2002 Protection One 400
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| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 29 of 36 in the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 The 2002 Protection One 400 program cover. | |||
| Date | September 29, 2002 | ||
| Official name | Second Annual Protection One 400 | ||
| Location | Kansas City, Kansas, Kansas Speedway | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 1.5 miles (2.41 km) | ||
| Distance | 267 laps, 400.5 mi (644.542 km) | ||
| Scheduled distance | 267 laps, 400.5 mi (644.542 km) | ||
| Average speed | 119.394 miles per hour (192.146 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 78,000 | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | ||
| Time | 30.350 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Laps | 116 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | NBC | ||
| Announcers | Allen Bestwick, Benny Parsons, Wally Dallenbach Jr. | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
The 2002 Protection One 400 was the 29th stock car race of the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the second iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, September 29, 2002, before a crowd of 78,000 in Kansas City, Kansas, at Kansas Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent D-shaped oval racetrack. The race took the scheduled 267 laps to complete. At race's end, Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would pull away on the final restart with three laps to go to win his 61st career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his third and final win of the season.[1][2] To fill out the podium, Ryan Newman and Rusty Wallace, both driving for Penske Racing, would finish second and third, respectively.
Sterling Marlin suffered a neck injury from a crash during the race, which resulted in him missing the rest of the season.[3]
Entry list
Kansas Speedway is a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) tri-oval race track in Kansas City, Kansas. It was built in 2001 and hosts two annual NASCAR race weekends. The NTT IndyCar Series also raced there until 2011. The speedway is owned and operated by the International Speedway Corporation.
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
Practice
First practice
The first practice session was held on Friday, September 27, at 11:20 AM CST, and would last for 2 hours.[4] Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.430 and an average speed of 177.456 mph (285.588 km/h).[5]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.430 | 177.456 |
| 2 | 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford | 30.466 | 177.247 |
| 3 | 25 | Joe Nemechek | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.473 | 177.206 |
| Full first practice results | ||||||
Second practice
The second practice session was held on Saturday, September 28, at 9:30 AM CST, and would last for 45 minutes.[4] Ryan Newman of Penske Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.898 and an average speed of 174.769 mph (281.263 km/h).[6]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford | 30.898 | 174.769 |
| 2 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 31.108 | 173.589 |
| 3 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 31.128 | 173.477 |
| Full second practice results | ||||||
Final practice
The final practice session was held on Saturday, September 28, at 11:15 AM CST, and would last for 45 minutes.[4] Steve Park of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 31.554 and an average speed of 171.135 mph (275.415 km/h).[7]
During the opening minutes of the session, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte would crash in turn two, forcing the team to go to a backup car.[8]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 31.554 | 171.135 |
| 2 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 31.585 | 170.967 |
| 3 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 31.609 | 170.837 |
| Full Final practice results | ||||||