2002 Pepsi 400
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| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 17 of 36 in the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 The 2002 Pepsi 400 program cover. | |||
| Date | July 6, 2002 | ||
| Official name | 44th Annual Pepsi 400 | ||
| Location | Daytona Beach, Florida, Daytona International Speedway | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 2.5 miles (4.0 km) | ||
| Distance | 160 laps, 400 mi (643.737 km) | ||
| Scheduled distance | 160 laps, 400 mi (643.737 km) | ||
| Average speed | 135.952 miles per hour (218.794 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Richard Childress Racing | ||
| Time | 48.638 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | |
| Laps | 99 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | FOX | ||
| Announcers | Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds, Darrell Waltrip | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
The 2002 Pepsi 400 was the 17th stock car race of the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 44th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, July 6, 2002, in Daytona Beach, Florida at Daytona International Speedway, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) permanent triangular-shaped superspeedway. The race took the scheduled 160 laps to complete. At race's end, Michael Waltrip, driving for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., would win a crash-marred race under caution, a decision that would prove controversial with fans, as they wanted the race to finish under green.[1][2][3] To fill out the podium, Rusty Wallace of Penske Racing and Sterling Marlin of Chip Ganassi Racing would finish second and third, respectively.
Entry list
Daytona International Speedway is one of three superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the other two being Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.[4] The standard track at Daytona International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long. The track's turns are banked at 31 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at 18 degrees.[5]
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
Practice
Originally, three practice sessions were scheduled to be held, with one on Thursday and two on Saturday. However, rain on Thursday would add a one-hour additional practice session to Thursday's sessions,[6] and rain on Friday would cancel both sessions, leaving only two sessions run on Thursday.[7]
First practice
Originally scheduled as a two-hour practice session, the first practice session was held on Thursday, July 4, at 3:00 PM EST, but would only last for 40 minutes due to rain.[6] Michael Waltrip of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 48.876 and an average speed of 184.139 miles per hour (296.343 km/h).[8]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 48.876 | 184.139 |
| 2 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 48.933 | 183.925 |
| 3 | 09 | Geoff Bodine | Phoenix Racing | Ford | 48.994 | 183.696 |
| Full first practice results | ||||||
Final practice
The final practice session was held on Thursday, July 4, at 8:00 PM EST, and would last for one hour.[6] Dale Jarrett of Robert Yates Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 48.598 and an average speed of 185.193 miles per hour (298.039 km/h).[9]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 48.598 | 185.193 |
| 2 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 48.832 | 184.305 |
| 3 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 48.845 | 184.256 |
| Full Final practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
Qualifying was held on Friday, July 5, at 10:00 PM EST after rain delayed qualifying from its original date, July 4.[10] Each driver would have two laps to set a fastest time; the fastest of the two would count as their official qualifying lap.[6] Positions 1-36 would be decided on time, while positions 37-43 would be based on provisionals. Six spots are awarded by the use of provisionals based on owner's points. The seventh is awarded to a past champion who has not otherwise qualified for the race. If no past champ needs the provisional, the next team in the owner points will be awarded a provisional.[11]
Kevin Harvick of Richard Childress Racing would win the pole, setting a time of 48.638 and an average speed of 185.040 miles per hour (297.793 km/h).[12]
Two drivers would fail to qualify: Ed Berrier and Steve Grissom.
