, Labonte and Gordon drew the following eight placings.
"[21] The 70-lap race commenced at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (UTC−05:00), and was broadcast live in the United States on Fox.
[13] Commentary was provided by play-by-play announcer Mike Joy, with analysis from three-time Cup Series champion Darrell Waltrip, and former crew chief Larry McReynolds.
[2] Around the start of the race, weather conditions were clear with the air temperature at 52 °F (11 °C); a 60 percent chance of rain was forecast though none fell on the circuit.
[22] Hal Marchman, pastor of Central Baptist Church in Daytona Beach, began pre-race ceremonies with an invocation.
Country music group SHeDAISY performed the national anthem, and actress and model Susan Ward commanded the drivers to start their engines.
[25] Earnhardt told his crew chief Tony Eury Sr. he wanted fuel, tires and no chassis adjustments because he felt comfortable with his car.
[5] Newman clung onto Earnhardt's back bumper panel,[22] moving the latter past Gordon on the outside lane at turn three for the lead.
[30] It was Earnhardt's maiden Budweiser Shootout victory,[22] and his first at Daytona International Speedway in the Cup Series since the 2001 Pepsi 400.
[1] Schrader was in second in the final seven laps as a tailwind increased his top speed,[32] but fell to sixth after a failed overtake to Earnhardt's outside.
[7] No yellow caution flags were issued since no driver had an accident or collided with another car,[28] and there were 13 lead changes among seven different participants.
Wallace observed that competitors could draft efficiently and that drivers could not pull away from each other, "My car handled pretty good the whole entire run.
