2002 New Hampshire 300
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| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 27 of 36 in the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 The 2002 New Hampshire 300 program cover. | |||
| Date | September 15, 2002 | ||
| Official name | Sixth Annual New Hampshire 300 | ||
| Location | Loudon, New Hampshire, New Hampshire International Speedway | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 1.058 miles (1.703 km) | ||
| Distance | 207 laps, 219.006 mi (352.455 km) | ||
| Scheduled distance | 300 laps, 317.4 mi (510.805 km) | ||
| Average speed | 105.081 miles per hour (169.111 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Penske Racing | ||
| Time | 28.802 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing | |
| Laps | 143 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | TNT | ||
| Announcers | Allen Bestwick, Benny Parsons, Wally Dallenbach Jr. | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
The 2002 New Hampshire 300 was the 27th stock car race of the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the sixth iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, September 15, 2002, in Loudon, New Hampshire, at New Hampshire International Speedway, a 1.058-mile (1.703 km) permanent, oval-shaped, low-banked racetrack. The race was shortened from its scheduled 300 laps to 207 due to darkness. At race's end, Ryan Newman, driving for Penske Racing, would dominate the race until the end to win his first career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his only win of the season.[1] To fill out the podium, Kurt Busch of Roush Racing and Tony Stewart of Joe Gibbs Racing would finish second and third, respectively.
Entry list
New Hampshire International Speedway is a 1.058-mile (1.703 km) oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s, as well as an IndyCar weekend and the oldest motorcycle race in North America, the Loudon Classic. Nicknamed "The Magic Mile", the speedway is often converted into a 1.6-mile (2.6 km) road course, which includes much of the oval. The track was originally the site of Bryar Motorsports Park before being purchased and redeveloped by Bob Bahre. The track is currently one of eight major NASCAR tracks owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports.
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
Practice
First practice
The first practice session was held on Friday, September 13, at 11:20 AM EST, and would last for 2 hours.[2] Ryan Newman of Penske Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.799 and an average speed of 132.255 mph (212.844 km/h).[3]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford | 28.799 | 132.255 |
| 2 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 28.881 | 131.879 |
| 3 | 55 | Greg Biffle | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 28.895 | 131.815 |
| Full first practice results | ||||||
Second practice
The second practice session was held on Saturday, September 14, at 9:30 AM EST, and would last for 45 minutes.[2] Ward Burton of Bill Davis Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.421 and an average speed of 129.459 mph (208.344 km/h).[4]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 29.421 | 129.459 |
| 2 | 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford | 29.422 | 129.454 |
| 3 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.440 | 129.375 |
| Full second practice results | ||||||
Final practice
The final practice session was held on Saturday, September 14, at 11:15 AM EST, and would last for 45 minutes.[2] Greg Biffle of Andy Petree Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.350 and an average speed of 129.772 mph (208.848 km/h).[5]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 55 | Greg Biffle | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 29.350 | 129.772 |
| 2 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.500 | 129.112 |
| 3 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 29.524 | 129.007 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results | ||||||